50 | How to Write When You Are Burned Out And Have Nothing Left to Give

Burnout isn't a sign you're not anointed—it's often proof you've been carrying your calling in your own strength.

If you're exhausted, resentful of your writing, and guilt-ridden for wanting to stop, this episode will show you what God's invitation really is when you have nothing left. Discover the five signs you're burned out (not just tired), why Elijah's story matters for authors right now, and practical strategies to recover without abandoning your calling. Romans 8:28 applies even to your depletion. Sometimes rest isn't disobedience—it's wisdom.

You'll walk away with: Permission to rest without guilt, clarity on whether you're burned out or just tired, and six recovery strategies that honor both your calling and your capacity. Stop white-knuckling your way through and start trusting God with your depleted season.

👉 Listen now to uncover the secret to becoming an anointed scribe!

Transcript

Sometimes the hardest part of writing isn't the lack of ideas or skill.

It's the bone deep exhaustion that makes even opening the laptop feel like lifting a boulder.

The kind of tired that no vacation seems to fix. Because it's not just physical.

It's being emotionally, mentally and spiritually depleted.

It's the kind that says you have absolutely nothing left to give and you are running on fumes.

And that's where the guilt kicks in.

We tell ourselves we can't stop because this is our calling.

We wonder if we are just being lazy, if we're wasting what God gave us, if we're letting God down, if we're about to quit right before the breakthrough finally comes.

So you force yourself to write. You push through the exhaustion. You guilt yourself into just one more chapter, or just hit the word count, or just get through the book launch.

And with every forced word, you feel yourself shrinking,

resenting the very thing you once loved.

Friend, if that's you right now, if you're burned out but still trying to white knuckle your way through because you're staying true to your calling, I need you to hear this.

Burnout isn't a sign you're not anointed. It's often a sign you've been trying to carry your anointing in your own strength.

So in this episode we are going to talk about what true burnout looks like,

why it hits Christian writers so uniquely hard, and what God's invitation to you really is when you have nothing left to give.

Because spoiler alert, it's not try harder,

it's not pushed through,

and it's definitely not prove you are worthy of this calling.

It's something far more radical and far more healing.

This is episode 50.

I'm Urcelia Teixeira, ex real estate agent turned award winning Christian fiction authority. When I wrote my first novel on a bucket list whim, I had no idea it would spark a spiritual journey that would redefine my calling.

But you know what, friend? Self publishing wasn't easy. I got caught in the hustle, chasing rankings and sales while desperately trying to stay rooted in Christ.

Now, by God's grace, I'm building my author business his way. And now he's called me to help you do the same. Same.

Welcome to the Anointed Scribe Podcast where faith meets business for Christian writers. Let's write, publish and grow our author business God's way. Are you ready? Well then, let's get started.

Hey, it's your author friend, Urcelia. And welcome back to anointed Scribe, the podcast for Christian writers who are ready for God to take you from feeling like you're doing it alone to creating an author life that prospers in income and impact.

If you're new here, welcome. Pull up a chair, grab your coffee, and know that this is a safe space to be real about the hard parts of this writing journey.

And today,

we are getting into the heart of being so burnt out that you have nothing more to give to your writing.

Because there's a massive difference between writer's block and creative burnout.

One needs a strategy, the other needs letting go.

And that's the challenge, right? Especially because we are nearing the end of 2025,

and I, for one, am looking back at all the goals I set at the beginning of this year,

all the books I wanted to write, all the projects I wanted to launch, all the things I didn't get done.

And so we're wrestling with this temptation right now, this temptation to push, to force ourselves to end the year strong, right?

To hustle through this last month and somehow make up for lost time,

to prove to God and honestly, to prove to ourselves that we didn't waste this year,

that we are still worthy of this calling. Because deep down, our deepest desire is to never let God down, right?

But you know what, friend?

The last thing God wants is for you to keep running on empty. No matter what time of the year you are feeling burnt out.

