A knot had formed in the middle of my chest, pinching with each breath.
Was I having a medical emergency? No, just a slightly more stressful week than usual. Pain wrapped around my ribs. Fully inflating my lungs required concentrated effort.
Was my body overreacting? Absolutely. But had I forgotten to take a deep breath all week? Also yes.
The appointments, drop-offs, deadlines, pick-ups, missed pick-ups, late paperwork, relentless wash/dry cycle of dishes and laundry, and putting off anything that was not actually on fire for yet another week had caught up with me.
As I sat in my kitchen, annoyed with myself that a normal week felt dramatically too challenging, I wondered how the saints managed the stress of daily life.
How did they react when the day went sideways?
Trust totally with St. Thérèse of Lisieux
For me, worrying about what has and will go wrong is my first and strongest strategy for dealing with stress.
Let’s say, for instance, that I was concerned that the cheap glass pie plate I bought online is going to blow up in the oven like a few reviews said it would.
I am without a doubt going to spend the whole hour while it bakes on edge, anxiously awaiting an explosion, not exhaling until that pumpkin pie is safely out and cooling on the rack.
I might have saved four dollars on that pie plate, but I’ve lost a whole afternoon worrying about the possibility of cleaning up pumpkin goo and glass shards and saving up for a new oven.
Not surprisingly, St. Thérèse of Lisieux has a far superior method of dealing with stressful situations. Instead of wasting time with worry, she instead runs to God like a little child, trusting in His infinite love and mercy to help her.
In Dilexit nos (“He Loved Us”), Pope Francis tells us that Thérèse “presents confidence as the greatest and best offering, pleasing to the heart of Christ.”
Easier said than done, of course, but simply remembering that God delights when we trust in His loving providence can help when worry strikes.
Please feel free to remind me of that if you see me pacing in front of the oven.
Take a hike with St. John Paul II
We all know that exercise reduces stress, but who actually feels like working out when everything on your to-do list feels urgent?
And while the science is clear that being out in nature also reduces cortisol levels, taking time for it often feels like an unjustifiable luxury when every minute counts.
If you need help hitting pause on your day to get outside, St. John Paul II’s got you.
Despite the rigors associated with being Christ’s vicar on earth, John Paul the Great still famously made time for the outdoors, often hiking and skiing in the mountains.
I suspect his long pontificate was due in part to his frequent athletic excursions and mountain air.
In a 1987 address to athletes, the pope said, “Sport, as you well know, is an activity that involves more than the movement of the body; it demands use of intelligence and the disciplining of the will. It reveals, in other words, the wonderful structure of the human person created by God as a spiritual being, a unity of body and spirit. Athletic activity can help every man and woman to recall that moment when God the Creator gave origin to the human person, the masterpiece of his creative work.”
So lace up your Converse sneakers — just like the hip, holy outdoorsman — and go adventuring where you can contemplate both the glory of your humanity and the beauty of God’s creation instead of over-noodling that bothersome work email.
Set self-care goals with St. Thomas Aquinas
When I think of self-care, St. Thomas Aquinas is not the first person who comes to mind.
Nonetheless, in the Summa Theologiae, he extols the virtue of tending to one’s own physical needs as a salve for worldly troubles.
St. Thomas Aquinas writes about how pain and sorrow can be alleviated through a natural good that has restorative effects on the body, such as taking a bath or sleeping.
The next time stress comes knocking at your door, you go right ahead and book that spa appointment, haircut, or even just an early bedtime.
You can tell any naysayers it’s “in the Summa”.
St. Thomas also recommends a good cry and the company of friends — so be sure to get that on the calendar too.
But above all, he recommends the contemplation of truth.
Because when we remember that “in everything, God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose,” it’s a touch easier to take that flat tire, foul weather, and cake fail in stride.
Who’s ready for a nap?
Meg Matenaer is a wife, mom, social media writer, and author residing in the Diocese of Madison.