Hey beautiful,
Let’s not sugarcoat it: sometimes life just feels hard.
You’re tired. You’re carrying too much. You’ve tried all the things—eating better, praying more, setting goals, showing up—and somehow, it still feels like nothing’s changing fast enough.
You wonder:
- Is it even worth it?
- Am I just not strong enough?
- Why does everyone else seem to have it more together?
Friend, if that’s where you are today, I want you to know: You’re not alone. And you don’t have to be “strong” to keep going.
This post is for those fragile, soul-weary days where giving up feels like the only option. These are gentle ways to show up—not perfectly, but faithfully. Tiny, life-affirming acts to remind yourself that you still matter. That your journey still matters.
Let’s walk through them together.
1. Show Up With Water
Yes, really. Before you do anything else, drink a glass of water.
Why? Because your body needs it. Because your brain can’t process feelings when it’s dehydrated. Because you deserve nourishment.
This isn’t just hydration. It’s an act of showing up for yourself in the smallest, kindest way.
2. Show Up With Honesty
Stop pretending you’re fine when you’re not. Honesty isn’t weakness—it’s freedom.
Text a trusted friend: “Today is really hard.” Say out loud: “I feel overwhelmed and need a break.” Write in your journal: “I don’t know what to do right now.”
Naming what’s real creates space to breathe.
3. Show Up With Stillness
You don’t have to fix it all today. You don’t have to have a plan. You just need to be still.
Sit with your hand on your heart. Light a candle. Put your phone away.
Let stillness hold you while you catch your breath.
4. Show Up With One Task
Not ten. Just one.
Choose the smallest thing:
- Brush your teeth
- Take out the trash
- Fold one load of laundry
- Clear one surface
Then celebrate it like it’s a win—because it is.
Showing up for one thing is a victory on the days you want to give up.
5. Show Up With Movement
When you feel stuck, move your body. Not to lose weight or get fit—but to shake off the heaviness.
Stretch in bed. Walk around your house. Put on a song and sway. Dance badly on purpose.
Movement clears energy. It opens space for something new to flow in.
6. Show Up With Kindness (To Yourself)
Your inner critic is probably loud right now. But today, you get to quiet it with love.
Say one kind thing:
- “I’m doing the best I can.”
- “This is hard, but I’m trying.”
- “I am allowed to rest.”
You don’t have to feel it yet. Just say it. Let it soak in.
7. Show Up With Permission
Permission to rest. Permission to cry. Permission to not have it all figured out.
Healing isn’t linear. Growth isn’t always visible. Progress often looks like circles before it becomes a line.
Give yourself permission to be in-process.
8. Show Up With Faith
Even if it’s small. Even if it’s barely there.
Whisper a prayer:
“Divine Creator, I don’t know what I’m doing. But I trust You to hold me.”
Light a candle as a symbol of hope. Read a verse or affirmation. Listen to a worship song that makes you feel less alone.
Faith isn’t about always feeling strong. Sometimes, it’s about showing up anyway.
9. Show Up in Community
Don’t isolate. Don’t disappear.
Come be seen. Let someone witness your struggle without fixing it. Let someone remind you that you’re not too much, too late, or too far gone.
Your community is here for you. And I am, too.
10. Show Up With a Fresh Start
Every day you wake up is a brand new beginning.
No matter how yesterday went. No matter how long you’ve been struggling. No matter how messy things feel right now.
Today is a new chance. To breathe. To believe. To begin again.
You’re Still Here, and That Matters
Sometimes showing up doesn’t look brave or bold. Sometimes it looks like crying in the shower, microwaving dinner, or texting “I need help.”
That still counts.
You’re still here. You’re still showing up. And I’m proud of you for that.
So if today is hard, don’t give up. Just show up.
With love and light,
Jamie
Labor of Love for Birth & Beyond