He doesn't want you to keep pouring from a dry well.

Because here's the truth. You can never let him down.

Be okay with where you are right now. He has already gone before you. Your heart just needs to catch up to Him.

And I know it's hard to stop yourself from pushing on. But it's not just about needing rest. It's about trust.

It's about accepting that this season is exactly where God has you.

And Romans 8:28 reminds us that in all things, even this, even the burnout, even the unfinished goals,

even the exhaustion, in all things,

God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose, that you and me, his anointed scribes,

God is in control of this season, too.

And maybe, just maybe, he's allowed you to hit this wall. And because he's teaching you something, you can't learn any other way.

That your calling isn't dependent on your productivity, that his purposes aren't derailed by your limitations,

that even in depletion, he's working all things together for good.

But here's how the enemy Turns that into fear.

He's having you say, what if?

What if accepting where you are means you never get back to where you were? What if you lose momentum?

What if surrender turns into settling? What if trusting God's timing in this season means you miss the breakthrough that's coming?

Friend, taking time to fill your spiritual well can never block your breakthrough.

So here's the bottom line. Burnout isn't just physical exhaustion.

What happens when we've been operating in our calling outside of God's rest?

And if that's where you are right now, burnt out and utterly exhausted, I want you to know there's a way through this that doesn't involve gritting your teeth and pushing harder.

So let's start by talking about what burnout actually is. Because I think we often confuse it with other things,

like writer's block.

Writer's block is when you sit down to write and the words won't come.

You know what you want to say, but you can't figure out how to say it.

You're stuck on a scene or a plot point.

It's a creative problem that usually needs a strategic solution.

A brainstorming session, a conversation with a writing friend, a fresh perspective.

But burnout. Burnout is different.

Burn. Burnout is when you sit down to write and you don't even want to find the words.

It's not that you're stuck.

It's that you're empty. You have nothing to draw from. Your well is dry.

And the thought of trying to write one more sentence feels like trying to squeeze water from a stone.

Burnout isn't just about being physically tired. It's about being depleted.

Emotionally, mentally,

spiritually, physically. There's just nothing left.

And here's what makes burnout especially insidious for Christian writers. We feel guilty about it because we're not just building businesses. We are stewarding callings.

We're not just chasing dreams. We are walking in obedience.

And when you believe God called you to write, the idea of stepping back feels like disobedience. Right? It feels like you're letting him down.

So we push through when we should rest.

We force ourselves to keep going when God is actually inviting us to stop.

And we end up burnt out, bitter, and wondering why something that was supposed to be life giving now feels like it's draining the life right out of us.

Can I tell you about someone in the Bible who gets this?

Someone who experienced burnout in the middle of his calling.

Ever heard of Elijah?

This guy had just called down fire from heaven.

He'd stood against 450 prophets of Baal and won.

He'd seen God show up in the most miraculous, powerful way. He was operating in his calling. He was walking in obedience.

He was doing exactly what God had asked him to do.

And then he crashed hard.

1 Kings 19 tells us that after his massive victory,

Jezebel threatened his life. And Elijah ran into the wilderness,

sat under a broom tree, and literally prayed to die. He said, I have had enough. Lord, take my life.

This is a man who had just seen God do the impossible, and now he's so depleted,

so exhausted, so burnt out that he wants to quit.

Not just quit the ministry. Quit life.

And here's what I love about God's response. He didn't rebuke Elijah. He didn't say, get up, you have work to do. You're called to this. Do it.

He didn't give him a pep talk or tell him to push through.

God let him sleep.

And then he fed him twice.

The angel of the Lord came and said, get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.

Did you catch that?

God acknowledged that the journey was too much. He didn't say, you're not trying hard enough.

He said, this is too heavy for you to carry right now. Rest,

eat.

Let me restore you.

And only after Elijah had rested, only after he'd been physically and emotionally replenished,

did God give him his next assignment.

Rest first,

then the calling and friend.

