Jamie Deering

When I sat down to write this blog on the intersection of mental health and spiritual formation, my first thought was, “How can I possibly talk about this in a meaningful way in 500 words or less?” I felt deflated and a bit overwhelmed. Then I laughed because this exactly demonstrates the importance of the ability to ‘catch’ our thinking and release it into a greater understanding of who God is and what God is up to in us and the world. 

I paused to center with three long breaths and offered my thinking as prayer.   

John Wesley talked and lived passionately in the understanding that tending our mental health is key to living in Divine Love. Centuries before neuroscience explained it, Wesley understood the importance of noticing our thoughts, emotions, and feelings and cultivating daily, even hourly, practices that quiet our thinking. He believed the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of a person are deeply and indivisibly connected to “staying in love with God.” 

If we are awash in mental overload and overwhelmed with feelings, it is very difficult to be grounded in knowing we are loved by God, let alone live from that love. John Wesley’s life experience, especially with depression, gave him insight into the importance of mental health habits that support our remaining open in God’s transforming love. What we call mindfulness today, he called recollection and the management of “wandering thoughts.”  
Daily, he practiced taking five minutes every hour to notice his thinking and ground himself in the reality of God’s love. By training the mind to remain present, quiet internal chaos, and actively cultivate "holy tempers," Wesley passionately believed people could transform their fleeting thoughts into resilient spiritual habits that directly fuel real-world acts of love and compassion. He ardently advocated practices for mental and physical health to people who sought his counsel, often over more prayer. His Three General Rules demand continuous situational mindfulness. 

And of course, as United Methodists, we understand our faith to be formed in community. We could say our mental health is sustained in community as well. Feelings of loneliness are at epidemic levels today.  We are bombarded with messages of lack, unmet needs, and scarcity that want us to believe we are not enough, not worthy, and not loved. September is Suicide Prevention Month, and the importance of this work got me thinking about a 20-year-old man named Pierre Damas Bel who died by suicide. It was a devastating tragedy brought on by a mental health crisis. A crisis brought on when he could no longer participate in activities that provided an anchor community for him.  Being forced into a situation he could not reconcile and losing anchoring support, he took his life. I recently heard a pastor wonder aloud how a community surrounding him with support rather than spurning him might have made a difference for Pierre. I wonder about that, too.   

It seems to me the call to attend to mental health is not only personal but communal; not only personal transformation but collective transformation in being loved by and loving God. I believe, along with Wesley, it is non-negotiable to live life in Love. Here’s a simple practice based on Wesley’s hourly mental check-in and the invitation to try it. 

Mental Check-in Practice:

Pause and take 3 long, slow breaths—feeling the sensation of breath in your body. 

Ask yourself— 
Where is my mind? 
Check-in: Am I distracted, dwelling on the past, worrying about the future, or otherwise not present now?Action: Name the distraction without judgment, let it go; bring your attention back to your breath and your space. 

How is it with my soul? 
Check-in: What is my current emotional climate? Anxious, hurried, calm, or? 
Action: Settle your nervous system with one deep, grounding breath as you feel your feet. 

How will I love in this next hour? 
Check-in: How can I approach my very next task or conversation with full presence and compassion? 
Action: Commit to one action within the next hour.