Asked about factors that can stress mental health, clinical counselor Joseph Lundsten said “that’s a big question.” But technology screen time is often a big one. “It’s a constant in all of our lives,” he said.
Other factors include “just the uncertainties of life,” he said, which impacts how people take care of themselves and the choices they make.
Joseph Lundsten
Living through the pandemic impacts mental health, said Lundsten, a clinical counselor at Novare Counseling Center in St. Paul. He recently joined “Practicing Catholic” host Patrick Conley to discuss self-care from a Catholic perspective.
Relationships are important, Lundsten said, especially in the aftermath of COVID-19.
“I think the world understood that in a big way,” he said. “I think prioritizing our social reality is necessary, even in our relationship with God.”
Exercising one’s mind is important, Lundsten said. “We have that creative need and that desire to learn and grow,” he said, which needs to be taken care of as well.
People fill their lives with so much, Lundsten said, “and sometimes we don’t make enough room. … God ordains all things; he’s with us and all. But the more we can sort of unplug from everything else in our life … I think it makes space for Christ to be present in whatever that looks like in our lives.”
Warning signs for mental health start with the basics, Lundsten said, including diet and sleep. “When those two things are off, it’s a good indication that everything else might start becoming off,” he said.
Take note of relationships, he said. “Do you feel connected to the people in your life?” Lundsten asked. “Do an assessment of yourself. … Am I feeling like there’s a higher level of anxiety … or maybe depression than I’m normally feeling?”
Left unchecked, poor mental health can manifest itself in many ways, including addictions and a deteriorating family and spiritual life, Lundsten said.
Asked when to seek professional help, Lundsten said it’s different for every person. “I think seeking help from someone who’s there to connect with you, to care for you, to work through things with you, can be helpful at any stage in your life,” Lundsten said.
To learn more about the services and staff at Novare Counseling Center, visit NovareCounseling.com. To hear the full interview, listen to this episode of “Practicing Catholic.” It airs at 9 p.m. Jan. 14, 1 p.m. Jan. 15 and 2 p.m. Jan. 16 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes interviews with Archbishop Bernard Hebda, who takes a look back at 2021 and a look ahead to what’s coming in 2022, and with Nancy Schulte Palacheck, who describes Totus Tuus, the archdiocesan summer missionary program for those of college age.
Listen to all of the interviews after they have aired at
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