Illustrated Ministry

Illustrated Resources for the Church & Home

You are here: Home / Archives for self-care

self-care

3 Colossally Simple Spiritual Practices Even You Have Time For

2 Comments

Spiritual practices can be hard to incorporate into a busy life. We’ve made it easy, so this year you can live more abundantly than ever.

spiritual practices

Our real journey in life is interior. It is a matter of growth, deepening, and an ever greater surrender to the creative action of love.

Thomas Merton

Where do you find yourself on the journey as you live this present season? And how might God be inviting you onward and inward toward deeper connection?

Spiritual practices are a gift to us all. They can better our overall health and make space for our dance with God’s Spirit. However, we know you’re busy and building yet another thing into the day can seem daunting. So, we’ve included just three simple areas to explore.

We want to hear from you, too! Share with us what spiritual practices are life-giving to you. You may help another ministry leader discover the gift they’ve been hoping for.

spiritual practices

Unprepared

So, what if you’re feeling ready for the gift but ill-equipped to unwrap it? Maybe spiritual practices are uncharted territory, and you don’t know what to do. You aren’t alone.

Maybe you’re comfortable reading a story to children and asking them discussion questions. But perhaps you’re not so sure about spending time connecting with God. There’s no shame in this. You probably just weren’t taught.

Perhaps you grew up going to church, or maybe not. Those of us not exposed to a faith tradition growing up knowing little about spiritual formation. And, it isn’t all that different for those of us raised in the Church.

Practices that open space for encounter with the Divine often take backseat to institutional protocol.

As a result, you may know how to lead spiritual formation all the while feeling pretty parched spiritually yourself.

We don’t want this for you! And it doesn’t have to be that way. These three simple practices can help.

God Talk

Take a moment. How do you think about the Divine? A giant human residing in a realm not our own? Maybe nebulous energy that animates all living things? Something like the purest stuff of what we know to be love or wisdom? A watchful parent on the lookout for failures? Maybe some or all of these and more?

We come into adulthood with lots of what we were told as children about the Divine. Somewhere along the way, we learned other stuff. Some of that jives, and some doesn’t.

So, we make sense of it and are left with ideas that have come to the foreground and those that will never be forgotten but have receded.

Not surprisingly, how we think and talk about the Divine impacts the way we engage in spiritual formation.

Consider reflecting on how your thoughts about God influence your feelings about engaging in spiritual practices.

spiritual practices

Letting Go of Guilt

God is Love. And love isn’t about guilt. So, stop feeling guilty about your spiritual growth or lack thereof. You’re probably already parched. Why add to the load?

Just start where you are just as you are. That’s all you can do anyway in each given moment. And God asks no more of you. The Divine is always and everywhere no matter our capacity to engage. Therefore, presence and peace may abound.

Isn’t that wonderful? We can merely embrace spiritual practices with intention and presence. God beckons us.

How will you freely, joyfully, guiltlessly respond to the invitation this year?

spiritual practices

Spiritual Practices to Explore

Make Some Space

Our minds are saturated. We’re almost always watching a screen, responding to endless messages on various platforms, thinking a mile a minute.

It’s never been harder to clear our minds. And when we’re preoccupied with all that chatter, connection to Spirit is almost impossible. So, just practice clearing a little space in all the clutter.

First, find a quiet place alone. Then, pay attention to your thoughts. Notice each one. Make no judgment about it. Place it on a leaf or cloud and watch it float away until it’s out of sight.

De-clutter. Make space for Spirit connection. That’s it, friend.

Explore Scripture

We believe that holy scriptures are set apart as those that have the power to transform. They are living texts. So, use the life with which they’re infused to enrich yours.

Do you have a favorite verse in scripture? If not, pick one. It doesn’t have to be the “right” choice. Just choose what compels you even if you aren’t sure why.

Work with that scripture somehow and see what happens. Perhaps journal about it, exploring what it means to you. Research its background and context. Or practice lectio divina with it. Speak it in a breath prayer. Write it on your mirror with a dry erase marker. Try any of these.

spiritual practices

Get Outside

Manufactured stuff gives us so much. Offices and houses, chairs and couches, computers, phones, cars, trains. They serve us in so many ways. And so do the outdoors. But, sadly, many of us don’t see nearly enough of God’s creation outside.

You may find yourself rejuvenated by getting some sunshine and fresh air at the very least. And perhaps you’ll perceive the Spirit’s work in things like the seemingly effortless way leaves spring up from dormant branches. Maybe you’ll notice a feeling of unity with every atom that’s ever existed.

Sit or walk or run or hike or bike. Listen, look, smell, feel. However you’re compelled, get outside.

Become Still

Wherever you find yourself right at this moment, become still. It is the only moment that’s real and yours. God is ever in the present inviting you without expectation or demand to live abundantly into your whole self this new year and always.

