Today we wrap up a three-part series of pods on mental and emotional health.

Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

For a leader, the rest Jesus promises here often seems elusive.

When it comes to mental and emotional fitness, prevention is almost always easier and more cost-effective than recovery.

Three Preventive Behaviors that fill your tank and keep it filled:

Sensible Scheduling

Many leaders operate in the realm of extremes when it comes to their calendar. It’s either stuffed or almost empty. If your calendar is consistently jammed, we’re not suggesting you overreact to that by swinging to the opposite extreme of tumbleweeds blowing through your calendar. If our calendar is always over-stuffed, we’ve got to ask the hard question . . . “why?”

Human bonding

Ecclesiastes 4:9: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work.” Leadership in normal times sets you up for isolation. During COVID times, isolation has gone to the extreme. Moments of solitude are good for your mental and emotional health. Isolation is different.

Emotional mapping

Here are a few markers on our way to mental/emotional fitness:

• Marker 1: Laughter – Proverbs 17:22 – “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
• Marker 2: Exercise – Much like laughter, exercise helps to burn off nervous energy and reduce stress.
• Marker 3: Boredom – Filling our tank requires us to occasionally inject a little bit of “boring” into our life.
• Marker 4: Sleep – 6-9 hours of sleep each night gives your brain the space to repair itself.

 We don’t have to do 50 things to stay healthy emotionally, just a few.

1. Become your own best friend
2. Discover the power of assertiveness
3. Fill your emotional tank