Physical, mental, and emotional factors all contribute to our overall health and wellbeing. Spiritual health, on the other hand, is an important aspect that is often overlooked.
It is easy to neglect our inner lives in today’s technology-driven, fast-paced world. However, a study shows that spirituality – whether through traditional religion, meditation, crystal healing, or something of your own creation – may have long-term, beneficial effects on our mental health, self-esteem, anger management, and, yes, even physical health.
What is spiritual wellness?
Different individuals define spiritual wellness differently. But the concept usually refers to one’s sense of purpose, the meaning of life, our relationships with others, and our self-awareness of these matters.
Many people define spirituality in terms of religious beliefs. Others express spirituality through personal relationships or nature. In all cases, the AAEP agrees and believes that having a professional life full of meaning, purpose, and rich relationships with others is necessary and intrinsic to becoming an equine veterinarian.
Furthermore, spiritual wellness gives us faith, beliefs, values, ethics, principles, and morals. For instance, volunteerism, charitable contributions, community membership, hope, forgiveness, and expressions of compassion are all examples of healthy spiritual practices.
Spiritual wellbeing allows one to live a life consistent with one’s own beliefs and moral systems while also establishing a feeling of purpose and finding meaning in life events.
Signs of Spiritual Wellness
- Developing a purpose in life
- Being able to spend reflective time alone
- Having time to reflect on the meaning of life events
- Having a strong sense of right and wrong and behaving accordingly
- Being able to justify why you believe what you believe
- Caring for others and the world
- Being able to practice forgiveness and compassion in daily life
Check in with your spiritual wellness
- Do you give yourself alone time?
- Do you pray? Or reach out to a higher power?
- Do you analyze the meaning of life?
- Are you enjoying taking walks through the woods? Do you enjoy seeing the changing seasons?
- Do you take a moment to remind yourself that life isn’t about you?
- Can you put your phone down to just be yourself?
- Do you participate in things that help you slow down?
Benefits of Spiritual Wellness
Spirituality can have the following benefits, according to the Center for Lifestyle Medicine and Wellness Care:
- Reduce stress and depression
- Minimize anxiety
- Reduce the blood pressure (and therefore the risk of heart disease)
- Boost your immune system thereby lowering your blood sugar
- Helps in the maintenance of concentration, memory, and cognition
Why is spiritual wellness important?
When we improve our spiritual wellbeing, we achieve the following results:
- Develop our relations with those around us.
- Infuse positivity into the environment we live in.
- Have an impact on our lives in ways that support our life purpose and values.
- We are conscious and at peace as we connect with others.
- Are more likely to practice self-compassion, trust, and resilience.
- We are in charge of and responsible for our own choices.
Spiritual wellness comes from slowing down and being mindful. Mindfulness helps one to be more present and focused on the present moment. Mindfulness is a method for practicing our spirituality (our relation to The Divine), being more self-compassionate, and better coping with adversity. Our life choices are more in line with who we are as humans. And we react to any situation with less reactivity and more creativity.
Is spirituality right for You?
Spirituality can be a loaded word for many people, especially when religion and politics tangle in our national headlines. But, at its core, spirituality is deeply personal. And you define the role it plays in your life – and only you.
Spiritual wellbeing involves being linked to something bigger than yourself, as well as possessing a set of rules, morals, ideals, and beliefs that offer life meaning and purpose, and then acting on those concepts.
It’s much easier said than done! However, the best self-care begins with looking within. So, if you’re a practicing Buddhist, a frequent church- (or synagogue- or mosque-)goer, or if you haven’t given much thought to prayer in a long time, these simple can help you in restarting your spiritual life and regaining a positive outlook.
How to Boost Your Spiritual Health By Spiritual Wellness Activities
For each person, the journey to spiritual wellness will be different. Discover what works best for you, your beliefs, and your way of life.
9 activities to improve your spiritual wellness:
- Nature bathing. Spend time in and around nature. As you breathe in the fresh air, take a walk around your neighborhood or a local park, or go for a hike. Sit on the sand and dip your toes in the water—getaway for the weekend and sleep under the stars.
- Watch the sunset or sunrise. These are soothing moments that enable you to focus on The Creator’s creation and appreciate the basics of life. Sunrise helps your body for a calm start to the day. And sunset completes the day to peace.
- Self-reflection. Consider how you spent your day, week, month, or year. Reflection enables you to dive deep into yourself and connect with your heart and soul. This can be very helpful when looking for your life’s purpose, values, and faith.
So, this enables your thoughts and feelings to flow by journal writing or recording yourself on video or audio.
- Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness allows access to The Divine (God). It encourages us to be more compassionate of ourselves and others, to be more forgiving, and to be more present at the moment. Make an effort to practice for 5-10 minutes a day.
- Incorporate prayers into your everyday routine. Your faith can help you keep your connection with The Divine (God). Please keep in mind that faith is not the same as religion. Faith is a method of communicating with The Divine (God). Religion is a specific language used to communicate one’s faith.
- Be a volunteer. Volunteer your time to help create a new house, sort clothing for those in need, or pack food for the hungry in your neighborhood. Participating in a project for the betterment of society increases your concern for others and yourself.
- Determine your life purpose and values. Many programs can help you determine your life purpose and values, including consulting with a professional coach.
- Join in spiritual groups and communities. Participating in spiritual groups and communities strengthens your connection with others, allows for more in-depth reflection, and provides an opportunity to learn with – and from – others. You may be able to find some options on social media or by contacting a nearby spiritual organization.
- Express gratitude. Be thankful for everything you have, including food, family, a support system, success, and everything else that stands out in your life. According to research, expressing gratitude promotes spiritual wellness. You can express gratitude to yourself or others verbally. Or you can simply feel or sense gratitude and wish it for yourself and others. You may also show your gratitude through your acts and behaviors. Also, these include picking up breakfast for a colleague on your way to work.
The Bottom Line
Spiritual wellness is an important aspect of life balance. When you take the time to care for your spiritual wellbeing as part of a holistic wellness approach, you can find it easier to progress, delegate responsibilities, be an inclusive leader, and set goals aligned with your new role. You can also live a positive life by remaining faithful to your core values, beliefs, and morals.
