This is the second post in a series of eight taken from a presentation on Clergy Wellness that was cancelled in 2021 due to Covid-19 lockdowns. Maybe I'll get to present it live one day, but in the meantime I decided to post some sections of it online. The series as a whole is called Wellness in Ministry and naturally some aspects are specific to vocational ministry. However, much of the content is applicable to anyone concerned to sustain their wellbeing physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. Last time we looked at the topic of stress.
Physical Wellbeing - Taha tinana: That Maori term comes from the concept of Te Whare Tapa Whā - the house of wellbeing - a metaphor which is concerned about maintaining physical and mental health as well as social and spiritual connections for wellbeing. In the early 1980s, a Maori psychiatrist in Palmerston North, New Zealand devised a holistic approach to treating his patients' health. Little did he know that it would resonate with Kiwis so well that 40 years later it would be widely known and used in the New Zealand health sector. It is also implemented in the public service, private enterprise and community organisations. I first heard of it on my counsellor training in the early nineties and feel it aligns well with a Christian perspective. That psychiatrist, Sir Mason Durie (Rangitāne, Ngāti Kauwhata, Ngāti Raukawa), says he's "surprised – in a good way" to see it continue to connect with people today.
Here's an explanation from a local insurance website: Taha tinana is your physical wellbeing - how your body grows, feels and moves, and how you care for it. Sometimes your taha tinana might not be as good as you’d like it to be, and at times this might be beyond your control. What’s important is that you do what you can to nurture it, regardless of your physical abilities. Working to strengthen taha tinana will help you to cope with ups and downs of life. Feeling physically well helps you feel mentally well too.
The apostle John writes in his third letter "Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit." (3 John 1: 2) What can we do to sustain our taha tinana? Here are some key themes:
Diet
Many people have made a radical change in their diet as a result of a health crisis, like a heart scare. Did you know that of those who have a heart attack, one third die, one third have reduced function for the rest of their lives and one third survive to go on and have a better life expectancy? Diet can make a difference to how you respond to a heart attack and whether you have one in the first place. And there are other health conditions that respond to a focus on food as well – diabetes, asthma, digestive problems and of course obesity. The latest research on gut problems demonstrates that the gut is our body’s second brain, and responsible for many symptoms we might think derive from thinking and feeling.
One of the first areas addressed by GPs (family doctors) assessing patients is what are they are eating, and medics often recommend we eat mainly food that has been recently alive. However, we all need to shop sometimes, and learning to read food labels is also key step in protecting health and wellbeing. The rule of thumb promoted by dieticians is the 4g rule – buy foods that contain less than four grams of saturated fat and less than four grams of sugar per serving. The supermarket shelves are filled with foods that seem healthy, but don't be fooled. 50 percent of the sugar we eat comes from "healthy" foods like salad dressings and fruit juice. In our household, sugar and white bread have been avoided for decades, though we still eat butter; research is revealing that unsaturated fat is not nearly as dangerous as once thought, depending on what it is served with. Reading labels will help you stay away from sugary breakfast cereals, muesli bars, tomato sauce, and instant noodles, as well as juice and fizz. Seek out fish, garlic, olive oil, red peppers and chilli flakes – anything brightly coloured has nutritional goodies. Choose snacks like carrot sticks and celery, and make sure nuts also have a place. If that sounds expensive, don’t ignore canned tomatoes, tuna and sardines. Spinach is also packed with nutrients and if you don’t like it fresh, chop it small and add to soups and stews. Plain water is vital to health, and can help you feel full, but if you still battle with food cravings, I’m told breath strips are a good option!
Health and wellness is about making repeated small decisions.
(Roger Matthews: Healthy Leaders and Healthy Churches)
Exercise
The other thing your doctor will always ask about is your exercise regime. That doesn't have to mean "pumping iron" or running a marathon. Exercise can be a pleasant rewarding pastime, and can pay great dividends in your personal wellbeing:
1. Strengthening of Heart and Lungs: your blood travels more efficiently distributing oxygen and nutrients.
2. Increased life expectancy: Even mild exercise has a significant beneficial effect on life expectancy.
3. Weight Reduction: Moderate muscle exercise burns calories more efficiently and can even suppress appetite.
4. Improve Diabetic Control: Improved metabolism enhances your ability to balance blood sugar.
5. Maintain Bone Calcium: A light-moderate exercise program has been shown to prevent osteoporosis, the loss of bone calcium that occurs mainly in women.
