Shownotes
If you've ever come home from vacation feeling more exhausted than when you left, you’re not alone. You think you’re getting away to rest, but instead, you’re managing everyone’s emotions, meal plans, and messes in a new location. And deep down, you’re wondering: Why do I feel so drained when I was supposed to recharge?
That’s exactly what we’re unpacking today — why vacation doesn’t actually give you the rest your soul needs… and what real rest looks like instead.
Episode Highlights
- The common struggle of needing a vacation after your vacation
- Vacation vs Retreat - what’s the difference?
- What we see Jesus modeling for us in scripture when it comes to taking a break from All The Things
- How we can actually get true rest
Resources Mentioned
- Join us at the Renewal Retreat
- Exploring the Heart of Rest and Sabbath with John Mark Comer- Episode 993 of That Sounds Fun with Annie F. Downs
- The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer
Related Episodes You Might Also Like
- EP 5 - Reader Review: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer
- EP 12 - Summer Survival Tips for Work-at-Home Moms
- EP 55 - Breathing Room: How Stepping Back Makes You a Better Mom
- EP 56 - The Truth About Self-Care: What It Is and What It’s NOT
- EP 62 - From Panic to Peace: How to Make Room for What Matters with Rachel Earp
- EP 66 - Faith-Based Body Awareness for Overwhelmed Women with Cheryl Weaver
Connect with Rachel
- Website: racheldbaker.com
- Instagram: @rachel.d.baker
- Email: rachel@racheldbaker.com
It means so much to me that you are part of this community! I never recommend anything to you that I don't truly love and believe is worthwhile. Some of the links I share are affiliate links, and I will earn a tiny commission if you go through them to make a purchase. It's no extra cost to you, and buying through the links I share is one small way you can support this ministry and our podcast.
Mentioned in this episode:
FREE Printable Permission Slips
If you’ve been feeling like you need a minute to catch your breath, hear from God, and remember who you are outside of all the chaos... this is for you. It’s a Printable Permission Slip. Yes, an actual fill-in-the-blank reminder that you are allowed to rest, reflect, and realign with what really matters. When you download it, you’ll get four designs of beautiful, fill-in-the-blank permission slips and 20 permission slip ideas to get you started. You don’t need the world’s permission to step into your purpose - but sometimes it helps to see it in writing.
Renewal Retreat 2025
When was the last time you had a full day - let alone a whole weekend - that felt calm and refreshing? A weekend where you could rest without guilt? To think without interruption? To let God speak without having to multitask Him? If that question hits a little too close to home, I want to invite you to the Renewal Retreat. It’s happening October 16–19 in a beautiful lakehouse in central Arkansas. This is three nights of worship, rest, coaching, good food, and encouragement that goes beneath the surface with other women who get it. No pressure. No performance. No pretending. Just space to remember who you are and Who you belong to. Whether you’re worn out from doing all the things or just longing for a reset, this weekend is for you. And the best part? There are payment plans that make it really doable. It’s time for rest, real connection, and a reset that actually sticks. Come join us!
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
Transcripts
You're listening to the podcast where we ask, how's all that working for you?
Speaker A:Because sometimes all you need to change your life is a moment of reflection.
Speaker A:In this space, we are done with sugarcoating.
Speaker A:We embrace keeping it real.
Speaker A:I'm your host, Rachel D. Baker, guiding you on this journey to create some breathing room, set healthy boundaries, and reclaim your time guilt free.
Speaker A:This is real talk with a bit of sass and we are always seeking the truth in God's word.
Speaker A:So I had this conversation with a friend the other day as we were both staring down the end of summer.
Speaker A:We were sharing recent trips we'd taken with our families and we both just laughed because we were saying the same thing.
Speaker A:I feel like I need a vacation after my vacation.
Speaker A:Tell me that doesn't sound familiar.
Speaker A:I know we're not the only ones who have said this.
Speaker A:Listen, summer's beautiful.
Speaker A:We love the memories, we love the ice cream, right?