We hope these three areas of spiritual practice can assist you in your quest. And don’t forget to share with us in the comments! What spiritual practices are serving you these days?

Make It Stop! Recover from This Year’s Holiday Burnout

Leave a Comment

Holiday burnout is real! Working in ministry during the holiday season can get you feeling frantic and fatigued. Where were the joy and the wonder?

holiday burnout

You don’t have to feel this way!

We SO hope this hasn’t been true for you this year. Perhaps you found ways to stay energized as Autumn came and went and Winter settled in. But, if you’re finding yourself feeling frayed and frazzled, we’re here to help.

It’s so common in our world’s efficiency-driven culture to feel there isn’t enough to go around. Maybe you’ve found yourself in the quiet-ish moments craving calm and wishing there was a way to get it. You aren’t alone. And the better news? You don’t have to feel this way.

How are you recovering after the holidays? It takes a village to raise…ourselves. So, share with us and your ICM community in the comments below!

holiday burnout

Recovering from Holiday Burnout

Recovering from holiday burnout is not difficult. But it does take time and a lot of intention. If you’ve gotten yourself to a place of burnout, you’re the type who is likely used to it. I speak from more experience than I would like to admit: people who get burned out get burned out often.

Let’s just say, I’ve been there.

When I live without boundaries that are supportive of my overall health, I begin feeling disconnected from God, exhausted, and hopeless. And voila! I have arrived at almost total burnout.

So, how do we dig ourselves out of burnout after it has set in?

Rest.

First, slow down. Perhaps you need more sleep. Maybe you need more quiet time alone. Or, maybe you need to schedule a massage or read a fun book. Give your body and mind a break in whatever ways feel life-giving to you.

When we aren’t resting, it impacts everything. Body chemistry gets all messed up when we’re tired. Then, we see the world with less hope. Our children get a more irritable version of us. Our partner often feels less supported. We enjoy our experiences less.

Live a more abundant life. Rest more.

Do less.

72% of ministry leaders work 55-75 hours per week. You may need to say “no” more often than you feel like you “should.” If you’re one who’s prone to burnout, then you likely fill your plate to the edge and even beyond at times.

Burnout is an opportunity to change this pattern. It’s as though burnout is a call for help from your spirit. Will you take the chance to listen to your truest self?

This doesn’t need to be a complicated endeavor. Simply make some intentional shifts in how much you commit to. You will see an increase in the richness of your life if you do.

Exercise.

Over 50% of ministry leaders don’t exercise. Yo! This is important. If you’re not, start caring for your body. It is the temple of God’s Spirit, one of the myriad ways the Divine chooses to experience human reality every day.

Also, and maybe even more importantly, know that you are loved, you are loved, you are loved. Love yourself enough to take seriously your health.

And if you’re prone to burnout, you may be prone to all or nothing thinking. Let’s throw that out the window and just take a walk around the block a couple times a day. You don’t need to train for a marathon to be active. Just do something.

Pray.

Does this need an explanation? It’s common for us ministry leaders to get so preoccupied with the relational and administrative responsibilities of our role that we forget to get quiet with God.

When you sit down at your desk, take a few minutes to quiet the chatter of the mind and connect to what’s beyond all things and infuses all life.

holiday burnout

Holiday Burnout Indicators

Feeling Far from God

It’s common, when holiday burnout settles in, to begin feeling disconnected from our spiritual grounding. This makes sense. Our body, mind, and spirit are all entwined. If our life isn’t supporting our health, our spirit will undoubtedly be affected.

However we name the Divine, it is a shift in our own resources and, therefore, our ability to perceive God’s presence with us that causes the feeling of disconnection.

So, not sensing God and been pushing too hard? You’re probably burned out.

Feeling Exhausted

Perhaps it goes without saying, but being tired is almost always a tell-tale sign of burnout. If you arrive at the office or to the worship service struggling to muster the energy you need, it’s possible you have been stretching yourself too thin over the holiday season.

Several demands weigh upon the shoulders of ministry leaders during the holiday season. There’s event planning, volunteer coordinating, worship services to prepare for, maybe a play to rehearse, gifts to buy and wrap, travel to make happen, parties to attend, kids’ productions to see. The list goes on.

Oh, my word. It’s a busy time.

Can you see why you’re tired?

Feeling Hopeless

When we begin feeling tired and disconnected from God, we can lose hope in a general sense. If we lose our felt sense of connection to the Source of All Being AND we’re exhausted, our ministry can start to look bleak.

If you’re beginning to doubt that what you do matters, if there’s any point to your ministry, if your role is valuable…you are probably lacking hope. And without hope, it’s hard to stay in touch with vision. Connection to God, self-care, and vision for what can be, impact one another and a cycle easily forms that can lead to utter depletion if needs aren’t met.

Thus, burnout.

holiday burnout

Avoid Holiday Burnout Next Year

Avoid holiday burnout with some simple steps to keep yourself in check next year.

