Episode Details

Welcome back to the unSeminary podcast. Today we’re joined by Dr. Charles Stone, seasoned pastor, author, and leadership coach.

Feeling overwhelmed by the constant demands of ministry? Looking for biblical practices that can help reduce anxiety and fuel long-term health? Tune in as Charles shares insights from his latest book, Stress Less, blending timeless biblical wisdom with modern brain science to help leaders build resilience and manage stress more effectively.

• Two sides of the coin. // Charles defines stress as both the events we face and our responses to those events. While acute stress can motivate and alert us, chronic stress is damaging—affecting memory, sleep, emotional balance, and ultimately our ability to lead effectively. The goal is to build resilience, the ability to bounce back, grow, and adapt when under pressure.
• Nine resilience-building practices. // In Stress Less, Charles outlines nine resilience-building practices drawn from both scripture and science: breathing, emotions, thinking patterns, contemplative practices, cultivating certainty, gratitude, relationships, and sleep. Each habit targets a key area of health and renewal for stressed-out leaders.
• Breathe to reset. // One simple yet powerful tool is deep breathing. When we breathe deeply—especially with a longer exhale—we activate the vagus nerve, which signals our brain to lower the stress response. Charles encourages using the “sniff breath” (a double inhale followed by a long exhale) to quickly calm the body and mind in tense moments.
• Meditate on Him. // Neuroscience has found that spiritual practices like prayer, meditating on God’s word, and contemplation on Him promotes the relaxation response and decreases the stress response in our bodies. Charles uses the CASI acronym as a framework for contemplative spiritual practices that lower stress and deepen our faith. CASI stands for: Collaboration with God, Awe and Wonder (through worship), Sabbath Rest, Identity in Christ. These habits reinforce the biblical truth that we are not alone in our struggles.
• STOPP to deal with stress. // Ministry can be very stressful and never ending. Experiencing stressful circumstances is normal. To counteract reactive leadership under stress, remember to STOPP: Stop, Take a Breathe, Observe your thoughts and what’s happening around you, Pray, and Proceed. This helps leaders shift from stress-induced reactions to thoughtful, faith-rooted responses.
• Optimize Your Schedule // Know your body’s natural rhythm. Are you a morning “lark” or a night “owl”? Plan your most mentally demanding work during your peak focus hours and save administrative or routine tasks for lower-energy periods. Aligning your work with your internal rhythms enhances productivity and reduces burnout.
• Practical tools for your team. // Charles designed Stress Less to be used in community. Each chapter ends with questions, making it a perfect resource for staff teams to walk through together. Stress doesn’t have to define us—it can refine us. By integrating biblical truth with practical neuroscience, pastors and church leaders can find hope, healing, and strength for the journey.

Learn more about Charles Stone’s book, Stress Less: 9 Habits from the Bible and Brain Science to Buil