God has made us relational beings and social isolation is harmful for our health. What habits could you build into your life that foster or help you form healthy relationships and friendships with others?
Some tips:
Think of someone you could reach out to this week to connect with – send them a text and suggest you meet up to do something together (such as going to the beach, having a coffee). If you are feeling particularly isolated after lockdown, now is the time to reconnect with others. For example:
Connecting with others and having healthy friends is one way we can take care of our wellbeing and building resilience. Press On: Building resilience & mental wellbeing provides you with tips and input on how you can build healthy connections with others. Maybe you could sign up and do the course with a small group and use this as an opportunity to encourage one another.
In the last few weeks, as I’ve chatted with a number of women, I’ve seen how adept they are at juggling and pivoting. But we have many balls to juggle in life. Our plans go awry, and those balls just start tumbling. And this is when we feel the weariness and stress and think, ‘I can’t keep doing this.’
The question for us as pastoral carers is whether Jesus saw any other significance in laying down his life for the sheep. And consequently, is there a type of sacrifice which Jesus calls his followers in pastoral care to make?
The God of all grace is not remote and he doesn’t simply delegate to others. He is willing, so to speak, to get his hands dirty.
This was a moment of grace, during an ordinary routine, given to me by our creator God. Pumpkins had given me a new song to sing.
The Mental Health & Pastoral Care Institute is a part of Mary Andrews College, an Anglican Deaconess Ministry.
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