Physical Well-Being

Sleep and vigorous exercise stick out as key for improving clergy health

42% of NC-UMC clergy reported having poor or fair sleep quality in 2023, while average hours of vigorous exercise were down from 2021. Focusing on one may be a good way to improve the other.

Explore Our Report

Resources

Fully Alive: A Resource to Guide Clergy Towards Four Behaviors of Flourishing

A comprehensive resource for clergy and faith leaders that defines Christian flourishing, guides clergy to assess their current well-being, distills four identified behaviors of flourishing into actionable steps, and creates room for reflection.

Action & Coping Planning Worksheet

Seminarians who try to maintain health behaviors often report being unable to live up to their aspirations, especially in the face of barriers posted by their degree program. Our Action & Coping Planing Worksheet is designed to help.

Stress Management Practices from the Selah Study

This Stress Management study (Selah) identified three stress reduction practices that allow pastors to fully live into the work that God is calling them to do with creativity, insight, and energy – even during the most stressful times.

Cyclic Sighing for Stress Management

Cyclic sighing is a breathing practice that can be done anytime and anywhere. There is no cost and zero side effects. What's more, this practice was found in a rigorous trial to reduce anxiety symptoms, lower heart rate, and improve positive mood.

Resilience Writing for Stress Management

Resilience writing is a 20-minute expressive writing exercise conducted over multiple days that can help clergy process the stressful emotions and thoughts of ministry. It has outcomes as good as therapy and is free and more convenient.

Love Thy Neighbor with Loving Kindness

Loving Kindness Meditation is an effective tool for building compassion during times of stress. In this resource, we share stories from clergy who have used this meditation practice to care for their own health, while caring for others.

List of Recommended Well-Being Practices for Clergy

Evidence-based practices designed to increase your resilience, protect against burnout, and free up energy to do God's work with a renewed sense of creativity and insight.

Reports & Briefs

The State of Clergy Wellbeing in 2023

This report highlights top-level findings from the 2023 Statewide Clergy Health Survey. While many health measures remained stable, two key areas were identified for improvement: sleep and vigorous exercise.

Clergy Health Trends: Physical Health 2008-2023

This report uses the Clergy Health Initiative's data on North Carolina United Methodist Church clergy from 2008 to 2023 to probe changes in physical health over time, including rates of chronic disease and obesity prevalence.