Helping Church Members Cope With Stress
People in your congregation are struggling right now with stress and overwhelm (as you probably know very well).
The Stress in AmericaTM 2020: A National Mental Health Crisis survey recently commissioned by the American Psychological Association found that nearly 8 in 10 adults (78%) say the coronavirus pandemic is a significant source of stress in their lives, while 3 in 5 (60%) say the number of issues America faces is overwhelming to them.[i]
That’s why I am concerned that only one in three pastors say they feel well-equipped to help congregants deal with matters of emotional or mental burdens, according to the Barna research organization.[ii]
As a practical response, over the next weeks, I’ll share three solutions you can pass along to your congregants to help them cope with stress in their lives.
Of course, I know you’re already teaching Biblical guidance. But as you are preaching or counseling, perhaps you can also incorporate some of the techniques I’ve found useful over 20 years of counseling anxious and depressed people.
Here’s the first one.
You Must Master Your Mindset
Step one in reducing or managing your stress? Master your mindset!
Mindset is the collection of thoughts you regularly think. It is your view of things. Mindset matters in stress management. Here’s the process I recommend to my clients:
Identify the event that stresses you most and write down the thoughts you typically think when this event occurs. (Just write down your raw, automatic thoughts.)
Examine these thoughts by asking, “Are they true, realistic, helpful? What would be a more accurate, realistic, hopeful appraisal of the situation?”
Write out the most hopeful, accurate, and helpful appraisal of the situation on an index card. Here’s an example: Thinking to yourself, “I can’t stand it any longer” may lead to feelings of extreme frustration or hopelessness. Simply changing that thought to “This situation is very difficult to manage” is not only more accurate, it is also more hopeful. The result is a decrease in frustration and fewer stress hormones.
Place the index card where you can remind yourself to reset your mindset when necessary.
Repeat this process as many times as necessary for situations that stress you out.
Sound simple? It is but it really works according to my clients (and my own experience).
Negative self-talk leads to feelings of frustration, overwhelm, discouragement, anger, or hopelessness. The brain responds to these negative emotions by signaling the body to release stress hormones. When this occurs on a routine basis, it can lead to burnout.
Developing a mindset based in hopefulness and realism leads naturally to problem-solving. It also promotes a sense of mastery and confidence. The emotional response becomes increasingly calm.
Sure, a person may still struggle from time to time in any case.
However, you can develop a mindset that helps you reach your goals in the midst of the stress.
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[i] https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2020/10/stress-mental-health-crisis
[ii] https://www.barna.com/research/mental-emotional-health-among-pastors/
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