This article appeared in the September 30, 2020 edition of the Monitor Daily A Christian Science Perspective Listen: audio edition.
As this worldwide pandemic rolls on, it can be hard to keep one’s spirits up day after day. Isolation has blurred time, merging one day into another and dampening spirits. Here in Australia, health officials have expressed concern about the mental well-being of citizens – especially those of us under curfew in my home city of Melbourne. With work, schooling, social, and travel restrictions being imposed for another long period of time, “lockdown fatigue” can seem overwhelming.
One powerful way I’ve found to maintain a mental balance and fight off lockdown lethargy and general unhappiness is to spiritually prepare myself each day. I make a special point of undertaking specific daily prayer about my mental well-being.
This includes regular study of the heartening, uplifting ideas presented in the weekly Bible Lesson from the Christian Science Quarterly. The passages, which come from the King James Bible and “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures” by Mary Baker Eddy, help me negate despondency and stay on an even keel mentally.
For instance, this Bible verse from Second Timothy has encouraged me and energized my prayers: “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (1:7). This enlivening, timeless message of wisdom and healing speaks of God’s love and care for everyone. God has given each of us soundness of mind – the spiritual dominion we can exercise over dispiriting thoughts and actions.
This ability to conquer mental darkness of any type is ours – not because God knows about our problems and gives us strength to face them, but because of what we are as God’s spiritual sons and daughters, the very expression of the divine Mind, which includes no darkened or despondent thinking.
We don’t have to feel emotionally drained by what’s taking place right now in our lives or in the world. As God’s dearly loved children, made in the image and likeness of the Divine, we have the ability to be resilient and remain resilient – to experience and express strength of mind and spirit, buoyancy, uplift, and balance. This innate ability permanently resides in, and reigns over, our consciousness. As Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21).
In praying with these ideas, I’ve likened the spiritual truth of God’s sustaining and fortifying forever-love to a personal flotation device. This mental “life jacket” has helped me stay mentally uplifted during this difficult time. God’s lifesaving, thought-sustaining love has lifted me out of pessimism. Rather than sinking down into despondency, I’ve been raised up to a more tangible joy and buoyancy of spirit.
As the days tick by, it’s strengthening to know that we don’t have to wait for restrictions to be rescinded before we can be happy and contented again. Our mental health is sustained by divine Spirit, God, day in and day out. Our divine Parent gives us strength of purpose and stability, which empowers us to overcome mental fatigue with spiritual get-up-and-go.
Even in unstable times, we can make this our prayer and strive to practice what Science and Health urges in this powerful message: “Let us feel the divine energy of Spirit, bringing us into newness of life and recognizing no mortal nor material power as able to destroy. Let us rejoice that we are subject to the divine ‘powers that be’” (p. 249).
The Christian Science Monitor newspaper, was established by Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science who was concerned with both the state of the world and the quality of available news.
Many people want to know how to maintain a mental balance during unstable times. When the world-wide pandemic rolled on with seemingly no immediate end in sight, there was a feeling that it was getting harder to keep one’s spirits up day-after-day. Isolation blurred time, merging one day into another and dampening spirits. As work, schooling, social, and travel restrictions were imposed, staying mentally and emotionally positive was quite a challenge.
It’s not just another New Year. It’s the start of a whole, new, different one. Each January 1st offers a brand new beginning that’s full of opportunities to break out of last year’s rut, leave unhappiness behind, and start afresh. Right now it’s possible to discover simple, can-do, fresh ideas to make home a happier place to be. So put your thinking cap on! Plan to start afresh this New Year, and do it. It’s good for your health.
Hands up if you remember this 60’s pop-song by Paul Simon. “Slow down, you move too fast. You got to make the morning last”. To slow down right away and live a more meaningful life, is a message that still resonates today. Time flies by at a great rate, the traffic is hectic, everyone’s in a hurry to get somewhere, social media is constantly being checked, the family has to be here-or-there. Phew! If you want to prevent burn-out, stay safe while driving, and enjoy family life more, then it’s time to mentally slow down, be calm, ease up and remain cool. It’s do-able. You can slow down right away and find that it’s good for your health.
Enjoy life right now. It’s a simple message. An obvious one really. You don’t have to wait until everything is perfect at home or work before you allow yourself to enjoy life. It’s time right now to delight in every small moment – to stop and admire the flowers, laugh with one another, enjoy each other’s company. The reason for taking pleasure in what life has to offer, is that it’s uplifting, constructive and truly good for your health.