Nouriched: Eat, Move and Rest Your way to Wellness

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we experienced the “Great Resignation”. Millennials, Boomers, Gen-Zers, men and women from all walks of life took a critical look at their lives and decided, it was time to pivot – to leave their 9 -5 for freedom and more fulfillment.

I applaud them all.

Some of us are still flirting with the idea to abscond the duties of the 9-5. We daydream about it and fantasize about a life that’s better, bigger, happier and more fulfilling. “I’ll land on my feet!”, “Look at person x, they did! And look at them starting their own business now!”

We say these things and fill our minds with the possibilities of a better tomorrow. Its good to dream. To imagine yourself being and doing more.

I applaud you.

If you are wrestling with walking away, may I call you to sit and wrestle a bit longer with me?

The Glorious Truth about Work

First, this glorious truth:

Work is not perfect. We are called into imperfect places, as imperfect people to serve other imperfect people. Do not be deceived into serving yourself. Optimizing joy in work looks like acts of service to others. If you’ve forgotten that you are a servant leader, then maybe you should pause and re-evaluate the reasons you’d like to resign.

I will also commend this article for your meditation: https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/how-to-climb-the-corporate-ladder-for-jesuss-sake

Never the less, if you’ve noticed any of the following anti-patterns in your work-life, then its time to seriously consider your next steps:

1. The Resignation of Effort: you just cant be bothered. You are doing the bare minimum. Work is literally painful. You are going with the flow. You are no longer advocating or agitating for Christ-centred change.
2. Annoyance with the status quo: The deficiencies of the leadership are annoying you. The way your colleagues think and go about work annoy you. Even the chair you sit on annoys you! You want to see change, but everyone else is comfortable eating mudpies all day. You are ready for chocolate cake!
3. Restlessness and sadness everyday: You wake up every morning dreading work. You day dream about the end of the day. You often cry at work. And even at the end of the day, you ruminate about all the horrible things that happened that day, and can’t unwind or relax.
4. Constantly needing a break: You are always exhausted. You are taking regular vacations, or are falling ill regularly and need to take sick days. You are running out of vacation and sick days. Your doctor is advising you to take a break. Your stress levels are high, and its starting to show in your body. You spend the entire weekend on the couch just recovering, to do it all again on Monday. You aren’t able to spend time with family or friends, plan a weekend trip, play with the kids, share some intimate time with the spouse, date (to find a spouse) – no, not at all – you need that energy for Monday.

WAIT! Before You hand in that letter…

First, try a sabbatical: Can your company give you some time off, a month or two to rest? Sometimes what we really need is a little time away – just a refreshing, instead of a divorce. Great companies give sabbaticals for long tenured employees. Some companies don’t have it in their vocabulary, but if your’ve been at a company, serving well and delivering results for over 5 years, maybe you could ask your boss for some time away. Go get your “Eat, pray, love” on!

As you continue to wrestle, talk to a trusted friend or family member (I would steer clear of coworkers for now!). Maybe they’ll be able to give you some perspective on what’s a good fit for you.

Finally, get an agnostic view from a therapist or counsellor who doesn’t know you. While friends and family members are great, a third party’s assessment can reveal bias.

Release or Restraint?

As I’ve spoken to Christians in the workplace, there is something I usually encourage them to sit with. After reminding them about the glorious truths about work, I then ask them to act confidently then observe if they are called to a release (freedom to leave the job/ their current office of service) or restraint (the need to stay at their current job).

Its a hard one to master because this strategy is calling you to ACT, then observe. But, what exactly are these actions?

Truth is, I don’t know what that will look like for you. Pray and ask God for wisdom for the activity to be carried out. For me, this ACT looked like talking to trusted peers and eventually my boss, to understand the value they perceived I brought to the company. I knew who I was, and the value I wanted to bring. What I wasn’t sure of was the alignment with my manager. My manager at the time gave me a solid, glowing review of my perceived value – but it was disconcerting. It wasn’t who I wanted to be – or how I wanted to grow. I knew I needed to pivot, so I started acting in line with that conviction, not knowing what God had in store. As I was acting confidently on the pivot (I gave up my office, wound down projects, started training up my direct reports etc.), God in His wisdom shut the door on some amazing external opportunities then gently opened another door within the same company that matched perfectly with every desire of my heart.

The Release: Know when its time to get out!

After that initial activity – lets call it the values audit for now, if you believe there is great misalignment, and the Lord is calling you to something else, then ACT on it. Start making the steps toward a resignation – do that job hunt, type the resignation letter, print it (hold it!), prepare the speech, look at your finances – secure that rainy day fund – do all the things. Then sit with it… how do you feel? still feeling the release? Ok, continue on. Christian, what I’m sure of is God will open the door for you to walk out, or shut it so tightly closed as you act in line with your convictions. He will be glorified and will guide you wisely.

A word of caution: Appreciate that you may grieve the loss – especially if you were hoping for restraint. It’s ok to grieve. Grief is not a signal of a mistake.

The Restraint: Know when its time to heed restraint.

However, if you feel a restraint – and it may be the most disappointing feeling ever, then maybe this is a time to continue to wrestle, or to strategically pivot and find joy serving in another area of the company. Maybe its time to ask for a rotation, cross-training, start or join a work-based club or committee for a passion project (e.g. sports, company radio station, podcast, volunteer for your company’s philanthropic arm etc.) Whatever you do, honour the restraint. In honouring it, you honour God as supremely glorious and in control, even when the outcomes are not what you’d like.

A word of caution however – audit your feelings. I am not talking about a gut-feel here. My sinful gut that is faithless and thrives on predictability will always restrain. If the feeling is based on anxiety and faithlessness about a future where you aren’t convinced that God will provide, then talk to some Christians you are accountable to. Restraint is not equal to fear of the unknown.

Wrap Up

This was a hard post to write, but I hope it serves someone. And I’m sure everybody’s journey with staying in or leaving a job is different. For some its a crystal clear calling to leave, and for others there has never been this wrestle – this is where they are meant to serve.

But for everybody else sitting in the in-between, with dis-ease – I hope this perspective – which is a little different (it isn’t the me, myself and I narrative of the Great Resignation), helps you with the journey to finding joy at work.

Post Notes: The first draft of this post was written in 2018, then revised in 2021. It came during a season of great career growth and physical healing for me. Its been shared via email with many persons and I always get feedback that it has served them well. Now, in 2025 – its finally being published.