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How to Stay Mentally Vibrant in Ministry
Orginally published on Monday, July 14, 2008 at 7:22 AM
by Todd Rhoades
In his book, Practicing Greatness, Reggie McNeal discusses how great leaders need to stay very sharp mentally. Reggie gives us several ways that we can keep our brain chemistry healthy. Some are simple. Others take a little more effort:
• Adequate sleep (a sleep-hungry brain is subject to fuzzy thinking and poor judgment)
• Proper Diet (especially a good amount of protein)
• Moderate your use of alcohol, caffeine, nicotine (don’t use these to ‘medicate your anxiety’
• Adequate exercise (helps physically, but also mentally)
• Daily doses of positive human contact (leaders who are connected are keeping their brains ‘wired’)
• Mental recreation (It helps from making your thoughts dull and tired)
• Muse time (time to ponder, noodle, reflect)
Great advice. How are you doing? Are you giving your brain an opportunity to stay on top of its game?
Here’s to a vibrant ministry!
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I'm a chronic workaholic, love to connect leaders with other leaders, and would consider myself somewhat of a 'maven'. Hopefully you'll find something here at MMI you'll like and will return often. If you want, you can find out more about me or follow my every step.
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Monday, July 14, 2008 at 8:33 AM
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Monday, July 14, 2008 at 8:47 AM
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Tuesday, July 22, 2008 at 6:31 PM
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Tuesday, July 22, 2008 at 8:14 PM
Post Your Comments:Good List, none of these happen on accident.
I like these three the best.
• Daily doses of positive human contact (leaders who are connected are keeping their brains ‘wired’)
• Mental recreation (It helps from making your thoughts dull and tired)
• Muse time (time to ponder, noodle, reflect)
Too many of us don’t specifically target friendships with people who make our lives better and more fun (it’s not selfish to do this, your people need you to be joyful), too many of us don’t do anything outside of church (get a hobby), and too many of us spend no time in reflection except for sermon reflection (that doesn’t count… it’s work...)
The friends I “target” to hang around with really add to my life and are really SAFE people for me. I dare say I could say anything around them.
I LOVE music, but it’s so much a part of my job, that I don’t even keep a guitar at home anymore!
On my day off, I have been training myself to NOT read anything that is “for work”. I might read a great book on spirituality or the Christian life, but not a book on “how to do my job”. (I just finished a couple of great books on American History. Fun.)
GREAT post. Thanks, Todd!
I have been going to the gym more lately and trying to lose some unnecessary and unhealthy parts of me. It does help focus a lot.
I appreciate Reggie’s list. I was watching a video with John Maxwell recently and he said he tries to read, file, and write every day. I have a label on my computer screen now that says, “read-file-write\” as a reminder. Keep up the good work, Todd.
Just wondering...Does anyone use Ritalin? Do you find it helpful or harmful?
Thanks…
Jason
I do pretty well on most of these. The two I am very weak about and probably the most important ones are (1) Diet and (2) Daily Dose of POSITIVE human contact.
I spend too much time around people who are complaining and need to be more proactive about limiting those interactions. Thanks for the reminder.
bike commuting has helped in almost all of these areas for me. Riding is hard with a bad diet/sleep etc, and gets my blood pumping for good exercise.
If its a possibility for anyone I HIGHLY recommend it.
Not to mention its way cheaper to burn calories than gas right now…
I do a fair amount of dancing and shouting outloud (also known as singing). Some times in public and other times not.
And I laugh A LOT! Of course some of that comes from that positive human contact too.
ok, really, lets be honest, playing the political games is part of staying sane in the ministry. you can’t challenge anyone, you have to go alone with what your boss says you are getting paid to do. I got out of that kind of ministry because I couldn’t keep being a hypocrite.
Oliver,
A lot of churches aren’t like that. You know that, right?
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