Earlier this month I had a conversation with an individual who was struggling. They work as a care partner in senior living, and the stress of the industry before the pandemic, compounded by the new stresses of care since have caused this individual to reach a breaking point. “I feel I am miles past burnout and into a black hole.” This is no place to live, yet, this person is one of many care partners – not only in senior living – that are feeling this way. As Catholics, fellow human beings, and, as people with great hope, how can we better support each other in care? How can we turn towards the Father in prayer so that we might regain strength in mind, body, and soul?
Mind: You may be familiar with the Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers. This lay association works to support Catholic parishes as they build up mental health ministry in the Church. The work that stems from their support provides spiritual accompaniment for people living with mental health challenges and mental illness. Rooted in the teachings of the Church, you can find resources on their website to help you not only build a ministry, but you will also find what you need to help you navigate your own journey of mental health. They do not provide clinical or medical advice. I recommend looking at their prayer resources page first and considering starting a ministry at your parish if one has not yet been established. As care partners, this can be a daunting thought, but maybe you simply need to spark the idea and let the parish know there is a need.
Prayer Resources: https://catholicmhm.org/prayer-resources
List of Current Ministries: https://catholicmhm.org/find-a-ministry
If you are seeking something that looks like traditional clinical accompaniment, I recommend checking out the CatholicPsych Institute and their Integrated Daily Dialogic Mentorship which doesn’t “slap a Catholic label on traditional psychology” as Dr. Greg Bottaro states, instead, it is an accompaniment model that magnifies a life of faith in relationship with Christ, and how He is the true healer.
IDDM: https://iddmentor.com/
Catholic Psych: https://www.catholicpsych.com/
Body: We all know we should eat well, exercise, and get a solid amount of sleep each night. But anyone who is human knows – which is all of us- that isn’t always in “perfect balance” and sometimes our sleep suffers, our eating habits become poor, and our exercise hours diminish. You want to know something though, it can be out of balance with one lingering behind and we can still live well. Putting pressure on ourselves to always be in that 100% score for how we are taking care of ourselves rarely produces good fruit. Instead, forgive yourself when you fall behind on your health goals, and ask God to provide for your temporal needs. I don’t have any one program, person, or resource to share here, simply to allow yourself room to be human. Care is often demanding on us physically, and it is best if we take care of ourselves, but sometimes a nap is more important than going to the gym, and sometimes that time preparing a good meal is more important than that extra hour of sleep. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you.
Spirit: Spiritual Direction is one of the most beautiful and underutilized offerings we have in the Church. This is especially true in care. I would love to see a day when a Spiritual Director is on the senior living teamfor residents/clients, and staff in every care community and organization. That may be a stretch in today’s world, so until then, I recommend you ask around your parish, or diocese, and do an internet search to find a Spiritual Director for yourself and maybe a few that you can have on hand to share with anyone who is seeking. Do some vetting though to make sure they remain true to the teachings of the Church and are a good fit for you personality-wise.
Tips for Finding a Spiritual Director: https://spiritualdirection.com/topics/spiritual-direction/finding-a-director
Going to Adoration is one of the best ways we can build and reconnect our relationship with Christ. While walking through the darkness, it is through Christ alone that we will find ourselves fully alive. We are charged with taking care of our mind, body, and spirit, but none of that is possible without Christ. As care partners, in addition to supporting daily tasks and helping those we serve to live fully alive, our job is to see Christ in that person. In times of trials, stresses beyond our control, and loss, seeing Christ in the face of the person we care for, can help us navigate each moment as we work as the hands and feet of Christ. We can better see Christ in others when we are restored through regular attendance to Adoration regardless of if you have 5 minutes or 5 hours, it is the middle of the day or the middle of the night.
Guide for Eucharistic Adoration: https://letterstowomenpodcast.com/blog/everday-guide-adoration-eucharist and https://catholicworldmission.org/guide-to-eucharistic-adoration/
If you can’t make it to Adoration, ask the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters to pray for you: https://adorationsisters.org/
Learn more about Eucharist: https://www.eucharisticrevival.org/learn-resources