Religion brings spirituality to some people, but it does not bring spirituality to others. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to spiritual well-being. Here are a few ideas to get you started if you're not sure where to start.
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According to a Gallup poll, 43% of Americans claim to be members of a church or other religious organization. These houses of worship provide a variety of opportunities for those living with mental illnesses to connect with others in their communities.
Reconnect with someone or an organization that shares your ideas and thoughts, whether online, over the phone, or in person. Find ways to connect with like-minded people in your religion community who can support and encourage you by reaching out to a pastor or spiritual leader.
“Many people's support mechanisms were taken away from them during the pandemicchurch, volunteering, support groups,” Wester added. “It was especially difficult for individuals who were already dealing with mental health concerns.” I advise people to reconnect with their religion group as soon as they are physically secure to do so.”
It's fine if you don't have a faith community. Finding a cause that resonates to you and giving back is another way to feel connected to your spirituality and faith. Working in a food pantry, becoming a mentor or tutor, or fostering an animal are all options. As a result, your community will develop and you will be able to meet individuals who share your interests. It will offer you a sense of purpose and thankfulness to serve others.
You don't have to be a yogi to benefit from the practice's spiritual benefits. Yoga is suitable for people of all ages and abilities. It can improve your mind and spirit, as well as strengthen and stretch your body, by lowering stress, depression, and anxiety symptoms.
You don't have to be an expert meditator like you don't have to be an experienced yoga practitioner. Because it takes so little time, meditation is one of the easiest disciplines to keep. “Some people believe you must sit and be silent, but this is not the case,” Wester explained. “You can walk while meditating, paying attention to the sensations of your feet on the ground and the intricacies of your surroundings. Simply slowing down your body can help you calm down your mind.”
Even five minutes of meditation can help you reduce stress, despair, and worry while also increasing your mindfulness. There are numerous fantastic guided meditation applications, such as Calm or Balance, if you need help.
Writing can help you process your emotions, raise your awareness, and provide a nonjudgmental space for you to express your feelings in the present. Start a daily thankfulness notebook with prompts or write down your anxieties and fears.
Spending time in nature, whether you live in the mountains, the desert, or near the ocean, can improve your spiritual health. You can't seem to get away from your phone, your day, and your problems. Even a few minutes spent watching the birds, trees swinging in the breeze, or crashing waves on the shoreline can be relaxing.
Find activities that you enjoy, such as knitting, coloring, cooking, sports, or working out. Focusing on things you enjoy might help you regain a feeling of purpose and stay present in the moment, even if only for a short time.
If you're having trouble connecting with your spiritual side or your mental health, get help from someone who is specially trained or someone you trust.
“Chaplains are specifically equipped to deal with religious issues in a clinical setting,” Wester added. They can assist validate your feelings without sweeping them under the rug. They can help you get back on track spiritually.”
What are examples of spiritual wellness?
Finding meaning and purpose in life may be a lifelong process that changes over time as a result of unique circumstances, personal experiences, and global events. A person's level of spiritual wellness, like the other dimensions of wellness, varies throughout their life. It's common to feel a range of emotions on the route to spiritual healing, both positive and negative (hope, forgiveness, acceptance, joy) (doubt, fear, disappointment, conflict).
Spiritual wellbeing has the power to make our decisions and choices easier, to center us during times of change, and to provide us with the resiliency to face hardship with grace and inner peace. Having a spiritual component in our lives may even assist us in healing whether we are afflicted with a physical or mental ailment.
Personal Reflection
Take a moment to measure your spiritual well-being by answering the following questions.
- Do I make an effort to broaden my understanding of various ethnic, racial, and religious groups?
Practice Spiritual Wellness
When it comes to spiritual wellness, it's vital to identify the strategy and approach that works best for you; unlike the other dimensions of wellness, there is no “one size fits all” solution.
- Volunteering in your community, spending time in nature, and appreciating music and the arts are all good things to do.
In future articles regarding spiritual wellness, we'll look at ways to figure out what your meaning or purpose is, as well as activities that can help you maintain or improve your spiritual wellness.
What is spiritual wellness?
Expanding one's sense of purpose and meaning in life, as well as one's morals and ethics, is defined as spiritual wellbeing. It could include or exclude religious activity.
How do you practice spiritual practices?
I'm a mother and a wife. I'm a carpool driver. I cook, and there's a 50/50 chance that my family will eat what I create. I set a goal of exercising six days a week, but I've only been able to do it three times recently. I'm also starting a meditation teaching business. I enjoy socializing with my friends, but I don't get to do it as much as I used to. But, no matter what, I still manage to make time to be spiritual every day.
This isn't to suggest that I'm more spiritual or unique than you. I just incorporate my faith into everything I do, giving even the most boring chores significance and assisting me in my personal development. I'm always learning new things, working on forgiving myself and others, and trying to be more attentive.
Certain days are unquestionably better than others. Even my worst days might feel like a wonderful gift when I have a firmly entrenched spiritual perspective.