Speaker A:The lake days, the break from schoolwork.
Speaker A:But can we be real vacation?
Speaker A:At least the American version of it?
Speaker A:It's rarely restful.
Speaker A:It is a whole flippin production.
Speaker A:And when you are the one planning the meals, packing the bags, making sure everybody's entertained and happy, navigating everybody's meltdowns, maybe even including your own, it's a lot.
Speaker A:It is like taking all the crazy parts of mom life on the road and calling it fun.
Speaker A:Is it just me?
Speaker A:Am I the only one with these feelings?
Speaker A:Please let me know.
Speaker A:But as my friend and I swapped stories about family trips we recently enjoyed or survived, maybe I told her, this is just one more reason that I get so excited about the retreat I hosted every year.
Speaker A:It's the trip I get to take, knowing I will actually feel better when it's over and I come back home and y' all she looked at me like I was crazy.
Speaker A:She said, I can't even imagine feeling like that when I come home after a trip of any kind.
Speaker A:So if you have ever come home from vacation feeling more exhausted than when you left, you are not alone.
Speaker A:You think you're getting away and you'll rest, but instead you're managing everybody's emotions.
Speaker A:Meal plans, messes, but just all in a new location.
Speaker A:And deep down you're wondering, why do I feel so drained when I was supposed to recharge?
Speaker A:That's what we think vacation is, right?
Speaker A:This is exactly what we're unpacking today.
Speaker A:Why vacation doesn't actually give you the rest your soul needs and what real rest looks like instead.
Speaker A:So let's start with this vacation is typically about escape.
Speaker A:We've all seen the commercials, right?
Speaker A:Like Calgon, Take me away.
Speaker A:Does anybody remember those?
Speaker A:Am I dating myself?
Speaker A:When we think of vacation, we think about escape.
Speaker A:Retreat is about intentional rest.
Speaker A:And I want to dive into that word a little bit later.
Speaker A:But I just want you to remember a retreat should be about intentional rest.
Speaker A:A vacation is usually filled with activities, entertainment, sometimes a jam packed schedule that you somehow still have to coordinate.
Speaker A:But a retreat, it's about stepping away to make space.
Speaker A:I just.
Speaker A:When I think about it and talk about it, I just want to breathe a little slower and deeper.
Speaker A:Stepping away to make space.
Speaker A:Space for what?
Speaker A:For peace, for stillness, for reconnecting with God and with yourself.
Speaker A:It's not about doing more, it's about being more present.
Speaker A:Even that word, retreat.
Speaker A:I told you we'd get to it.
Speaker A:I want to talk about it.
Speaker A:It's got some depth to it, right?
Speaker A:It means to withdraw to.
Speaker A:To step back, to find shelter and reset and sis.
Speaker A:Jesus modeled this over and over in the New Testament.
Speaker A:These are now some of my favorite verses where most of my life I would read right past them.
Speaker A:I'd just skip over them like they weren't even there.
Speaker A:If you look in the book of Luke, chapter 5, verse 16 says, But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
Speaker A:Not once, not occasionally, often.
Speaker A:He often withdrew.
Speaker A:He was surrounded by crowds all the time.
Speaker A:He had people needing him every second of every day.
Speaker A:Does this sound a little familiar to your life?
Speaker A:Maybe.
Speaker A:And yet, and yet, Jesus made it a priority to step away.
Speaker A:He wasn't letting the crowds, the people, everyone around him control his schedule, his time, his actions.
Speaker A:He prioritized withdrawing, being alone, praying, reconnecting with God.
Speaker A:Oh, I just.
Speaker A:Man, I just want to wallow in that.
Speaker A:And it wasn't just for a nap, though.
Speaker A:Let's be honest.
Speaker A:I would follow Jesus into that kind of ministry too.
Speaker A:Is there a nap ministry?
Speaker A:Because I'm here for.
Speaker A:Was, for communion.
Speaker A:To be still and listen, to breathe, to realign.
Speaker A:You know as well as I do, you cannot think straight when you have all these people vying for your attention.
