Breathe: The Stress Less Podcast

Why does trying to figure everything out leave you feeling more stressed?
When life feels uncertain, it’s natural to want to solve things — to plan ahead, think through every possibility, and make sure everything will be okay. But what if that constant effort to “figure it all out” is actually what’s exhausting you?

In this episode, Bonnie shares a personal story that reveals why our instinct to “figure everything out” can actually work against our peace—and what we truly need instead in seasons of uncertainty. 



You’ll discover why stress increases when we try to solve what can’t be resolved right away, and how God invites us to receive grace in the present moment instead. Bonnie also shares a simple, science-supported soul care practice that can calm your nervous system, interrupt stress loops, and help you return to peace.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, mentally exhausted, or stuck trying to figure everything out, this episode will help you slow down, release the pressure, and care for your soul right where you are.

Key Takeaways

Why trying to figure everything out increases stress
How new beginnings need gentleness, not pressure
What science says about rumination and emotional stress
How shifting to the present moment calms your body and mind
A simple practice to interrupt stress loops and return to peace

Breath Prayer

Inhale: Let us draw near with confidence
Exhale: to receive grace in my time of need

Scripture
“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Heb.4:16
→ Take Bonnie's Soul Care Courses:
Breathe Joy with Jesus:
Create Happy Wellness Rhythms to Cultivate Joy with God's Promises
Register at https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool/
Breathe Rest with Jesus:
A Loving Course to Create Wellness Rhythms of Peace with God’s Promises
Register at https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool-breatherest/

Praying the Psalms for Wellness:
A Lifegiving 8-Week Wellness Course to Release Stress, Renew Peace & Find Rest for Your Heart
Register at https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool-prayingpsalms/
→ Take the FREE Soul Care Quiz at soulcarequiz.comGet your personal wellness assessment and learn which area of soul care you need most.
→ Eucalyptus Shower Steamers for instant calm at Bonnie's Soul Care Store
Join the Soul Care Newsletter:
https://thebonniegray.com/subscribe

Watch YouTube Devotionals:
https://youtube.com/thebonniegray

Bestselling Books by Bonnie:
https://amzn.to/3NpVYQd

Follow Bonnie on Instagram & Facebook:
@thebonniegray
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What do you do when life feels uncertain… and you’re not quite sure what’s next?

Maybe you’re stepping into a new season. Letting go of what once felt certain. Or facing something that feels impossible to change.

In moments like this, it’s easy to feel unsettled.

But what if you could move forward with peace and quiet confidence — even before everything becomes clear?

In this episode, Bonnie shares how she’s navigating her current season of change — and what it looks like to move forward with peace and quiet confidence when life feels uncertain.

You’ll also explore the science about how faith reshapes what feels impossible, and why hearing stories of transformation can improve your wellness.

If you’re walking through a season of uncertainty, this episode will help you move forward with peace — and trust the next chapter God is writing.

Key Takeaways

How to move forward with peace in seasons of uncertainty
Why letting go of control is part of stepping into a new chapter
Science: How faith reframes what feels impossible
Why your story of faith matters — even when nothing has changed yet
How hearing others’ testimonies can reignite your hope

Breath Prayer
Inhale: With God…
Exhale: Nothing is impossible…

Scripture
“For with God nothing will be impossible.” Luke 1:37

Listen & Be Encouraged

Anthony Logan’s Story of Faith
(Interview with Glen Scrivener — Speak Life)
https://youtu.be/hwuTcc4qvno?si=mlOEykzsCyogYBLB

Wesley Huff on Diary of a CEO
(Interview with Steven Bartlett)
https://youtu.be/nrwNSSyKuD4?si=UZ42XZKmUohLKOqT

CeCe Winans - Believe For It
https://youtu.be/fd24fpsF1Qw?si=AwPpabJ0sDc6tpWq
→ Take Bonnie's Soul Care Courses:
Lent Wellness Study (Seasonal Offering)
A 6-Week Healing Renewal For Your Heart With Jesus in His Love
Register at https://soulcareschool.mykajabi.com/offers/mqr8VY2X/checkout
Breathe Rest with Jesus:
A Loving Course to Create Wellness Rhythms of Peace with God’s Promises
Register at https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool-breatherest/
Breathe Joy with Jesus:
Create Happy Wellness Rhythms to Cultivate Joy with God's Promises
Register at https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool/