It’s our hope that you find rest for your mind, body, and soul. We hope you avoid burnout, but even more, that you experience abundance in your life. So, you have our permission to be protective of your time, energy, and relationships in the new year and beyond. You and all you love and serve will benefit.

And don’t forget to tell us what’s working for you in the comments below!

3 Ways to Avoid Burnout by Being Fantastically Lazy

Leave a Comment

Avoid burnout and recharge your mind, body, and spirit by creating healthy boundaries and rhythms this summer.

avoid burnout 5

So, I’m writing to help you do less. Be a little more lazy. Most of you reading this are seriously dedicated to your calling. If you’re taking the time to read blogs on ministry, especially a post on burnout, you likely give a lot of yourself to those you serve. And you probably need a break.

Do More. Be More. Or Maybe Not.

Many of us have learned that in order to do a good job we must just keep pushing harder. You need to do more and be more. But, what if that isn’t true? What if you’re already enough and you actually need to do less?

Laziness. That’s a word that our Puritan work ethic has shunned. Maybe I’m not really talking about laziness. Perhaps what I’m getting at is restfulness. How, in this season of summer, might you invite restfulness into your life? And how might a habit of restfulness sustain you this coming program year?

We’ve put together a list of three simple ways for you to be lazy, ahem, restful. So, you can avoid burnout and thrive along with your ministry. How do you plan to rest this summer? Share with all of us in the comments below!

avoid burnout 1

3 Ways to Avoid Burnout

Take a regular sabbath. Many ministry leaders these days are under pressure to build a ministry, raise the numbers, and in a general sense, to fight against the tide that so many churches are facing. The work is never done. This isn’t a 9-5 job with tasks that can just be left on the desk when it’s time to go home.

It can be difficult to carve out space for rest in this landscape. This may seem counter-intuitive to some. But in ministry, hours can be all over the place and our time often gets away from us. So, fencing in a day for sabbath takes intention.

On the day or even half day, you choose as sabbath, make space for the things you love to do. Shoot some hoops, garden, try that new brewery, go for a walk, eat out with a friend, catch up on that show.

Whatever and whenever you choose, make it something that feeds your soul. This energizes you for the week ahead and protects you from burnout.

avoid burnout 3

Disconnect. Ministry is so much about connecting. You strive to connect with people and their stories. And you spend time learning to connect to the story God is telling, paying attention to your gifts and sense of calling. Not only that, but you connect life and culture to scripture and to those who have gone before, bridging wisdom with what’s here and upcoming.

If you’re in ministry, you likely love all this connection. It gives you joy and life. But, it drains you, too. And while you’re busy connecting to everything out there, you can lose track of connecting to what’s inside.

So, learn to disconnect, so you can reconnect.

Turn off your phone after a certain hour. Make it clear when you aren’t available. Refer students and their families to others when their needs go beyond your scope. When you’re away on vacation, turn off push notifications.

This all gives you space to connect to yourself and God by attending to your own feelings and needs. If you learn this art, not only will you avoid burnout but you’ll also minister to others in a more healthy, mindful way.

avoid burnout 2

Get out of town. A change of scenery definitely helps prevent burnout. First, it’s harder to say yes to things you don’t absolutely need to do. Second, being away means people are more likely to leave you alone. Third, going out of town is fun!

Go somewhere beautiful. Beauty brings to life parts of us that give us inspiration and energy. It doesn’t matter where you go. We all define beauty differently, so just go where you feel alive. It could be a restaurant with lovely plating, a museum filled with art you adore, or a lushly wooded park.

We all need space and silence in a place where we can rediscover parts of ourselves that have gone dormant. Work and life are hard to balance. We get busy and into ruts. A shift in environment breaks the cycles and routine, so we pay attention to what’s going on in our hearts and minds.

Sometimes getting away shows us what we hadn’t noticed. Maybe you realize how exhausted you’ve been. Or maybe a new idea emerges. Or perhaps you’re re-invigorated by the memories you make with your family.

Getting “out of town” can mean a ten-minute drive to a new restaurant or to a hotel where you lounge by the pool and sleep in late. Or it can be a plane trip to visit a dear friend or a cruise to some exotic location. The where and how far doesn’t matter as much as the act of simply making it a priority. Enjoy the excuse to escape no matter where you’re headed.

avoid burnout 6

You Matter.

You’re often so busy telling everyone else they matter, you forget that you do, too. So, let me remind you.

You matter. And your body and your well-being matter. Learn to value yourself enough to practice the art of restfulness. No one else will do this for you.

Your ministry will run you into the ground if you let it. But, you don’t have to allow that.

Take this summer to honor the you that God so lovingly made by caring for your needs. Do less. It’s your homework.

Oh, and don’t forget to tell us how you’re caring for yourself this summer. We’d love to know!