Mental Health and Spirituality
One of the things I made an intentional decision to do was to ask myself this week, "What do I need to do for my own mental health today?" I have been spending long hours in front of a computer each day, from Zoom meetings, sermon writing, video editing, and getting our three kids to school virtually or in-person. I've noticed it taking a toll on my overall mental health. Funny because growing up in my church, mental health was never discussed. Mental health was non-existent in the community of faith in which I was raised, if you had problems with your mental health, it was a reflection of a spiritual deficiency.
One of my first classes in seminary was Spiritual Practices. We studied different ways the church historically practiced spirituality. At first, I hated that class. I hated sitting in a room in silence "meditating." I kept thinking, "I came to seminary to study the BIBLE!" Over the course of the semester every day we had to implement in our daily lives a spiritual practice, and then we had to journal how our day went. In the first couple of weeks, I hated it. I felt it was a tedious waste of time. Then, as I continued to journal I noticed that when I was able to carve time out of my day and pray and meditate on God, my overall mood, clarity in thought, and attitude was brighter and more at ease. I realized that spirituality did not eclipse the importance of an understanding in mental health, rather my relationship with God and my spiritual practices, such as praying, meditating on scripture, was key in aiding my mental health. Looking back that was one of the most important classes I took in seminary because it helped me put mental health, spirituality, and the benefits of intentional practice into perspective.
This week as I was doing dishes I decided to open the blinds so I can look outside. I decided to take breaks and watch history videos on youtube (my favorite). I decided to read my leather-bound Bible (I normally read it on my phone) and hear the crinkle of the delicate pages. I decided to sing hymns while getting the kids ready for bed not worrying what the neighbors will think. I decided to eat ice cream with a cone. Many of these things were little intentional practices scattered throughout the week but they provided a much-needed sense of relief and a chance to step outside of the craziness of my life as a pastor, a mom, and a child of God wading through this pandemic. I hope we can all be intentional in checking our mental health and I hope our deep faith in Jesus Christ can help lead and guide us in this endeavor.
