65 - Maintaining Your Mental Health In Ministry

Robert and Holly give 13 practical self-care tips & discuss ways to help maintain your mental & emotional health while working in ministry (or any helping profession).

Tips we mention, along with accompanying links to things we mention:

1. Eat + sleep
   - episode 48 - How Does Nutrition Impact Our Mental Health? (feat. Dr. Leslie Korn)
   - episode 57 - Why We Need Better Sleep (& How to Get It) (feat. Dr. Michael Scullin)

2. Change your socks

3. Count your spoons
   - episode 63 - Uncluttering Our Spaces, Our Schedules, & Our Lives (feat. Courtney Ellis)
   - The spoons metaphor Robert mentions is found in Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson (Jenny credits the idea to Christine Miserandino)

4. Map your route

5. Spend time creating
   - article: Stress-related hormone cortisol lowers significantly after just 45 minutes of art creation
   - article: This Type of Date Night Activity Could Make You Feel Closer to Your Partner

6. Give things away
   - Leading on Empty: Refilling Your Tank and Renewing Your Passion by Wayne Cordeiro

7. Pause
   - Insight Timer (search for CXMH to join our group!)

8. Pay attention to your warning lights
   - episode 21 - Emotions Aren't Evil (feat. Marc Alan Schelske)
   - episode 62 - Social Anxiety, Shyness vs. Confidence, & How to Make Friends (feat. Dr. Ellen Hendriksen)

9. Let it matter
   - Let It Matter by Johnnyswim
   - episode 42 - Everyday Grief & Learning to Feel Feelings (feat. Aundi Kolber)

10. Be honest & bold

11. Learn about yourself

12. Go to counseling.
    - (go to counseling) greeting cards
    - various directories to find local counselors are listed on Robert’s resource page

13. Spiritual practices/rhythms

    1. Sabbath, centering prayer, journaling, gratitude

    2. Silence + solitude + stillness
       - episode 56 - Centering Prayer, Solitude, Stillness, & Mindful Silence (feat. Phileena Heuertz)

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Intro/Outro music for this episode is ‘Fall Down’ by Rivers & Robots.