In This Issue
Encouraging Words
Contact Shauna
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Loneliness, friendships and mental health
Thoughts are not facts
Living a life of balance
Encouraging
words
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is --his good, pleasing and perfect will." 
Romans 12:2 
 

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things."
Philippians 4:8
  
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Shauna Summers
Shauna Summers
Coordinator of Pastoral Care and Counseling
 
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PCC is very interested in your experiences, concerns, and feedback. Listening to clergy and families will enable PCC to better serve and address your needs.

 


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Healthy relationships are essential both within the church with your fellow clergy, as well as outside of those doors with your close friends and family. Many of us may feel we already possess the qualities needed to maintain our existing relationships.

For additional resources, please contact your CAP at 1-800-433-7916 or you may email your concerns directly to [email protected]

Clergy, spouses, and their dependent family members can access the Clergy Assistance Program (CAP) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call the CAP at 1-800-433-7916, or Clergy Assistance Program (CAP).
Issue #10:  
The Power of Thoughts 
June 2016
Header-Everyday Wellness
   

PCC Display at AC2016 Thank you to those of you who stopped by the PCC display table and picked up information on the available services and resources through Pastoral Care and Counseling or through the Clergy Assistance Program.
 
Overwhelmed and need a low-cost/free place to get away for a few days? Connie's Cottage is available for that. Need resources to help a congregant or family member? PCC's Helpful Links (  www.igrc.org/pcc_links) or Chestnut's Work/Life website ( https://chestnut.personaladvantage.com/ Password: igrc) is available to you for that need. Need someone to talk to? You can reach Shauna Summers, our Coordinator, at 309.241.4389 or [email protected] or arrange for counseling or various types of consultations (ie: diet, exercise, financial) via the Clergy Assistance Program at 1.800.433.7916 or send a confidential email to [email protected].

 From Shauna
Loneliness, friendships and mental health 
 
As adults we have childhood friends, high school friends, and friends we met when we lived in City X, but, sometimes we don't have "right now" friends.

Research shows that friends are important to our physical and mental health. "... people who do not have strong support from friends and family live shorter lives and suffer more from stress," says Cheryl A. Richey, Ph.D., professor of social work at the University of Washington. "Support from friends can give people the strength to make positive changes in their lives, like staying away from drugs or leaving an abusive relationship."

 
Don't believe everything you think
Thoughts are not facts 

Did you know that the average person has 50,000 to 70,000 thoughts a day? According to Dr. Russ Harris, author of The Happiness Trap, 80 percent of everyone's thoughts contain some sort of negative content.

PCC Board member Debbie Mitchell says the difficulty isn't that we have negative thoughts but rather we often believe that our thoughts are true . "The good news is that you do not have to believe everything you think and that you can retrain your brain to think differently," Mitchell said. "Researchers have also found that people who are happy actually question their thinking. They are more aware of their negative thought patterns and have learned effective ways to change how they think."
Clergy Assistance Program
Living a life of balance 

Do you feel like your life is too complicated? Are you often torn between your work and home responsibilities?

"If so, you're not alone, and you don't have to despair," says Odette Pollar, president of Smart Ways to Work, a personal productivity firm in Oakland, Calif., and author of Take Back Your Life. "You can gain peace and relief by making a conscious effort to reduce the complexities in your life and achieve balance."

Given all you have to do, it's easy to lose sight of what's probably your ultimate goal: to enjoy your life as you follow through on your personal and professional responsibilities in satisfying ways.

As you continue on your road to a more satisfying life, remember the following.
  • Keep your job and your life in perspective. Success at the expense of relaxation and enjoyment is not success.
  • Take yourself less seriously. Learn to see and appreciate the lighter side of life.
  • Learn to say "no." Be firm without apology or guilt.
"It's easier to balance a simpler life," says Pollar. "For a life worth living, eliminate the unimportant, whether it be relationships, tasks, responsibilities, possessions or beliefs."

Read more...
Blessings,

Shauna Summers
   Pastoral Care and Counseling Coordinator
   Illinois Great Rivers Conference