Very few people understand how deeply our body, mind and spirit are interlinked and one only thrives when all three are in harmony. When we talk about spiritual health, often people see “spiritual” and “health” as two very different things. We all have our own perspective of both these words. Health is always taken in the physical sense and your bodily appearance, but complete health cannot be achieved without a healthy and calm mind. To achieve a calm mind we cannot neglect the spiritual aspect of things. “Spiritual health” is a combination of both and can be simply defined as a sense of wholeness.
Spiritual health grows when you give a meaning to your life. It is one of the most personal and private element of one’s life. It is defined by your values, beliefs and purpose and how you strive to keep these things a priority. When you prioritize these things, you are better able to meet your personal goals which give a sense of harmony to your life. Often when we compromise too much and are stressed about everyday things, it takes a toll on our physical health as well. High blood pressure, cholesterol problems, obesity, type-2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, anxiety, and depression all these things are caused by an unhealthy spirit. This is because along with your lifestyle mental stress and an un-calm mind fuel all these physical problems. If the whole concept of spiritual health is new to you, you might be wondering how to achieve that? This is something which might initially take a bit of work, but once you start to see the difference in all areas of your life, you will be taking care of your spiritual health unconsciously and this will become a whole lifestyle. Here are 5 very simple ways to work on your spiritual health.
- Explore Your Spirit
Most of us spend our lives, without actually showing up in them. This simply means we lose focus. We start to compromise our values, beliefs and sometimes even dreams in order to fit into the norms of society or in order to fit into the roles which have been carved by our loved ones. Compromise to a certain extent is good, but it doesn’t mean you lose yourself in the process. Explore yourself; think about what you want out of your life? What were the goals you once set for yourselves? If things haven’t turned out the way you expected or wanted them to, or if your life has fallen into a certain pattern why is that so? Sometimes we feel we are going around in circles with zero focus. Sit down give yourself some time and explore your spiritual core. Try to unearth the deeper meanings of your life and your personality. Self-discovery is a journey that you can start at any point of your life, just be true to yourself in the process.
- Get it All Out
Most of us are not really good at when it comes to showing our true emotions and thoughts. Sometimes we fear rejection and sometimes we feel that people around us would not be able to relate. If feelings are suppressed for too long they often result in unexplained anxiety. Start getting it all out. People can express themselves in a number of ways, if you are not the talkative type you could keep a journal, start drawing, play an instrument make your own tune, anything at all which makes you feel you are getting it out of your system. Do not suppress your true emotions and feelings.
- Start Thinking Positively
Things don’t always work out the way you expect them to and that’s life. You might not get that promotion you had been eyeing, partners might leave you, friends might ditch you, or you may go through a financial crunch. It can be anything or sometimes some of these things combined. That’s all right if you look around you will see you are better off than a lot of people. Stop keeping track of all these pains and start counting your blessings. Often when things don’t go right we blame ourselves, but are we really to blame? We cannot change the way people around us think and do things, but what we do have control over our thoughts and actions. So whatever the situation or problem look at things from a positive perspective and you will find your way out.
- Meditate and De-stress
If you can unleash the power of meditation, there is nothing like it. It is the best way to put your mind to rest and rejuvenate to face all the other challenges of life. Start by doing five to ten minutes of meditation every day. You could also take up yoga. Yoga practice is one of the best ways to work on both your physical and mental health. It makes you physically strong while it refreshes your mind. Music is another way to relax. Take up any hobby like reading, gardening even counting stars, whatever it is that you enjoy and relaxes you. Just giving yourself some time every day to completely unwind with no distractions is one of the best gifts you can give yourself and this is something your future self will thank you for.
- Travel
Yes, traveling and taking a vacation can do wonders for your mind. If you can travel to new places, preferably close to nature. Go and relax at a place where you can be away from your ever day distractions. Some time alone close to nature allows you to reflect rest and make a greater connection with yourself. This releases all sort of tension and built up stress and sets your mind on a right path for overall wellness.
These are some of the ways in which you can work on your spirit and truly achieve spiritual health. We are just so busy with our everyday lives that we have forgotten how to unwind and calm our minds. Just start working on one or two of these things, and you will see so much improvement in such a short time that you will be then doing these things unconsciously as your spirit will be asking you to refuel from time to time.