Several years ago I went through a long bout of anxiety (you can read about it here). While I’m feeling much better now, I know that my anxiety is something that needs to be continuously managed, and my mental health must be continuously maintained. During that period when Lent came around, I focused on resolutions that will nurtured both my spiritual and mental health, and drew me closer to God, the only true source of peace. Here’s what I did:
1. Consistent prayer
St. John Chrysostom called prayer “a place of refuge for every worry” and “a foundation for cheerfulness.” Most years, I make a plan for a daily prayer routine to follow during Lent. In this case, it included a novena or simple prayer to St. Dymphna, patron saint of mental health.
2. Walking outside every day, rain or shine (or snow)
Walking – especially outside – is great for your mental health, but it can also be a sacrifice, especially on the Canadian prairies; the season of Lent is usually a cold one here, and leaving my cozy couch is an act of mortification in itself! But I know it’s good for my mental and physical health to get outside, and good for my soul to offer up something I don’t always feel like doing.
3. Reading peace
Father Jacques Philippe’s Searching for and Maintaining Peace is a lovely little tome full of great advice, like “nourish your own heart and return it to peace by gazing with love on Jesus,” and “Abandon yourself anyway!” I’ve never read Hallie Lord’s book On the Other Side of Fear: How I Found Peace, but it sounds like it might be a good fit too.
4. Focusing on others
“Joy, with peace, is the sister of charity,” said Padre Pio. “Serve the Lord with laughter.” If I want to feel more joy and peace, I need only love and serve more. I came up with a concrete plan on how to serve others, particularly my family, with selflessness, cheerfulness and charity. “The soul of the one who serves always swims with joy,” said St. John of the Cross, and that promise of joy sounds like just what the doctor ordered.
If these resolutions aren’t fitting the bill, you might try:
Lenten Resolutions to Improve Your Relationship with Food
Lenten Resolutions for Your Marriage
