Catholic Tips to Manage Stress: Mass, Prayer, and Faith

Stress is simply pressure from obligations and inner expectations, but with so much to do, stress is a challenge for everyone. Life is busy, and the demands of work, family, social engagements, health, and technology never seem to stop.

For those of faith, the Catholic tradition offers a variety of simple ways to not only bust stress but also connect with a greater sense of hope and purpose in life, which increases one's ability to stay strong in the face of stress.

Stress Problem for Catholics

According to the American Psychological Association, one-third of Americans claimed to be living with high levels of stress in 2007. Catholic laity share stressors common to everybody in the modern world.

Major stressors include:

Work;
Family;
Health;
Money; and
Relationships.
Other stressors on Catholic laity may include practicing their faith, as others around them do not understand or respect their beliefs, and younger generations choose the dominant cultural values over Church teaching.

Controversies in the Church, such as clergy abuse scandals, may add additional stress. Catholics may face tough questions and negative comments about their Church in the public sphere, and this takes its toll in time.

Stress for Catholic Priests and Religious

Catholic priests and religious experience special stressors unique to their vocations. Catholic priests must be available and visible to their congregations at all times and uphold their vows of chastity, celibacy, and obedience to the Church. Catholic religious, like priests, must uphold their vows, but many struggle in communal living as numbers decrease and fellow brothers and sisters age.

Catholic Tradition Offers Peace and Relaxation in Busy Modern World

For centuries, the Catholic Church's balance of prayer and worship has not only connected the faithful to God but also offered them routine, meaning, and peace in the midst of busy lives. In today's world, many people struggle with a lack of quality personal time and silence free from multi-tasking and distractions as well as loneliness due to lack of community. The Church offers community, personal time through worship and devotion, and support in creating spiritual disciplines that can all aid in managing stress.

Catholic Mass Tool for Rest and Relaxation

The purpose of Holy Eucharist is certainly not to recover from a difficult fight with the spouse, yet one of Mass's many blessings for the faithful is time in Jesus' healing presence. Instead of focusing on the tensions of the day, the believer finds herself transitioned into God's world through the act of worship and union with God in the sacrament.

Even sitting in silence before Mass begins offers the believer a time to pause, collect her thoughts, and surrender current problems to someone who can handle them: the Blessed Virgin Mary, another patron saint, or God.

Experiment with attending Mass at an unusual time or during a difficult week. The short and simple service may be just what you need to recharge and make it through the rest of the day.

Prayer Helps Catholics Fight Stress

The Catholic tradition is rich in prayers such as the "Hail Mary" and the "Our Father" that offer believers hope and comfort in the most difficult times. Daily time in prayer and devotion not only supports your relationship with God, but it also increases your resilience to stress. The more personal and quiet time you have stored up, the better you can handle stressful situations if they arise.

Experiment with praying daily at the same time for a week, and see if it affects your stress level at the week's end. For more ideas and support in developing your prayer life, touch base with your priest or a spiritual director.

Transform Catholic Prayer into a Deep Breathing Meditation

If daily prayer is already part of your routine, experiment with full-body prayer. Transform the Hail Mary into a breathing meditation. The simple act of focusing on your breath and slowing it down has been proven to lower your blood pressure and heart rate.

Breathing slowly and deeply will also promote relaxation and improved mood, as you have more oxygen flowing through your system and have taken an active break from your current worries.

Practice breathing deeply to the words of your favorite prayer or the rosary. Let the words flow effortlessly with each deep breath, and forget everything except the words of the prayer and your breath.

Repeat as often as desired to connect with God and relax from life's stressors.

Visit Catholic Monastery for Retreat to Rest in God

Another Catholic resource for reducing stress, Catholic retreat centers offer peaceful accommodations, worship, and support from trained spiritual directors and other staff such as massage therapists and even pastoral counselors. Explore local monastic communities in your area and the resources they offer for a day or weekend away to rest in God.

Community of Catholic Church Support Against Stress

Many people struggle from the stress of loneliness today, as families live far apart and people move so often due to employment or schooling. A healthy Church meets the basic human need for acceptance and love.

Finding the right Church may just be a key factor in managing your stress, as the people there can offer you and your loved ones support in times of trouble. In addition, the Church offers special services in times of personal crisis, such as short-term counseling, outreach ministries, and rituals at times of birth and death.

Many people, Catholics among them, struggle with the stresses of life. Catholics have resources to fight stress as they seek peace in the Christian community, the grace of Holy Eucharist, and prayer to rest in God offered by the Catholic Church.