It is no surprise to anyone that this time of the year is always the busiest. For many, this means finishing finals season, projects, and many deadlines galore. With the added pressure of an ongoing global pandemic and daily responsibilities pilling up, it is inevitable that we will feel burned out.

If you're anything like me, one of the areas that fell in the back burner recently was my spiritual life. As a full-time college student, it was hard trying to balance so much at the same time. My prayer life was out of the window, and I felt so far away from Christ. 

Unfortunately, this is the reality that many of us face. If you are feeling burned out spiritually, know that you are not alone in your struggle. It is completely normal, and you are not a “bad Catholic” because you feel that way. Now, I don’t know if there is a remedy for overcoming burnout, however, I would like to share a few tips that may help you get out of this spiritual slump.

  1. Be honest with God

    A few years ago, I told my spiritual director about my struggle in prayer. He advised me to be honest with God and to tell Him everything, even the parts that I was too afraid to talk about. The priest reminded me that I no longer needed to hide the ugliest parts of myself because God already knows what is inside my heart. He desires to hear it directly from me.

    If you have felt this way before, I encourage you to invite Jesus into your heart today. Tell God what is going on with you. There is no one better to soothe your aching heart that the One who created it in the first place. Let Him in and trust that He wants nothing but the best for you.

  2. Be honest with yourself

    Generally, this feeling of being burned out can stem from our mind and body telling us that we may be handling too much. This is a great natural indicator that a reorganization of our priorities is in order.

    Be brutally honest with yourself, too. You can’t take on every opportunity that comes your way. By taking on too much, it is not only a detriment to ourselves, but to the people that we serve. We cannot give our whole selves when we are stretched too thin. How much can you realistically handle? What commitments do you need to let go of in the new year?

  3. Connect with your family and friends

    Chances are, you are not alone in feeling far away from God. There are probably many others around you who are feeling the exact same way, who may be afraid to say anything.

    By starting a conversation, it will allow others to feel safe in opening up as well. This builds and strengthens your connection to one another. As humans, we were never made to journey alone. We are made for relationship and community, that means going through our highs and lows together.

  4. Broaden your spiritual horizons

    I talked to a friend about this topic a few days ago, and what he shared blew my mind. He told me that what helped him when he felt spiritually burned out was finding balance and broadening his spiritual horizons. What this means is being able to find balance in where you “inhale” and “exhale” in your journey. As leaders in ministry, there is a tendency to feel the need to serve all the time. This gradual overexposure can cause imbalance because we are constantly “exhaling”.

    To set a balance here, it is prudent to search for areas where you can “inhale”. That means finding other ministries and communities where your sole role is to receive and to be received. There is wisdom in understanding that you cannot give all the time. There are aspects of humility, vulnerability, and surrender in allowing yourself to be received by those who can keep you accountable in your growth.

  5. Learn how to rest

    This is probably the hardest tip of all. How can one find rest especially after enduring two years into a global pandemic? We may believe that we can relive the same hustle mentality and lifestyle as we once did before. But realistically, this is not possible anymore. Our lives have changed so drastically.

    A crucial lesson that I learned in quarantine is that rest is not luxury, but it is absolutely essential to our growth. As missionary disciples, it is important that we learn and set boundaries. We need to learn how to rest and to recharge. This is how we model the missionary mindset to those around us. If God rested on the seventh day, why shouldn’t we?


I pray that these tips may help you in your relationship with God. Feeling burned out spiritually won’t last forever, and you will find solace once again.

Padre Pio once said, “Jesus is with you even when you don’t feel His presence. He is never so close to you as He is during your spiritual battles. He is always there, close to you, encouraging you to fight your battle courageously”.

You are not alone in your journey, friend. God is and will be with you every step of the way. Will you let Him in your heart?