Protect Your Headspace: A Theology Cocktail Recipe

April 13, 2021

by Nicholas Vance

I’d like to pretend that my headspace is immune to things that I don’t want in there, that I’m perfectly capable of protecting the distance between my ears from unhelpful and distracting things… I’m just not. I try to pray, and all I can think about is Star Wars, or the to-do list, or that comment someone made. I try to clear my head before going to bed, but a million distracting thoughts keep me awake in a nervous frenzy.

At the risk of more “unprecedented times” verbiage, this past year has certainly exacerbated this problem as so many good things have been taken away, and there is just a general quiet anxiety surrounding all of us. But the Lord has been working in powerful ways through the midst of all of this, and so, dear reader, I hope that I can share with you the fruit I have experienced.

The most valuable lesson I learned is the need to protect your headspace; the distance between your ears where you tend to spend so much of your time and attention. And so, to discuss this, we’ll mix it like a cocktail: a shot of theology with five garnishes.

A Shot of Theology

Romans 12:1-2 has marked this entire journey for me:

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

I have seen Christians use the phrase “do not be conformed to this world” to justify being misanthropic or (if we’re speaking honestly) just plain weird, with hardly a thought for the rest of the verse. St. Paul is packing so much into these 65 words, stating that the mission of the disciple is to offer their very lives over to the Lord, and that in doing so we make an act of worship to the Lord. The command to be non-conforming to the world is situated only in the transformation of our minds in Christ. The reason why we are called to live differently from the world is because we are called to live like Christ through the offering of our bodies and our minds to Him in a profound act of worship.

God wants to work a complete transformation in you, and if that is the case, then the Lord cares about your headspace. I don’t know who needs to hear this, but the Lord cares about your mental health and wants to be with you in your struggles. He calls you to transform your mind in Him: in His presence, with His accompaniment, guided by the Holy Spirit.

When I came to realize this, it led to a totally different ballgame. Rather than running from the discomfort or ignoring the nervousness, it became a point of closeness with the Lord, for I was able to invite Him into the acute struggles and confess my need for Him, even while everything in my head wanted to run the other direction. He began to show me the things that entered my headspace that were distracting or unhelpful. He showed me habits I had that increased anxiety, and how I gently needed to work on them in order to move forward. Finally, He showed me His power and grace as He brought about transformation that was only possible through Him, with Him, and in Him. He continually asked me a question that I now pose to you dear reader, as part of the ongoing transformation in Christ to which we are all called:

“How is the Lord calling you to guard your headspace?”

What are the things in your life that unnecessarily stress you out?
What are the distractions that you can’t seem to get out of your head?

What are the things you brood over, the things you can’t seem to let go of, the little voices that seem to come and sit in the back of your head for way too long?

Questions such as these should be a regular part of every Christian’s time of daily silence with the Lord. We are all called to transform our minds, and that means protecting headspace, not only from sinful things, temptations, and anxiety-inducing factors, but also things that are just unhelpful.

Garnishes of Advice

There’s a shot of theology, and now to mix it with 5 garnishes of totally unsolicited advice.

Bring it to the Lord. This is first because it’s the most important :) Since the Lord cares so much for our ongoing transformation in Him, it would be best to take our cues from His direction. Spend some time in silence with the Lord and honestly confess how distracted you can get. He is with you in the difficulty and will work in unexpected ways. You may even be at a point where it would be helpful to bring it to Confession; confess your need for the Lord in this area and let the grace of the sacrament help heal you. Surround yourself with the truth of His word in whatever way you can: read and meditate on Scripture, pray the Liturgy of the Hours, read a good spiritual book. Let the truth of Jesus crowd out any other sounds or distractions.