Speaker A:They all have needs, they all have wants.
Speaker A:They're coming to you, blah, blah, blah.
Speaker A:You start to feel crazy.
Speaker A:You don't even know what your own thoughts are.
Speaker A:You don't know what you want.
Speaker A:You don't know what you need.
Speaker A:You're just doing right.
Speaker A:So let's talk about this.
Speaker A:This communion.
Speaker A:To be still and listen, to breathe, realign.
Speaker A:This whole discussion reminds me of something I heard John Mark Comer say recently in an interview, the podcast was that sounds fun with Annie F. Downs.
Speaker A:I love her.
Speaker A:I love her stuff.
Speaker A:But on that interview with her, John Mark Comer talked about how Sabbath was never meant to be a solo act in the Old Testament.
Speaker A:It was designed as a communal rhythm of rest, a holy space built into the week for reflection, restoration and connection.
Speaker A:Not hustle, not performance.
Speaker A:Rest as just a way of being.
Speaker A:And if you are not familiar with John Marc Comer, there was an episode we did when the podcast first started.
Speaker A:It's been a couple years now.
Speaker A:But we talked about his book, the Ruthless Elimination of Hurry.
Speaker A:Oh, it's one of my favorites.
Speaker A:If you have not listened to that episode, link it in the show notes.
Speaker A:You need it.
Speaker A:And if you have not read that book, I'll link it in the show notes you need it.
Speaker A:All of that's so good and fits really well into this conversation.
Speaker A:But this whole thing, this Sabbath, the idea of it being something that was done in community as everyone came together and rested, this is something I've wrestled with a lot because even in Christian culture, we've gotten really good at doing.
Speaker A:I think we go to women's conferences and church retreats, and they are great.
Speaker A:Do not hear me say church retreats and women's retreats.
Speaker A:Like, those are awful.
Speaker A:No, they're wonderful.
Speaker A:But, y', all, sometimes even those feel like it's just another event.
Speaker A:The schedule is packed, we're surrounded by people 24, 7, and then we come home more drained than when we left.
Speaker A:It might have been an amazing experience.
Speaker A:We might have learned a lot, connected with people, but we're not rested.
Speaker A:When we come back, we're drained.
Speaker A:Is anybody else feeling this?
Speaker A:Am I just preaching to myself right now?
Speaker A:Let me know.
Speaker A:These events might be full of blessing, but they're not typically a retreat.
Speaker A:Even if they have the word on the title of the event, they typically are not an actual retreat.
Speaker A:So the truth is, we were designed to rest.
Speaker A:And not just physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually.
Speaker A:We were created to pause.
Speaker A:It is in the literal description of creation.
Speaker A:God talks about resting on that seventh day.
Speaker A:We were created to pause, reflect, to remember who we are, who God is and what actually matters.
Speaker A:Do you ever get that feeling like you don't even remember what actually matters anymore?
Speaker A:What are the actual priorities here?
Speaker A:Am I just doing all the things all the time, frantically flinging my fists around, hoping I knock out the right things?
Speaker A:I hate that feeling.
Speaker A:And I get that way when I don't withdraw, pause, reflect.
Speaker A:And that's why I get so excited when I talk about my renewal retreats.
Speaker A:I kind of nerd out.
Speaker A:I don't know if you've noticed it's kind of a thing, but I do.
Speaker A:I get so excited about these renewal retreats because they offer the kind of rest you were actually hoping to get on that vacation or that church retreat that was really busy.
Speaker A:Not just a break from the norm, but a space to truly restore your soul.
Speaker A:That was my goal when I designed these, when I decided this is a thing God has put me on this earth to offer.
Speaker A:I talk about creating breathing room.
Speaker A:I want to actually create a space that allows for breathing room.
Speaker A:This is not a conference.
Speaker A:This is not a non stop weekend of noise and schedules and people asking for something from you.
Speaker A:Here's what it is.
Speaker A:It's a quiet lake house.