I think that's the invitation God is extending to so many of us burnt out writers.

Don't push harder. Don't prove yourself, but rest first and let me restore you.

Now, I know you might be asking, how do I know if I'm actually burnt out or if I'm actually being lazy? How do I know if I need rest or if I just need to push through?

Great question. So let me give you five signs that you're not just tired, but that you're burnt out.

Sign number one. You ready?

Sign number one. You resent your writing.

When you used to love opening your manuscript and now you dread it. When the thought of working on your book makes you feel anxious instead of excited.

When you find yourself procrastinating on the very thing you once couldn't wait to do,

that's burnout.

The second sign, everything feels heavy. Not just your writing, but everything.

You feel overwhelmed. Emails feel overwhelming. Simple decisions feel impossible.

Tasks that used to take you 20 minutes, now take two hours. Because you can't focus.

You can't think clearly. You can't muster the energy that's depletion, friend, not laziness.

The third sign? You've lost joy in the process.

You're only focused on the outcome. You don't care about the words anymore. You just want the book done.

You don't enjoy the craft. You just want the validation,

friend. When writing stops being worship and starts being purely transactional,

that's a red flag.

Fourth sign,

you are constantly comparing yourself to others.

When you're rested and secure in your calling, you can celebrate other writers. But when you're burnt out,

every other author's success feels like a personal attack,

a woe to me.

Every book launch feels like proof that you are failing that comparison spiral. That's often a sign you are running on empty.

And the fifth sign? You're isolating.

You're pulling away from community. You're not reaching out to writing friends or church friends. You're avoiding conversations about your work, your hiding.

Because when you burnt out, vulnerability feels too risky. You don't have the energy to be seen.

If you're nodding along to three or more of these signs, friend, you are not just physically tired, you are burnt out and you need rest.

Not a productivity hack.

Now here's the lie we often or the lies we often believe when we're in this place. If I rest, I'm being disobedient.

If I stop, I'm wasting my calling. If I take a break, I'll never get back to it. I'll lose my momentum.

But let me ask you this.

When God told Elijah to rest,

was he asking Elijah to abandon his calling?

No. He was preparing him for the next part of his calling.

The rest wasn't the end of the story. It was the necessary pause before the next chapter.

And the same is true for you and me.

Resting isn't disobedience. It's wisdom.

It's stewarding the very vessel God wants to use.

Jesus said, come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

He didn't say come to me after you finish your book.

He didn't say come to me once you hit your goals.

He said, come to me when you are weary. Come to me when you are burnt out.

Come to me when you have nothing left.

So, okay, we now know we are burnt out, right?

But what does recovery actually look like? How do you rest well when you are burnt out?

Let me give you some practical strategies that honor both your calling and your capacity. First,

give yourself permission to stop.

Not forever, just for now.

Whether that's a week, a month, or a Season. Give yourself permission to step back from your writing without guilt.

Tell yourself, I'm not abandoning my calling, I'm restoring my capacity to fulfill it well.

Second, separate your identity from your productivity. You are not what you produce.

You are a child of God, and your worth is not tied to your word. Count your book sales or your output.

Say it out loud if you need to. I am loved by God whether I write today or not. Write it on a post it and stick it on your mirror so you can see it every day.

Third, do something creative that has zero pressure.

Colour, garden, cook,

play, music, dance, do crafts.

Do something that lets you create without it needing to accomplish anything or become anything.

This helps your brain remember that creativity can be joyful, not just productive.

Fourth, get back to the basics.

Sleep. Eat real food, healthy food. Move your body. Go outside.

Spend time with family.

These sound too simple to matter, but remember, God met Elijah's burnout with sin, sleep and food. First,

the spiritual breakthrough came after the physical restoration.

Fifth, talk to someone. Don't isolate. Reach out to a trusted friend, a mentor, a counselor,

anybody that you feel close to and trust. Burnout thrives in secrecy and shame,

but community brings healing.

And here's the last one, and it is, in my opinion, the most important one.

