Rebuilding a Soft Life After Motherhood Burnout: The Soft 7
The soft seven rhythms that helped me rebuild after burnout and romanticize motherhood again
The hardest thing for me to adapt to in motherhood was that no matter how I felt, I had to keep going. I had to keep showing up because there were little souls depending on me. In parenthood, there are no days off.
When I was in burnout, I didn’t know how I was going to make it. Looking back, I see how tenderly God brought me through the hard times. While I was struggling in my attempts to teach and parent, I became so much more aware of my own need to be taught and parented.
It is when our cup runs dry as moms that God is then able to heal us, use us, strengthen us, and grow us through the overflow we receive when our eyes and our reliance are set steadfast upon Him.
I did not rebuild myself after burnout by myself. I am here today because my life, my discipline, and my rhythms have been the results of God’s loving parenting of me and in turn, I am able to be a better parent to HIS children that He so graciously given me to steward.
The Soft Seven Rhythms of an Intentional Life
In Part 1, we talked about the Soft Wellness Method: three simple steps—Slow Down, Simplify, Sustain—that help you create margin and begin rebuilding after burnout.
But once you’ve slowed down and cleared a little space, the question becomes: What do I do with that space?
That’s where the Soft 7 Rhythms come in.
These rhythms aren’t a checklist to conquer or a routine you’ll master perfectly every day. They’re small practices you can return to again and again that help you live with intention and connection in all areas of your life.
When I was at my lowest, I didn’t need a complicated wellness plan. I needed reminders—tiny ways to reconnect with who I was, what I valued, and how I wanted to show up as a mom, wife, and woman of faith.
These seven rhythms became that gentle structure for me.
1. Scripture
Anchor yourself in truth daily.
Even one verse can shift your perspective before the noise of the world creeps in. Sometimes it is a quick verse through my Bible app or singing Bible memory verses in my car. Other times, it is a more intensive Bible In A Year study. No matter how big or small in amount, God’s Word meets you right where you are.
2. Stillness
Pause long enough to notice your breath.
Stillness doesn’t mean silence or an empty house (though that would be nice). It means being present enough to recognize that you’re safe, loved, and held—even in motion. Sometimes it’s two minutes in the car before pickup. Sometimes it’s a whispered prayer over the sink. Those moments count.
3. Sustenance
Feed your body kindly.
This rhythm reminded me that nourishment isn’t vanity but biblical stewardship. I stopped viewing food as punishment or reward and started asking: “What will make me feel steady for the day ahead?” For me, that’s been protein in the morning, hydration before coffee, and grace when it’s just takeout night again.
4. Steps
Move your body gently
When I started walking again after years of fatigue and anxiety, I realized how healing simple movement could be. Ten minutes outside. Stretching before bed. Dancing in the kitchen with my kids. These “steps” became a form of worship and thanking God for the body that carries me through this season.
5. Service
Do something small for someone else.
In burnout, we often turn inward because we’re so empty. But service refills us in ways self-focus never can. It can be as simple as sending a text to check on a friend, praying for someone in need, or reading one extra bedtime story even when you’re tired. Service softens us and can often pull us out of survival mode when we realize we aren’t alone in the trenches.
6. Story
Create or consume something that reminds you who you are.
This rhythm came alive through creative expression or communal collaboration. By engaging in a narrative outside of our own head by making something, sharing something, or listening to someone else’s story, this is another rhythm that connects us with others and reminds us we are not alone.
7. Surrender
Release what you can’t control.
Every night, I try to mentally hand God the things I tried to carry alone. The to-do list I didn’t finish. The prayers I don’t have words for. The worries that follow me to bed. Surrender doesn’t mean giving up but trusting that grace will meet you where your strength ends.
Why These Seven Rhythms Matter
Together, these seven rhythms give your soft life structure without suffocation. They invite you to live intentionally, not perfectly.
They’re how I rebuilt my life after burnout—not through massive overhauls or morning routines that only work for influencers—but through small, repeatable choices that remind me who I am and Whose I am.
The Soft 7 is a framework you can adapt to your season. Some days you’ll touch all seven rhythms without realizing it; other days, just one is enough.
If you’re in a rebuilding season, start small. Pick one rhythm this week and nurture it gently. Let it fit into your real life—between preschool drop-offs, work emails, and bedtime routines. Over time, these small acts of intention become the threads that quietly stitch your soft life back together.
Coming Up Next
In Part 3 of this series, I’ll go through these rhythms one by and share how to layer these rhythms into your actual week—what my realistic schedule looks like now, how I pair rhythms together, and how to keep them sustainable with kids, a budget, and a busy brain.
If you want to download The Soft 7 Printable Checklist or get access to bonus reflections, you can find them linked in my Linktree.
You’re doing better than you think.
Softness is still possible here.
Love always,
Sarah
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