Get off your phone. I know it’s cliché, but seriously. I was amazed at how difficult it was to get distance from a piece of technology; I’d like to think that I’m the one in charge and that I make my phone work for me. More often than not, I’ve found myself to work for it in almost a slavish manner: it beeps, and I feel compelled to answer it, it offers respite for boredom and gives little dopamine hits. I would log on to be entertained or up to date but would usually leave saddened and angry. Just because I’m Catholic and I pray does not mean for a second that I’m immune to the crazy amount of influence that the internet and social media can have on me. If you need convincing in this area, watch the documentary The Social Dilemma to find out just how much social media and the internet can affect each and every one of us. (Yes, I am aware of how ironic it is to point that out while writing for this website :)). Even if you fill your social media time with good content, things that are upbuilding and joyful, it’s still social media. For me, the big game changer was getting social media off of my phone, as well as breaking up with YouTube and Netflix, only watching shows/videos with other people so that it became a time of community rather than isolation. While it’s certainly difficult to face this issue down, I had to keep asking myself the question: would I rather be mildly entertained for a few minutes, or would I like to protect my headspace?

Exercise regularly, drink water, and avoid excessive stimulants and alcohol. This is going to sound a lot like a health blog, but here we go. Doing something as simple as going for a run forces you to get out of your head and back “into your body,” which sounds counterproductive to the goal of protecting headspace, but many research studies have demonstrated time and again that regular exercise does wonders for your mental health. I’m amazed at the effects of even a short run that will cause me to look at whatever is bothering me in an entirely different light. The same goes for beverages: if I have too much coffee, I end up wired throughout the entire day and worked up about way too many things. I’ve learned that for every beverage I have I drink two glasses of water. Taking care of the body seems to take care of the mind as well, for we believe that are body and soul together, and we must steward both of them well.

Always have a book handy. Now that you’ve broken up with your phone, you might find yourself with odd stretches of five or ten minutes throughout your day. You just found a perfect opportunity to start reading again! You’d be amazed at how many books you can crank through when you actually get space away from so many unnecessary distractions. I always try to have two books going at once: a book that I want to read and a book that I know I should read, and I make sure to read the one I should read for a bit before I get to the one I want to read. If you’re worried about having to bankroll a bunch of book purchases, go get a library card or ask to borrow books from a friend (you can borrow some of mine if you ask nicely).

Learn a few things about psychology. My brother seminarians and I have been so blessed to have a full-time psychologist and counselor on staff at the seminary, and he does amazing work with us and with priests and seminarians around the country. He has been working with many to implement valuable practices (some with names that struck me as odd at first) to help handle different health issues, including grounding techniques and box breathing. Additionally, he is a fan of the resources at the CatholicPsych Institute, which is doing great work in bringing solid psychology practices together with Catholic teaching to care for the whole person. He also recommends a great book on mindfulness (a term which has unfortunately fallen under a lot of suspicion among Catholics) called The Mindful Catholic, which dives into plenty of research and helpful practices for remaining present with the Lord at all times.

A Surprise Twist of Scripture

There it is: a shot of theology and 5 garnishes of totally unsolicited advice, which I hope are helpful! In our continuous journey to give all things over to the Lord, we must set a guard over our minds as much as everything else.

Here’s a surprise twist of Scripture right at the end: Matthew 13, the Parable of the Sower. There is some seed that falls among the thorns. The seed grows and isn’t killed like the seed that falls along the path or in the rocky soil; in fact, the seed that falls among the thorns survives. But as our Lord says, this seed represents “he who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the delight in riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful” (Mt 13:22). The cares of the world and delight in passing things don’t kill the plant, but it makes it unfruitful. If we are to truly live out the word of God, if we are to truly let Him transform every part of us, the cares of the world must not be allowed to choke the word of God within us. In protecting our headspace, in being transformed by the renewal of our mind, may we come to worship God anew.

Nicholas Vance is a seminarian studying for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. A West St. Paul native, he came back to the Faith his freshman year of college, and became involved with Saint Paul’s Outreach and the Catholic Studies community. He graduated from the University of St. Thomas in 2018 with degrees in Communications & Journalism and Catholic Studies. A rueful marathoner, a Röpke-Wojtyła Fellow with the Catholic University of America, and a once-upon-a-time youth minister, he loves hiking, reading, playing music, and the delightful first sip of coffee in the morning. He proudly calls Transfiguration in Oakdale (“the rockin’ East Side”) his home parish, and is in seminary formation at the Saint Paul Seminary.