Here are six techniques that you can adopt into your daily life to help you live a more spiritual existence:
1. Mindfulness
Even if it's only for a minute, try to start each day with meditation. You'll be able to start your day feeling more centered and grounded as a result of this. Meditation has helped me feel less stressed, have more patience, get better sleep, have a stronger connection to my inner guidance system, and have improved compassion for myself and others.
I started my practice two years ago with eight minutes per day and gradually increased it by a minute or two every few weeks. I now meditate for 20-30 minutes every morning, but consistency is more important than time. It is preferable to meditate for five minutes every day rather than twice a week for 20 minutes. However, it is preferable to meditate twice a week than not at all.
2. Spiritual Consultation
Reading spiritual books has become an important part of my daily meditation routine. Reading novels like Robert Holden's Holy Shift! and Marianne Williamson's A Year of Miracles inspires me every day. These books are constructed with the intention of allowing the reader to read one page per day in order to avoid becoming overwhelmed by commitment. It's incredible how motivated you may feel after reading just one page of truly profound literature.
3. Develop a sense of gratitude
Increasing your thankfulness is a major changer in your life. I am convinced that the more thankfulness you express, the more things you will have to be grateful for from the Universe.
What are the five areas of spiritual well being?
The Latin words “spiritus” (meaning breath, courage, strength, or soul) and “spirare” (meaning to breathe) are combined to get the term “spirit” (1). Meaning, worth, transcendence, connecting (with oneself, others, God/supreme power, and the environment), and becoming (life's growth and progress) are five qualities of spirituality (2).
Since the inception of spiritual health and its different definitions, it has been five decades. Spiritual health is concerned with one's relationship with one's own self (personal dimension), people (social dimension), nature (environment), and God (transcendental dimension) (3). The following are the main qualities of spiritual health: a healthy lifestyle, social connections, inquiring about the meaning and purpose of life, and transcendence (4). For many academics, spiritual health is so crucial that it is considered one of the most significant components of health (5). Spiritual health leads to improved mental health (6) and is favorably associated to physical health, for example, it may assist patients experience less pain, according to multiple research conducted on diverse patients (7).
Scientists and academics have looked at spiritual health from numerous perspectives and presented several definitions, but they have yet to come up with a comprehensive description. Providing a complete definition for spiritual health, identifying the components and markers of spiritual health, and its impact on other areas of health are all major obstacles in treating spiritual health issues. Despite the fact that a number of studies have been undertaken in Iran on the subject of spiritual health (5, 7), experts believe there are not enough studies on the definition of the term. Because of the relevance of the topic, the paucity of literature, and the necessity to include multiple perspectives on spiritual health, this study was undertaken in Iran to investigate the definition, components, and indicators of spiritual health from the perspective of specialists.
What are 4 examples of spiritual health?
The qualities that are most important to you are your own values. Consider what you admire about yourself and the individuals you admire.
List your top five values, along with why they are important to you and how you implement them into your life. Kindness, honesty, security, ambition, and community may be important to one person. It might be cheerfulness, empathy, loyalty, adventure, and learning for another.
Start a Yoga Practice
You can attempt a variety of yoga activities, but the majority of them incorporate breathing exercises, meditation, and physical activity.
Yoga is a tried-and-true method of improving your physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Yoga can improve your strength and flexibility while also reducing tension, despair, and anxiety symptoms.
Meditate
Meditating, like yoga, has physical, emotional, and spiritual health benefits. Meditating for as little as five minutes a day can help with stress, sadness, and anxiety symptoms, as well as promote mindfulness and possibly alleviate physical ailments such as headaches, high blood pressure, and sleeplessness.
A guided meditation software like Calm or Headspace, both of which have free trials, can be beneficial.
Keep a Journal
Create a specific type of notebook, such as a thankfulness journal, or write whatever you're feeling at the time.
Journaling can aid in the processing of emotions, increasing self-awareness, achieving goals, and reducing anxiety and depression symptoms. Journaling is cathartic and allows you to reflect on your life events and feelings in a private, nonjudgmental environment.
Try Googling “journaling prompts for spiritual growth” to get started. Journaling prompts are questions or activities that you can use as thought starters to help you become more self-aware. According to research, concentrating on appreciation can help you:
Practice Mindfulness
When you're attentive, you concentrate on the current moment rather than the past or future. Breathing exercises, praying, or repeating a mantra are all options. Mindfulness has physical, mental, and spiritual advantages that are similar to yoga, meditation, and journaling.
Spend Time in Nature
Spending time in nature, whether hiking, walking, kayaking, or biking, can improve your spiritual health. Nature can help you relax, be happier, improve your attention, strengthen your immune system, and even boost your creativity.
Digital Detox
How much time do you spend on your phone, at your computer, or watching TV? There are a slew of mental health benefits to going on a digital detox, like being able to focus on the present without being distracted and falling asleep more easily at night if you don't use technology immediately before bed.
Try disconnecting from electronics for a day or simply a few hours to focus on yourself and interact with friends, family, and your partner.
