How to Keep Going When You Feel Empty (Rooted ‘26)

Question - How do I keep going when I feel emotionally and spiritually empty?

By Brittany Martin

I recently got diagnosed with depression and I’ve been walking through what it looks like to come out of that emptiness and I’ve realized that in all these years of advocating for my kids - I’ve stopped advocating for myself.  Not just that - I personally started viewing advocating for myself as selfish and can even feel guilty for doing it like it’s just not the best use of my time when there’s always something else I could be doing for my kids.

But I’m learning that I feel the most emotionally and spiritually drained when I stop making space for my own care. And I want to say this too—taking care of yourself does not mean you care less about your children. It actually means the opposite.

When you are healthier, more grounded, and more filled up, you are able to love them better, support them better, and fight for them better. Now, I could give you a list of practical things that help us feel better. Things like getting out of the house, eating better, drinking water, taking a hot bath, exercising, or getting more sleep—though I’m doubtful that last one will ever happen. ha! Yes, those things matter. But honestly, they’re not enough on their own. They help, but they can’t fully fill what only God can fill.

Isaiah 40:31 says, “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary.”

To be completely honest, my relationship with God is the only way I’ve made it through motherhood. And I don’t say that as someone who has this figured out perfectly. I really don’t. There have been seasons where I’ve gone weeks without opening my Bible because life felt too overwhelming and I was just too exhausted. And I can tell you — when I’m disconnected from Him is when I feel the most drained, the most worn down, and the most discouraged.

But when I make connection with God a priority, even in small ways in the middle of a hard season, something shifts. The hard things don’t disappear, but there is a peace there. There is strength there. There is comfort there that I cannot get anywhere else. Just like our children need good doctors, we need care too. And Jesus is the best physician. Proverbs 3:8 says, “Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.”

 And I know what some of you may be thinking: That sounds nice Brittany, but I do not have one more thing I can fit into my day. And I get that. But I’m not talking about adding more pressure or piling something else onto an already full schedule. I mean making a little space—however small—for God to meet you there. It doesn’t have to look big or impressive. It might be worship music in the car on the way to the 4th doctors appointment that week. It might be praying while you make breakfast. It might be reading a few verses on your lunch break or while you wait for your child to get out of therapy. Just give Him what you DO have and God is so good at multiplying what we surrender.

And some days, it’s not going to go the way you planned. Your child may melt down right in the middle of the worship song. The morning you decide to wake up early and read your Bible might be the exact morning one of your kids wakes up at 6 a.m. ready to ask a hundred questions. Some days, the quiet moment you hoped for just never comes.

And that’s where grace comes in. Not perfection—grace.

Because the reality is, none of us are doing this perfectly. We’re tired, we’re stretched thin, and we’re just doing our best. And God isn’t expecting perfection from you—He just wants to meet you where you are.

So if you take anything from this, let it be this: it’s okay to take care of yourself too. It’s not selfish—it’s necessary. And the best care that you can give yourself is time with your Creator. You don’t have to do it all. Just make a little space, and let God meet you there.