Spiritual Health

Spiritual health is not the same as religion; it often reflects someone’s beliefs, values and culture. An individual with high levels of spiritual wellness will experience increased physical, social, and emotional health.

Spiritual health is challenging to define, develop and maintain. But this aspect of wellness should not be underestimated. Spirituality is something that is individual and person, not communal.

Organized religion and prayer are two concepts familiar to most in Western societies, and yes they can be part of spiritual health, but spiritual health can be more than that. Spiritual health can also consist of more broad concepts such as hope, purpose and peace.

Spiritual health is an important component of our well-being and an integral aspect of the holistic health philosophy. Physical, mental and spiritual health, all the three are deeply intertwined and have a profound effect on one another. To be vital and healthy you need to have a spiritual life. We need to have values and beliefs, which we live by and strive to achieve. These values must be integrated into our work lives, home lives and social lives. In the final analysis its how we treat others and ourselves when no one is looking and no one knows about which tells about an individual’s spiritual life.

A healthy spirit means so many different things to different people. Our spirit is our essence. Spirituality is a sense of wholeness, a sense of knowingness, and a sense of something far greater and more wonderful than what we see in front of us.

You can find it in God, in yourself, in other people, in nature, art or kindness. Whatever you focus on, spirituality offers many possible benefits, including better mood, less anxiety and depression-and even fewer aches and illnesses.

Spiritual health can be many things for each individual person. One strategy to improve spiritual health is to identify the things in your life that bring you inner peace and tranquility. Everyone is different, so what works for you, may not work for others. If you want to improve your spiritual health, you may want to try the following ideas:

• Identify the things in your life that give you a sense of inner peace, comfort, strength, love and connection.
• Set aside time every day to do the things that help you spiritually. These may include doing community service or volunteer work, praying, meditating, singing devotional songs, reading inspirational books, taking nature walks, having quiet time for thinking; doing yoga, playing a sport or attending religious services.