Praying the Psalms for Wellness:
A Life-giving 8-Week Wellness Course to Release Stress, Renew Peace & Find Rest for Your Hear
Register at https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool-prayingpsalms/
→ Take the FREE Soul Care Quiz at soulcarequiz.comGet your personal wellness assessment and learn which area of soul care you need most.
→ Eucalyptus Shower Steamers for instant calm at Bonnie's Soul Care Store
Join the Soul Care Newsletter:
https://thebonniegray.com/subscribe

Watch YouTube Devotionals:
https://youtube.com/thebonniegray

Bestselling Books by Bonnie:
https://amzn.to/3NpVYQd

Follow Bonnie on Instagram & Facebook:
@thebonniegray
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What do you do when life is changing… and you don’t yet know what’s next?

In seasons of transition, it’s easy to feel unsettled or uncertain. But what if you could move forward with peace and quiet confidence — even before everything becomes clear?

In this episode, Bonnie shares the moments she got a jarring text that unsettled her, that helped her understanding of what it means to live forward — not backward — and how that perspective can reshape the way we experience change.

You’ll also learn a simple morning soul care practice to anchor your identity in God — so you can begin each day grounded amidst the tumble of change.

If you’re in a season of change, this episode will help you move forward with peace and trust the next chapter God is writing.
Key Takeaways
How to move forward with peace in seasons of change
Why identity shifts are a natural part of new chapters
How your inner narrative shapes your wellbeing

How curiosity and small enjoyable actions can interrupt stress loops
A simple morning practice to ground your day

Breath Prayer
Inhale: Do not dwell on the past…

Exhale: See, I am doing a new thing…

Scripture
“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!”
— Isaiah 43:18–19
→ Take Bonnie's Soul Care Courses:
Lent Wellness Study (Seasonal Offering)
A 6-Week Healing Renewal For Your Heart With Jesus in His Love
Register at https://soulcareschool.mykajabi.com/offers/mqr8VY2X/checkout
Breathe Rest with Jesus:
A Loving Course to Create Wellness Rhythms of Peace with God’s Promises
Register at https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool-breatherest/
Breathe Joy with Jesus:
Create Happy Wellness Rhythms to Cultivate Joy with God's Promises
Register at https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool/

Praying the Psalms for Wellness:
A Life-giving 8-Week Wellness Course to Release Stress, Renew Peace & Find Rest for Your Hear
Register at https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool-prayingpsalms/
→ Take the FREE Soul Care Quiz at soulcarequiz.comGet your personal wellness assessment and learn which area of soul care you need most.
→ Eucalyptus Shower Steamers for instant calm at Bonnie's Soul Care Store
Join the Soul Care Newsletter:
https://thebonniegray.com/subscribe

Watch YouTube Devotionals:
https://youtube.com/thebonniegray

Bestselling Books by Bonnie:
https://amzn.to/3NpVYQd

Follow Bonnie on Instagram & Facebook:
@thebonniegray
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Is there something in your life right now that you’re waiting on?
And while you’re waiting, your mind keeps circling the same questions: When will this get better? When will this resolve? How long will this take?

When problems don’t have immediate solutions, our brains tend to reopen them again and again — creating worry loops that make it hard to rest.

In this episode, Bonnie shares a personal story about quieting the mental loop of waiting. You'll learn how asking a different question can transform a season of waiting if stress into something we can live well.

If you’ve been stuck in a cycle of worry while waiting for something to change, this episode will help you discover how to return to rest and live well in the meantime.

