Replace Hustle with Holy

A 2-second swap that's saving my soul

Hi, I’m Jess.

I’ve been thinking a lot about replacement therapy: the practice of noticing an unhealthy or unhelpful habit and intentionally replacing it with something better.

It’s a simple idea… but it’s a great way to run after a healthy thing while making a shift away from an unhealthy thing - rather than just beating yourself up about the ways you need to change.

So I’m trying replacement therapy with moments of striving and hustle.

You know the moments?
The ones where we push a little too hard,
Trying to get ahead…
Because we’re trying to feel at ease or like we’ve earned our place?

I’m paying attention to what’s behind those moments.
What’s the emotion underneath?
Is it fear? Pressure? Insecurity? Guilt?

And then, instead of letting that knee-jerk hustle take over —
I’m asking: Can I replace this with something holy?

Here are some examples of what that’s looking like in my real life:

• Instead of starting my day with my to-do list, I’m starting with silence. Stillness. A short devotional on the Dwell app.
• Instead of using Saturday mornings to “catch up” on what didn’t get done, I’m doing an emotional check-in: What do I actually need? What am I carrying that God didn’t ask me to hold?

This isn’t about becoming less productive.
It’s about becoming more present.
It’s about choosing holy over hustle — again and again.

Next week, I’ll send one final encouragement to wrap up this series — but in the meantime, I want to personally invite you to a special live gathering:

UNBUSY: Strategies to Live at Ease in a World That’s Anything But
🗓️ April 23rd | 🕛 Lunchtime | 💻 For Fully Awake paid subscribers

We’ll talk practical rhythms, spiritual freedom, and what it actually looks like to live with peace in a world addicted to pressure.

Come as you are. Sweats, sandwich, and soul included.

With you in this,
Jess