Refuel #18

🔥 Refuel | Issue #18
A Newsletter from Faith + Gasoline
📅 Subject: “What About Me?” – The Self-Care Issue for Caregivers Who Feel Forgotten

🛠️ Welcome to Refuel

Hey fam,

Let’s be real.
Caregiving is sacred—but it’s also draining.
You give, and give, and give—until you don’t even recognize yourself in the mirror.

You might be asking:

Here’s the truth:
📌 Self-care isn’t selfish. It’s survival.

You’re not meant to lose yourself to save someone else. You matter, too.

🔥 This Week’s Theme: Fill Your Cup First

📖 Verse of the Week:
"Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” – Mark 6:31

Even Jesus stepped away to rest.
You’re allowed to pause. To breathe. To heal.

🚗 Story from the Road: I Was Running on Empty

I used to think I was strong enough to “push through.”
Until one day I got into a fight with one of my oldest friends solely because I was sleep deprived.

I had immersed myself in caregiving so much that I didn’t realize how exhausted I had become.
That was burnout in disguise.

I started small—making my bed. Taking a walk. Drinking water like it mattered. Adding electrolytes and collagen to my days.
And those little things began to rebuild me.
Caregiving didn’t stop, but I stopped disappearing inside it. It was overwhelming and at times I felt forsaken. But I leaned into my faith. And slowly, I began to take better care of myself including a birthday trip to Vegas!

💔 The Hard Truth About Caregiver Burnout

🔴 1 in 5 caregivers say their own health has declined due to caregiving.
🔴 Most don’t ask for help until there’s a medical or emotional breakdown.
🔴 Many die before the person they care for! (and it can feel like that might happen!!)

📌 Bottom Line: You can’t pour from an empty cup. And your body knows when you're running on fumes—even if your mind doesn’t. And you will be tired and sleep deprived. Just recognize it and take steps to fix it. Show yourself some grace.

⛽ Quick Refuel: ✅ 5 Small Acts of Self-Care That Actually Work

✅ 1. Make a morning routine—even if it’s 10 minutes.
A stretch, a prayer, and a glass of water go a long way.

✅ 2. Schedule your appointments.
Your health isn’t optional. Put it on the calendar like theirs.

✅ 3. Eat real meals—no shame snacks at midnight.
You need fuel, not just food. Personally, I had to wrestle Cheez-Its out of my mom’s hands at 3 a.m. But yeah, sometimes I didn’t eat real meals.

✅ 4. Ask one person for help this week.
Not because you’re weak—because you’re wise. Get someone even for a couple hours a week.

✅ 5. Do one thing just for joy.
Music, flowers, silence, a show, a walk. It doesn’t need a reason.

📌 Takeaway: If you don’t care for the caregiver, the whole system falls apart.

🛤️ Faith in Motion: A Simple Prayer

"God,
Help me see myself the way You see me.
Worthy of love. Worthy of care. Worthy of rest.
Show me how to honor my body, my mind, and my spirit in this season.
Let me receive the same compassion I give.
Amen."

📌 Next Steps

💬 Let’s Connect:
What’s your non-negotiable self-care practice—or the one you want to commit to?
Reply to this email and let’s hold each other accountable.

🧬 Get Your Health Checked with Function

Most doctors only test the basics.
Function Health gives you 100+ lab insights—including inflammation, metabolism, hormones, and more.

👉 Join Function Health
Use code JCULP11 to start your journey.

☕ Grab Refuel Merch on Printify

Refuel mugs, shirts, and journals—made to encourage you every step of the way.

👉 Shop Refuel Merch 

🎥 Watch + Subscribe on YouTube

Need encouragement, reflections, or faith-based caregiver advice?
Visit our channel for new videos, real talk, and spiritual support.

👉 Watch on YouTube

💙💙 Community is the new currency 💙💙

Don’t build your plan on what might sell.
Build it on what definitely matters—clarity, care, and grace.

You are the heartbeat of someone’s care plan.
Don’t let your own heart go neglected.
Self-care isn’t a reward—it’s a requirement.

Hey, go buy yourself some flowers!

Go be great. 🚀💙
Love you.

With faith & fuel,
Judith A. Culp
Founder, Faith + Gasoline