Adrenal Letdown

October 27, 2008

I’ve heard it said that preaching for an hour can equal the energy output of 3-4 hours worth of work. Multiply that for Pastors who preach at multiple services by the number of services they preach at each weekend.

Arch Hart, in his book, “Adrenaline & Stress”, lays out his study on the impact of adrenaline on a person’s body. He emphasizes the impact it has on Pastors in the book, as well as in many of his talks to groups of Pastors.

Over the last few years, with Arch’s help, I’ve grown to identify much of the awful after-effects of preaching as adrenal letdown. Preaching demands the use of adrenaline and I find that many Pastors either have no idea, or they completely deny, its impact. You know, we’re Superman/women/people, right? What might impact others negatively, God will protect us from! (In case you’re wondering, yes, my tongue is in my cheek as I write that!)

Arch contends that when you expend an inordinate amount of adrenaline, like we Pastors do when we preach, you are bound to experience a letdown of the adrenaline so that the system, the body, can recover and restore itself back to a normal state. There are various brain chemicals involved in the cycle, including serotonin, which can drop low as adrenaline restores, resulting in a feeling of depression at different levels.

How much time it takes to recover and what the symptoms of the recovery are can be different for everyone. For me, I find that on Monday, it’s common for me to develop a low grade headache right behind my eyes. I call it my “serotonin-low” headache. And there’s a general malaise that I often experience.

Have you identified the impact of adrenaline recovery after you preach? What are your common signs?

Posted by Paul | Filed Under Burnout, Depression, Emotional health, Margin, Pace of life, Pastor, Personal Pace, Physical health, Rest, Spiritual health, sleep 

Comments

4 Responses to “Adrenal Letdown”

  1. Kevin M. on October 27th, 2008 9:50 pm

    I guess this explains why I want to quit every Monday morning. ;)

  2. Dale B on October 29th, 2008 3:58 pm

    I am exhausted and usually depressed on Sunday afternoons. I usually have to take a nap or go for a bike ride before the depression subsides. Thanks for the post, it makes sense!

  3. Jan Owen on October 31st, 2008 3:46 am

    I don’t preach but I do lead worship twice every Sunday morning. I have discovered that I simply cannot go out to lunch, etc except on rare occasions. I go home, grab a bit to eat, unwind and go to bed. I sleep 2-3 hours every Sunday afternoon. Presently I am also free on Sunday nights, which is a new thing - I hate to say it, but I’m loving it. I am just exhausted on Sundays after leading……..and I do find it harder to get going on Mondays too……wish I could work from home on that day.

  4. I’ll Be Toast on Thursday! You? : Pastor For Life | Healthy Life and Ministry for Pastors on December 22nd, 2008 2:32 am

    [...] but it’s true for most of us in ministry leadership. It’s called Adrenal Letdown, and you can read a little more about it here. I’ve found it very freeing to be honest with myself and others about it. I fought it for too [...]

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