Step Away From Social Media
It may be beneficial to take a vacation from social media if you find yourself feeling sad, angry, resentful, jealous, or any other negative emotions after browsing through your Instagram account.
While social media can be a useful tool for keeping in touch with friends and family and for making new connections, it can also be a source of social comparison for many people. Keep in mind that social media is nothing more than a highlight reel of other people's life.
Volunteer in Your Community
Find a cause that you care about and ways to contribute. For example, you could foster a puppy or cat, volunteer at a food bank, or mentor or tutor a kid.
Joining a volunteer organization can help you grow your community and meet people who share your interests. Volunteering benefits others and gives you a sense of accomplishment.
Do a Good Deed
Even modest gestures, such as paying for the person in line behind you's coffee, can raise your mood.
Consider how you may support a friend, family member, coworker, or someone else in your life with tiny deeds. You may volunteer at a local retirement home, clean up a park, write a letter of gratitude to a loved one, or donate to a non-profit that shares your interests and values.
Develop Hobbies
Discover activities that you enjoy, such as painting, athletics, cooking, gardening, photography, or working out.
Hobbies provide you with delight as well as a sense of purpose. Here are some things to think about if you're not sure what you want to do for a hobby:
Some hobbies can be done alone, while others can be done with friends and family or to meet new people.
After you've tried a few of these 12 activities, figure out which ones work best for you and include them into your daily, weekly, or monthly routine. The more constant you are with your spiritual endeavors, just like with exercising or eating a nutritious diet as part of preventive care, the more positive outcomes you'll see.
What are 3 examples of spiritual?
Spirituality refers to the space within yourself where your soul can find serenity. It's a concept dedicated to the human soul that is free of any rules, institutions, or hierarchy.
When looking for the meaning of life, spirituality is a personal experience that leads to a set of personal beliefs. It represents something bigger than the physical or material realm in life.
Spirituality is also a technique of dealing with day-to-day problems and connecting with something greater than yourself.
Spirituality can mean various things to different people. Spirituality, for some, is linked to religion and perhaps a higher force. Others may find it in non-religious activities such as connecting with nature, art, yoga, meditation, and so on.
What are factors that support spiritual wellness?
Spiritual wellness may not be something you think about much, but it has an unavoidable impact on your life. Discovering a feeling of significance in your life and realizing that you have a purpose to fulfill is the foundation of spirituality.
Spirituality is defined by a number of aspects, including religious faith, beliefs, values, ethics, principles, and morals. Spirituality can be attained by improving one's personal relationships with people or by being at harmony with nature. No matter what one's beliefs are or where they are on their spiritual journey, spirituality allows us to find the inner serenity and tranquility we need to navigate through whatever life throws at us.
The human spirit is one of the most undervalued aspects of our personalities. A healthy soul is nurtured by deliberate practice, just as we exercise to condition our bodies. The spirit is the part of us that can get us through any situation. Even when life throws us a terrible blow, if we take care of our spirits, we will be able to feel a feeling of calm and purpose. Even in the face of adversity, a strong spirit allows us to survive and thrive with grace.
Labyrinths
The UNH Paul College courtyard has a labyrinth, which has long been used as a meditation and prayer tool. Labyrinths can be used for walking meditation to help you discover peace and clarity, manage stress, make better decisions, and reflect on yourself.
Mandalas
In Sanskrit, the word “mandala” signifies “holy circle.” Mandalas are utilized in sacred rites as a transformational tool to assist with healing and are used to facilitate meditation in various spiritual traditions.
Mandala coloring and wellness education/counseling workshops for individuals
Meditation
Meditation is a practice that involves unwinding the body, quieting the mind, and reawakening the spirit. Meditation promotes a higher level of consciousness or awareness, as well as a greater understanding of oneself and others.
Yoga
The word “yoga” literally means “union,” and the practice unites the mind, body, and soul. It's used to treat the complete body and is good for overall health as well as a variety of ailments and conditions.
Talk to Someone About Spiritual Wellness
Individual meetings with a wellness educator/counselor are available for UNH students to discuss wellness. Make an appointment by calling (603) 862-3823 or going online.
How do I create a spiritual routine?
First and foremost, you must establish some structure in order for this strategy to succeed. Make a list of at least four things you can imagine doing every day in service of your highest self, using the four categories stated above.
Feel free to add whatever you're inspired to, and if you need some inspiration, consider the following:
- Holding or meditating with a crystal of your choice might help you tap into its energy.
It's critical to organize your time now that you've picked your choices. What is the minimum and greatest amount of time you are willing to spend on your morning routine, given that daily activities perform best when experienced first thing in the morning? It's critical to be honest with yourself when making this decision. You must be realistic in order to be consistent. How long do you have? 15 minutes? 45 minutes? Is it really two hours?
I've found that having two different versions of my daily practice helps me stay on track no matter what my schedule is. If I'm pressed for time, I can do one in 15 minutes, and on days when I have more time, I can do one that lasts 45 to 60 minutes.