Restorative Friday Five

Pat has given us kick-back Friday Five:



Our Friday Five is very simple today. Share five ways you've learned to care for yourself when life becomes overwhelming. What does the pastor do after a rough day in the office, or at meetings, or at a bedside, or even, in the pulpit? Share your best five self-care strategies, and, with any luck, we all will learn at least one or two new ones.

1. Fishing: I have always worked with an understanding that I could take comp time. When I worked mornings, afternoons and evenings (which was often) I would take a morning or an afternoon off for myself. In the spring, summer or fall (i.e. fishing season) I would go fishing. I lived and worked in wonderful trout country and kept my gear and a change of clothes in the car. On some of my rounds to parishioners' homes, I would find a neat stream. I would take some time to scout it and hop into the stream if I had some comp time coming. It maintained my sanity.

2.  Power naps: Sometimes my day was just too full and I could feel my eyelids

begin to drop before the board meeting. So I would ask the secretary to hold my calls for about 20 mins, lean back in my chair and take a short nap. 

3.  Reading: Whether it was a novel , Scripture, or something that I 'needed to read', reading would take my mind off what I was thinking or issues in the parish so I could just relax. 

4.  Meditative Prayer: Centering prayer or breathing prayer. It has always been the way that I dealt with being anxious, troubled or hassled. 

5.  Driving in the country: I am the daughter of a man

who drove long distances everyday. I grew up with a love for driving and I find country roads are quite interesting and relaxing if it is decent weather. I am not a walker so driving into uninhabited country my version of hiking. It was a bit tough when the gas prices were high but it has always been relaxing. Long distances often required a 'book on tape'.