After 20 years in ministry, it comes as no surprise to me that every week produces its own stress. You may have a “light” week, but you are going to have to deal with something.
It does amaze me, from time to time, what the source of stress turns out to be. It is hardly predictable, and often times astounding. Sometimes it is friends, family or members of your church that you have come to trust.
Of course, this is not just true for church staff. Everyone deals with stress.
How do you deal with it? Does it work?
What surprises you?
What do you do that doesn’t work? (I eat – not good. Makes me feel worse and, of course, it’s not healthy.)
Is their something spiritual that you do to help? What?
Some things that some friends have told me that I need to do:
Take a vacation – I haven’t had one since I got here over a year ago.
Take a quarterly sabbatical – two days out of the office to pray, plan and decompress.
Confront those who stress me in an ungodly way – if someone is treating me poorly, don’t take it, but confront them in the process of Matt. 18.
Your turn…
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David Phillips
on Sep 24th, 2007
@ 5:56 am:
Art,
When I feel the stress building, I stop. Find a place to get by myself, and then I do some breathing and relaxation exercises that a counselor taught me.
3-5 Minutes of that and I’m better. Then ASAP, I will find a way to get some exercise by walking or even things like pushups or knee lifts work. A 5 minute walk will make so much of a difference.
I used to eat, but since I’ve spent time with a counselor and dealt with the cause of my emotionally driven eating, that is not an issue so much any more. And as a result, I’ve lost 35 lbs in the last 4 months.
Also, I delegate a lot of stuff. I have cut down what I actually do. And I am taking that day off, and I’m getting away monthly for a day just for a short sabbatical to in between my 2-3 days away each quarter.
Bob Cleveland
on Sep 24th, 2007
@ 8:36 am:
The sort of standard answer is activity … exercise … go for a hike … paint … whatever.
But I think ultimately this may be analogous to the apostles in the boat when Jesus calmed the storm. They worshiped Him, and His sufficiency was burned into their memories and hearts. Time and again, God has seen me through all the things that have come at me in a working career which (I just realized) hits 50 years next month.
That, and the fact that stress doesn’t affect a man’s hormones as much when you’re almost 70, as there aren’t nearly as many of them floating around to affect.
Kevin Bussey
on Sep 24th, 2007
@ 10:11 am:
I work out with weights
I play guitar
I write
I pray
I worship
jasonk
on Sep 24th, 2007
@ 10:38 pm:
Bicycle! Bicycle! I love to ride my bicycle, I love to ride my bike. I love to ride my bicycle, I love to ride it where I like. Just a little interlude from Queen. And a good lead in to what I used to do when I wanted to blow off some steam. I say used to because I don’t have as much time as I used to. But that is about to change. Nothing burns away stress like a spin on your bicycle.
And when the weather cools off, and the leaves start to fall, River Parks is a pretty sweet place to be. I’ll meet you down there some time for a ride, if you want.
Marty Duren
on Sep 25th, 2007
@ 6:45 am:
Jason-
If you meet Art for a bicycle ride, make sure you take your camera.
Art-
I’m blessed to only have to be in the office three days a week and am free to set my schedule around my strengths rather than artificial expectations. This disallows the unneeded stress of wishing I were somewhere else.
Call friends who have nothing to do with your ministry. Go for a walk at the local park. TURN OFF THE CELL PHONE. Take a nap. Go to a movie in the middle of the day. Go media free for a day or two. I think I read something about “solitude” here a while back; hiking provides that for me.
The ultimate stress reliever: Watch Bob Ross reruns on PBS. Nothing like “happy clouds” and “nice trees” to relax one’s self.
David Phillips
on Sep 25th, 2007
@ 8:33 am:
Marty,
You are so right and I am glad that you have the freedom to create your own “in office” schedule. You are so right about going to a movie in the middle of the day. First, it’s cheaper. Second, it’s less crowded. Third, you can have movie popcorn for lunch! Good Gawd! But the real thing it does is give your mind a change to relax by stimulating it in a different direction.
Wesley said in his day that a pastor should read 5 hours per day to be a good pastor. Now that we have more forms of media, we need to reconsider that statement, according to Len Sweet, to spend 5 hours a day in one or more of the 5 dominant media forms of our day: books, internet, movies, TV, music. First, it allows us to exegete culture by deconstructing the media forms. Second, it causes our mind to think in different directions. Third, it builds storehouses of illustrative metaphors that people can identify with. Fourth, it builds storehouses of creative thought. I can’t personally spend 5 hours/day like that, but why not 2?
Also, I like what Craig Groshel says: he has his secretary block out a period of time 3 days/week for exercise.
It just has to be done…Oh, and take ALL of your vacation.
jasonk
on Sep 25th, 2007
@ 11:57 am:
Sorry Marty. No cameras on bike rides. It is a rule. Besides, few production cameras on the market today have a fast enough shutter speed to capture the speed of my spin, so it wouldn’t much matter :>)
My invitation to Art stands, and he can accept without fear of cameras, lights, and paparazzi on the prowl :>)
Art Rogers
on Sep 25th, 2007
@ 5:28 pm:
Wow. Really good suggestions.
I have to confess, I do very little of these things. I think I am going to have to give up some things to replace them with healthier things.
Thanks – and keep ‘em coming.