Key Takeaways
Why unresolved situations naturally trigger worry loops in the brain
How asking a better question can quiet anxiety while you wait
What the Zeigarnik Effect reveals about why unfinished problems stick in our minds
How curiosity and small enjoyable actions can interrupt stress loops
Why learning to “wait well” can bring peace even before the situation resolves

Breath Prayer
Inhale: Return to your rest, my soul…
Exhale: The Lord has been good to you…

Scripture
“Return to your rest, my soul,
for the Lord has been good to you.”
— Psalm 116:7

Lemon Garlic Salmon Recipe
by recipetineats
https://www.recipetineats.com/lemon-garlic-salmon-tray-bake-easy-healthy/
→ Take Bonnie's Soul Care Courses:
Lent Wellness Study (Seasonal Offering)
A 6-Week Healing Renewal For Your Heart With Jesus in His Love
Register at https://soulcareschool.mykajabi.com/offers/mqr8VY2X/checkout
Breathe Rest with Jesus:
A Loving Course to Create Wellness Rhythms of Peace with God’s Promises
Register at https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool-breatherest/
Breathe Joy with Jesus:
Create Happy Wellness Rhythms to Cultivate Joy with God's Promises
Register at https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool/

Praying the Psalms for Wellness:
A Life-giving 8-Week Wellness Course to Release Stress, Renew Peace & Find Rest for Your Hear
Register at https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool-prayingpsalms/
→ Take the FREE Soul Care Quiz at soulcarequiz.comGet your personal wellness assessment and learn which area of soul care you need most.
→ Eucalyptus Shower Steamers for instant calm at Bonnie's Soul Care Store
Join the Soul Care Newsletter:
https://thebonniegray.com/subscribe

Watch YouTube Devotionals:
https://youtube.com/thebonniegray

Bestselling Books by Bonnie:
https://amzn.to/3NpVYQd

Follow Bonnie on Instagram & Facebook:
@thebonniegray
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Have you ever said yes to something you technically had time for… only to feel emotionally drained afterward?
You weren’t overbooked.
You weren’t incapable.
And yet something felt heavy.

If helping others leaves you exhausted — even when you’re good at it — your stress may be telling you something deeper.

In this episode, Bonnie explores why emotional exhaustion is often an identity signal rather than just a workload problem. Through one encounter with Jesus and a fresh look at Isaiah 43, you’ll discover the better question to ask when you feel tired — and the new thing God may be inviting you to step into.
Key Takeaways
Why being helpful can quietly drain you emotionally
How identity — not workload — often drives exhaustion
Why emotional capacity matters more than external capacity
The deeper question to ask when you feel tired
How Isaiah 43 reframes stress as an invitation into something new
Breath Prayer
Inhale: Do not dwell on the past…
Exhale: See, I am doing a new thing…

Inhale: I am making a way in the wilderness…
Exhale: Rivers in the desert…
Scripture
“Do not call to mind the former things;
do not dwell in the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
I am making a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.”
— Isaiah 43:18–19
Pastor Dan Westman Video Message
"Healing for the Soul" at Peninsula Bible Church
https://www.youtube.com/live/prGXpfamHvk?si=vhyDxJnltPi91vJ7&t=2475
→ Take Bonnie's Soul Care Courses:
Lent Wellness Study (Seasonal Offering)
A 6-Week Healing Renewal For Your Heart With Jesus in His Love
Register at https://soulcareschool.mykajabi.com/offers/mqr8VY2X/checkout
Breathe Rest with Jesus:
A Loving Course to Create Wellness Rhythms of Peace with God’s Promises
Register at https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool-breatherest/
Breathe Joy with Jesus:
Create Happy Wellness Rhythms to Cultivate Joy with God's Promises
Register at https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool/
Praying the Psalms for Wellness:
A Life-giving 8-Week Wellness Course to Release Stress, Renew Peace & Find Rest for Your Hear
Register at https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool-prayingpsalms/
→ Take the FREE Soul Care Quiz at soulcarequiz.comGet your personal wellness assessment and learn which area of soul care you need most.
→ Eucalyptus Shower Steamers for instant calm at Bonnie's Soul Care Store
Join the Soul Care Newsletter:
https://thebonniegray.com/subscribe

Watch YouTube Devotionals:
https://youtube.com/thebonniegray

Bestselling Books by Bonnie:
https://amzn.to/3NpVYQd

Follow Bonnie on Instagram & Facebook:
@thebonniegray
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.