May is Mental Health Awareness Month: Finding Peace in the Chaos, 5 Strategies to Balance Being and Doing from a Christian Counselor

By Larissa Darter, MA, LPC | Prosper Counseling
Serving Individuals and Couples in Missouri & Kansas | Christian Counseling for Anxiety & Trauma

Let’s talk about mental health.
Not in a clinical, cold, or complicated way—but in a real, everyday, “I’m barely holding it together” kind of way.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and while the world outside is blooming with new life—green grass, blossoming trees, and the sweet promise of summer—many women, especially mothers and caregivers, are quietly drowning in stress, exhaustion, and emotional overload. Maybe that’s you.

And if it is, I want you to know this: you are not alone, you are not weak, and you are not failing.

The Irony of May: Sunshine, Chaos, and Emotional Whiplash

I often say May is one of my favorite months. Everything is green and alive again. It feels like a breath of fresh air after the long, gray winter. But ironically, May can be one of the most mentally exhausting months of the year for many women.

It’s a strange contradiction—while everything around us is blooming, many of us are barely keeping up. Between school concerts, soccer games, field days, T-ball games, graduation parties, and the kick off to wedding season, your calendar is packed. Life is fast-paced and full of good things—but that doesn’t mean it’s not overwhelming.

You’re running on caffeine and prayers.
Your to-do list feels like a CVS receipt.
And somewhere in all the hustle, your inner peace has gone missing.

Why Mental Health Awareness Month Matters (Especially for Christian Women)

We don’t talk about this enough in Christian communities, but mental health is health.

Your emotional and mental state influences everything else—your physical energy, your spiritual life, your relationships, your work, and your ability to love others well. If you’re walking through anxiety, past trauma, burnout, or just feeling like you’re never “enough,” please hear this:

➡️ Trying harder to power through doesn’t make you a stronger believer.
➡️ Jesus doesn’t expect you to ignore your emotional wounds.
➡️ Healing is holy. Therapy is sacred work.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. experiences mental illness each year. Among women, anxiety disorders are twice as likely to occur as in men. And yet, Christian women are often the last to ask for help—because we’ve been taught to “just trust God” or to “push through.”

But faith and therapy can go hand in hand.
In fact, I believe they must as whole and holy integrated image bearers of Christ.

Feeling Stretched Thin? 5 Ways to Find Calm When You Can’t Slow Down

You may be asking: “What can I actually do when I’m overwhelmed but can’t take anything off my plate?”

Here are five strategies to help you rebalance your inner life, to find balance between being and doing, even when life doesn’t slow down:

1. Silence the Inner Critic (Not by Doing More)

That little voice inside that whispers “You’re not doing enough”? It never seems to go away. But here’s the truth: Even if you did everything perfectly, that voice would still find fault.
Instead of letting it rule your day, acknowledge it, and then gently set it aside. You don’t have to earn your rest or prove your worth.

Scripture Reflection: “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28

2. Define What “Enough” Means for Today

One of the best ways to stop the overwhelm is to pre-decide your limits. What is a realistic amount for you to do today? Don’t let Instagram or Pinterest define that for you.
Once you’ve hit your “enough” for the day—stop. You are not a machine.

Mental Health Tip: Studies show that setting achievable goals reduces anxiety and increases emotional resilience (APA, 2020). We can usually accomplish 1-3 large tasks a day alongside all the regular to-do lists and responsibilities. Set the goal, allow yourself to hit your mark and give your self permission to, “That is enough for today.”

3. Set Soulful Boundaries

Boundaries aren’t about building walls—they’re about protecting the sacred spaces in your life. That includes your emotional bandwidth.
Can you stop checking work emails after 6 p.m.? Say no to one event this weekend? Take a real Sabbath? Your mental health needs room to breathe. Remember, boundaries aren’t to control others; they’re to set a healthy expectation for yourself.

Recommended Reading: Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend
Also: Good Boundaries and Goodbyes by Lysa TerKeurst

4. Tune Out the Noise of Comparison

Much of our anxiety is inflamed by social media. We scroll and see other moms meal-prepping, running marathons, or DIY-ing their kids’ birthday parties—and suddenly we feel behind.
Try this: take a 24-hour break from social media and see what shifts inside you. You might just find yourself more content, calm, and clear.

Mental Health Insight: Comparison increases feelings of inadequacy and anxiety. Regular breaks from social media have been shown to improve mental health (University of Bath, 2022).

5. Redefine Rest for Your Nervous System

When you’re overwhelmed, even choosing how to rest can feel exhausting. “Should I journal? Meditate? Nap?” The pressure to pick the right kind of rest often leads us to do nothing at all—so we just numb with scrolling.
Instead, explore what truly grounds you: Is it a slow walk? A worship playlist? Journaling a prayer? Reading Psalms? Ask your calmer self to remind your chaotic self what works.

Therapy Tip: If you don’t know where to start, this is what counseling is for. Together, we’ll build rhythms that restore your nervous sytem, mind, body, and soul.

You Don’t Have to Pretend You’re Okay

As a Christian woman, wife, mom, or friend—you’re likely the glue holding a lot together. But please hear me:

You deserve support, too.
You’re allowed to not be okay.
You are worthy of healing and peace—not just survival.

Mental Health Awareness Month is a beautiful reminder that you matter, your inner world matters, and it’s okay to talk about it. At Prosper Counseling, we walk with women and couples just like you through the messiness of life, the weight of anxiety, the wounds of trauma, and the burnout of “doing all the things.”

You don’t have to choose between your faith and your mental wellness. You can have both.

If you want to learn more about managing stress and anxiety, download this free e-book!

Looking for Christian Counseling in Kansas or Missouri?

At Prosper Counseling, I specialize in helping Christian women and couples:

• Overcome anxiety and perfectionism

• Heal from past trauma

• Build better boundaries

• Learn nervous system regulation

• Strengthen emotional connection and communication in relationships

• Integrate faith into counseling

-Matshona Dhliwayo

“If you tend to a flower, it will bloom, no matter how many weeds surround it.”

This May, as the world blossoms, let your healing begin too.
You’re not behind. You’re not too much. You’re not broken.
You are becoming.

📍 Serving clients virtually in Missouri and Kansas
🌿 Faith-based therapy for women & couples navigating anxiety and trauma
📬 Learn more or schedule a free consultation
📲 Follow on Instagram: @larissa.darter

Sources & References:

• National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2023). Mental Health By the Numbers

• American Psychological Association. (2020). Goal Setting and Mental Health

Let’s jump-start your mental health journey! 👇 Click below to work together.

Looking for more resources? Visit the online shop for free and low-cost downloads. Grab our daily self-care checklist or Bible Reading Plan HERE.