Ask God what He is inviting you to release.

Not what you need to add to your plate,

what you need to take off.

Because sometimes burnout isn't just about needing rest.

It's about carrying things God never asked you to carry.

It's about wanting to do it all when you don't need to. Right now,

maybe you're trying to write in a genre he didn't call you to.

Maybe you're chasing a platform he didn't assign. Maybe you're operating under someone else's timeline instead of his.

Ask him, what do I need to let go of, Lord? What am I carrying that was never mine to carry? And then,

and this is the hard part,

actually let it go.

Now. I know we have to write. We have deadlines. We have readers waiting. We have commitments. We can't just stop, right?

And I hear you.

At this moment, I have my readers chomping at the bit for the next book in my series. And sometimes this industry doesn't give us the luxury of a long sabbatical.

But here's what I want you to hear. You can still practice rest within your writing. You can still steward your capacity even when you have to keep going.

Here's what that looks like. It might look like lowering your word count. Goal writing for 20 minutes instead of two hours.

Giving yourself permission to write badly. Releasing the pressure to make it perfect.

Asking for help in other areas of your business. Extending a deadline. Saying no to one thing so you can say a sustainable yes to another.

Rest doesn't always mean stopping completely. Sometimes it means slowing down enough to actually be with God while you work,

instead of just working for God, while ignoring your own depletion.

And here's what I've discovered in my own seasons of burnout.

When I finally stop trying to prove I'm worthy of my calling and instead just rest in the one who called me,

that's when the words start flowing again. That's when the joy returns.

That's when my writing stops feeling like a burden and starts feeling like worship again.

Not because I worked harder, but because I finally surrendered my need to earn what God freely gave.

So here's my challenge for you today, friend. Especially if you are burnt out,

what is one thing you can do this week to practice? Rest.

Maybe it's cancelling one commitment. Maybe it's pushing out a deadline or a release date.

Maybe it's lowering your writing goal. Maybe it's taking a full day off without guilt.

Maybe it's finally having that conversation with someone about how you're really feeling.

Maybe it's just sleeping an extra hour and trusting God's got your deadlines.

Pick one, just one, and do it as an act of trust.

Because, friend, you are not a machine.

You are not a content factory.

You are a beloved child of God who has been invited into purpose partnership with him, not performance for him.

And if the move of God in your life right now is rest,

then rest is your obedience.

Elijah rested under the broom tree, and God met him there. He didn't lose his calling. He didn't miss his assignment. He rested. And then God prepared him for the next thing.

And friend,

the same is true for you.

Rest first,

then write.

Your calling isn't going anywhere, but your capacity to walk in it. Well,

that requires you to let God restore what's been depleted.

All right, friend, if you needed to hear this today, I hope it gave you permission to breathe,

to rest,

to stop white knuckling your way through and instead trust that God's got you even in the burnout.

Especially in the burnout.

If this episode resonated, please share it with another writer. Or better yet, let me know what one thing you are taking from this episode by leaving a review.

Also, make sure you are subscribed so you don't miss the next episode. Because we are going to talk about something that pairs perfectly with this and that is how to discern your next book from God.

When you have too many ideas and and zero clarity, it's going to be so good.

Until then, friend, Rest. Write when you can.

And remember, you are not defined by your productivity.

You are defined by your obedience. And sometimes obedience looks like rest.

Friend. Before I let you go, I want you to use the send me a message link in the show notes and let me know where you need God to show up for you today so I can pray for you.

It's 100% anonymous. I can't see your name or your email or your phone number. I can't even reply to you. But I can read your request and I can pray for you.

So I encourage you to use this feature to send me a private message to let me know what you are struggling with right now so we can come together and take this to the Lord in prayer.

And if you found today's episode helpful, please consider subscribing and leaving a review.

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Okay, so that's it for today's show.

Thank you for listening. And remember, for such a time as this,

you have been called to thrive as God's anointed scribe.