Speaker A:It's some home cooked meals that you did not have to plan or prep.
Speaker A:It's worship without a timeline.
Speaker A:It's some gentle coaching, encouragement that invites reflection and healing.
Speaker A:It's time to be with God without interruptions and yes, rest that you don't have to earn.
Speaker A:You know, that's a whole other soapbox I could get on talking about rest.
Speaker A:You think you have to earn, but we're going to save that for another time.
Speaker A:But you get to rest.
Speaker A:There's time for it.
Speaker A:This is not about escaping your life.
Speaker A:I've had people say to me when I've shared about my retreats or invited them, like, okay, that just sounds like I'm trying to escape.
Speaker A:I mean, maybe that's how it feels for you, but that's not what this is about.
Speaker A:I'm not just providing an escape route for you.
Speaker A:It is about finding peace within your life so you can come back home not just refreshed, but realigned.
Speaker A:There's so much clarity that can be gained when we allow ourselves to step back just like Jesus did, and to be still and to hit that reset button.
Speaker A:So what do we do with this?
Speaker A:What do we do as summer wraps up?
Speaker A:Maybe you're feeling it, that exhaustion that hits after vacation.
Speaker A:And maybe you didn't even have a vacation.
Speaker A:Maybe you didn't go anywhere but just summer vacation that time period.
Speaker A:Maybe that just meant the kids have been home all the time.
Speaker A:Can I get an amen?
Speaker A:It's likely you've got that sense that everyone got their fill but you.
Speaker A:You've got that longing to just breathe again.
Speaker A:I know, I've been feeling it.
Speaker A:My kids go back to school this week and I'm caught Between this, I want to spend this time with my kids.
Speaker A:And also please everybody go to school, because I have that feeling.
Speaker A:I need to breathe for a minute.
Speaker A:I just need some time to think my own thoughts.
Speaker A:Sis, hear me.
Speaker A:You don't have to wait for someone else to give you permission to rest.
Speaker A:You don't have to justify it.
Speaker A:You don't have to earn it.
Speaker A:God already wired it into your design.
Speaker A:Jesus already modeled it in his life on this earth.
Speaker A:So maybe today this is your invitation to step back, to find a way, even a small one.
Speaker A:I'm not talking full on.
Speaker A:Everybody's gotta attend to this retreat, even if it's just a small way to retreat.
Speaker A:And that could look like a quiet morning with your journal and a cup of coffee or tea.
Speaker A:If that's your vibe.
Speaker A:It might mean saying no to one more event so you can just be.
Speaker A:And maybe it means signing up for the renewal retreat and finally letting yourself exhale, stepping out of the chaos for a little bit so you can hear your own thoughts for a hot second.
Speaker A:Honestly, it's one of my favorite parts just to be able to hear myself think for a little bit and sit with God in that.
Speaker A:I love it so much.
Speaker A:And the time where you can connect with other women who get it, they're there for the same reason.
Speaker A:They get what you're going through.
Speaker A:And as much time as you have for yourself and with God, there's also moments where we come together and connect and relationships are created.
Speaker A:It's beautiful.
Speaker A:I hope today's episode gave you more than something just to think about.
Speaker A:I hope it gave you permission to rest and a gentle reminder that your worth isn't found in how much you do.
Speaker A:If you are curious about the renewal retreat, whether it's the right kind of reset for you, you can find all the details@racheldbaker.com renewal that's racheldbaker.com renewal.
Speaker A:Or just come message me.
Speaker A:You know by now my Instagram DMs are always open.
Speaker A:I love helping women figure out what they really need in this season.
Speaker A:So come find me over there.
Speaker A:Rachel D. Baker on Instagram.
Speaker A:And hey, if today's episode hit home for you, would you share it with a friend?
Speaker A:Maybe send it to your girl who's just come back from vacation and looks like maybe she needs another one.
Speaker A:We see you, sis, and we got you.
Speaker A:Until next time.
Speaker A:Breathe deep, be kind to yourself, and remember, you are loved more than you know, just as you are.