6. Increased Wellbeing: A better performing immune system helps you fight infections, avoid high blood pressure, and sleep better.
If exercise was a pill, everyone would be taking it. It has wide-ranging benefits for the body, for the mind, for our muscles and for our immune system.
(Prof. Norman Lazarus)To increase motivation, choose an exercise that suits you; exercise is often easier if done with friends. Or join a gym for a year which will make you want to get your money’s worth. Try and get a sweat up, but if you cannot speak while exercising, you are overdoing it.
Perhaps this in the too hard basket for some. However exercise can be part of your daily routine. "We have systematically engineered activity out of our lives, even to the point of not having to get up to change a TV channel or get out of the car to open the garage door." (Steven Blair). Walking for at least 30 minutes every day will increase your stamina, and lots of apps today can help your track your foot steps. Doing anything is better than doing nothing. People who exercise twice a week are demonstrably happier and less stressed. Energy levels increase with each day’s exercise up to six days - so having a rest day is important!
Whatever you decide, make exercise a priority in your weekly schedule. This is a theological issue. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." (Romans 12:1)
Sunlight
A third dimension doctors are becoming concerned about is exposure to sunlight. A while ago Dr Ric stopped testing for Vitamin D because ten years of research of his own patients had told him virtually everyone is deficient. Dark winters and desk jobs mean we are often deprived of UV sunlight which is how the body synthesises Vitamin D, needed not just for bone health but to prevent cancer, diabetes, heart disease and arthritis. Some studies indicate it has a role in infertility, autoimmune disease and depression as well. But our bodies can't generate this crucial substance through glass windows, so try and get out in natural light for 15 – 30 minutes three times a week. Over winter, this needs to be intentional - go for a walk with the kids or the dog, park the car two blocks from your destination, or sit outside with your latté. If you spend a lot of time inside, if you always wear sunscreen or you cannot, for some other reason, get reasonable sun exposure to satisfy your body's requirements, Vitamin D can be taken as a supplement.
Sleep
A good night’s sleep is like hitting the reset button; we seem to process issues and resolve problems during sleep. Many of us have been part of vigorous discussions with others about our own sleep routine, and many people seem unhappy with their ability to go to sleep or stay that way. Insomnia is something I’ve battled with for years. It’s a common issue for women after menopause but many men struggle too, especially if they need to get up and pee in the night. At that point, I say just embrace the wakefulness and read, do a puzzle or listen to the radio till you nod off again. The more you stress about it, the more awake you become; if its anxiety about ministry issues, the best thing is to give your brain something else to do. Listen to an audiobook or memorise the periodic table or the states of the USA; I watch craft videos on Youtube. A relative who designs masks for people with sleep apnoea says that using a device is not good sleep hygiene, because of the blue light - but it works for me. Some people find cutting out alcohol, coffee or red meat has been helpful and others recommend melatonin or herbal remedies.
Remember too the simple breath prayer. Praying with our breath slows down our breathing, which slows down many other functions of our body. In this stressful and fast-paced world, even one minute of slowing down can be so soothing. The sense of peace that comes from slowing our breathing can put problems into a more hopeful perspective. Find joy in the simple thing of life, and give thanks to God who gives us all things richly to enjoy
This leads on to the next few posts looking at the wellbeing whare (house) - next,
Taha Hinengaro or Mental Wellbeing.
Here are some suggestions for integrating exercise into you daily regime.
• Park at the far side of the carpark
• Walk the dog
• Take the stairs instead of the lift or escalator
• Walk with a friend, make it a social occasion
• Walk in your prayer times
• Build muscle by lifting two tins of baked beans or carrying a toddler
• Don’t forget gardening, lawns and water blasting!
• Include fun activities such as dancing, playing tennis, and tramping.
Comments
Post a Comment