Practical Help for Stressed Christians

Stress is now a huge factor in modern living, with one-third of British workers likely to suffer from it some stage in their careers. Christians are not immune. Indeed it is arguable that they are even more vulnerable to overstress or burnout than secular people because of behavioural expectations relating to God, Church, society, work and the prevailing culture. In order to address these particularities, each short chapter in this engaging book responds to a commonly asked question or typical statement, such as ‘How can I tell if I’m overstressed?’; ‘I’m so disillusioned and swamped at work. I don’t know how long I can carry on.’; ‘I’m not managing time for God as I used to.’ etc. The authors then offer basic information, followed by material for meditation or reflection; encouragement of some sort, and finally something for the reader to work on.

About the Author :
Andrew Procter has been an ordained Church of England minister for overthirty years. He serves on the Rochester Diocesan Council for health andhealing, and is a qualified and practicing counsellor. Dr Elizabeth Procter has worked in psychiatry for twenty-five years, specialising in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Review :
Praise for the authors’ Encountering Depression (SPCK, 2011): I just couldn’t put it down! This is a "must have" book. The insights brought by a very experienced priest and counsellor along with those of a gifted Christian psychiatrist bring a brilliantly complementary and illuminating approach. A treasure-house of wisdom. 21st century life is demanding. We work at an ever-increasing pace with technology playing a key part in our ability to work longer hours than ever. Stress is a healthy part of lifestyle – but not when it becomes unmanageable and impacts on daily lives. Whilst this book is aimed at Christians, many of the problems and issues it discusses, surrounding the issue of stress, could equally be applied to any strata of society, workplace or social setting. The husband and wife authors have strong credentials: they are respectively an ordained Church of England vicar (for 36 years) and counsellor. His wife has been a Consultant Psychiatrist in North Kent for over 13 years. The book gives practical advice, initially, on how to identify stress and, in particular, signs of overstress. Using real life examples, the authors offer tips on coping and rethinking behaviour that could be contributing to overstress, e.g. switching off business mobile phones or leaving them at home when on holiday or out of hours to ensure clear defining lines between working hours and personal time. The book also tackles issues that will affect Christians in particular – including ministers and office bearers – including finding time for faith in particularly demanding and busy lives. The issues covered include family life – including dealing with marital and relationship breakdown and subjects such as dealing with church politics. It demonstrates how finding even a small space for God each day can make a difference in responding to workload and the demands and pressures of working lives. Divided into six areas: Stress, God, Family Life, Church Life, Work, Culture and Society, the authors seek to describe and respond to the most common questions surrounding each area and offer helpful and practical advice on responding to the issues created. Written in everyday language, it is designed to help those struggling to cope with the stresses and pressures of everyday life, but with particular focus on Christian pressures including issues such as carrying on when feeling disillusioned and endeavouring to retain Christian distinctiveness in a growing secular society. The book is not judgemental, but seeks simply to support those trying to find ways of dealing with the stresses of 21st century living.