Ask Elizabeth: How to Find Renewal When You’re Running on Empty

Dear Elizabeth,

I’ve been feeling tired, not just physically, but emotionally. This year has been full, and even though I’m grateful, I feel like I’m running on empty. As the holidays and new year approach, I want to feel renewed instead of burned out. How can I refill my energy and start fresh without disappearing from the people I care about?

— Running on Empty

Dear Running on Empty,

First, thank you for your honesty. What you’re describing is something many of us quietly feel. It's the fatigue that comes from giving, caring, and doing without enough time to be. It’s okay to admit you’re tired. Peace begins in that moment of truth.

The holidays and year-end can magnify exhaustion. We try to finish strong, to show up for everyone, to meet invisible expectations and somewhere in all that effort, we forget to rest our spirit. Renewal isn’t about withdrawing; it’s about returning to yourself with kindness.

Here are a few gentle ways to begin:

1. Rest Without Guilt.

You don’t need to earn your rest. Schedule quiet time the same way you’d schedule a meeting or family event, not as a luxury, but as a necessity. Peaceful people aren’t lazy; they’re replenished.

2. Reconnect Through Simplicity.

You don’t have to disappear to restore yourself. Sometimes renewal looks like sharing a walk with a friend, cooking a simple meal, or sitting in silence together. Real connection doesn’t demand performance, only presence.

3. Release the Year Gracefully.

Before setting new goals, pause to acknowledge what this year taught you. Celebrate your growth. Forgive your missteps. Each ending carries its own quiet wisdom, if you let it.

4. Refill from What’s Real.

Notice what restores you. It might be music, prayer, journaling, nature, or laughter. Do more of that. Energy follows attention, and your peace expands where you nurture it.

Elizabeth’s Reminder:

You can’t pour from an empty cup, but you can breathe from an open heart. Renewal begins in stillness, not in striving. So let yourself rest, reflect, and receive the quiet gifts this season offers. The world doesn’t need your perfection; it needs your presence.

With love and light,

Elizabeth