Spiritual Health

Where are you in your spiritual life? Take a moment to reflect… Do you feel a sense of worth, hope, purpose, commitment or peace? Do you have a positive outlook on life? Or do you experience feelings of emptiness, anxiety, hopelessness, apathy or conflict? These may be signs of spiritual poverty in your life and may be the reason for unhappiness or dissatisfaction.

Spirituality is unique to each individual. Our spirit usually refers to the deepest part of us, the part that let us make meaning of our world. Our spirit provides us with the revealing sense of who we are, why we are here and what is our purpose for living. It is that innermost part of us that allows gaining strength and hope.

Spiritual wellness is always something that we do not think much of, yet its impact on our life is unavoidable. The basis of spirituality is discovering a sense of meaningfulness in life and coming to know that we have a purpose to fulfil. For some, spirituality may be connected with traditional religions such as Christianity, Hinduism or Buddhism. For others, it may mean growing in your personal relationships with others, or through being at peace with nature.

Many wellness behaviours can benefit our spiritual health. Such behaviours include feeling connected with others, feeling as part of a community, volunteering, having an optimistic attitude, contributing to society and our own self with love and care.

Improving Our Spiritual Health

Here are some ways to help improve your spiritual health:

• Be quiet. Take time for yourself every day, even if it's just the moment before you go to sleep, or when you're driving home.
• Be open. Spiritual experiences can happen anywhere at any time.
• Practice being non-judgmental and having an open mind
• Be receptive to pain or times of sorrow. It is often in these times when we discover how spirituality can help us cope.
• Practice forgiveness
• Pray, meditate or worship
• Live joyfully
• Allow yourself to believe in things that aren't easily explainable