AMMAN — Typically, being well means having a healthy
balance when it comes to caring for your physical, mental, and spiritual
well-being.
Of those elements, spiritual wellness is one of the more personal
and unique aspects of well-being.
اضافة اعلان
Taking care of your physical and mental health is typically
standard protocol, while caring for your spirituality is more holistic, catered
to you, and differs from one person to the next.
The essence of spirituality comes
from your core beliefs, and your connection to the things that are meaningful
to you and how you channel that connection.
It plays a crucial role in how difficult situations
are handled and how you cope with life’s many inevitable challenges.
Spirituality
can mean something different from one person to the next. To many people,
spiritual healing is just as important as traditional medicine.
Seeking a
meaningful relationship with something bigger than us can provide feelings of
peace, gratitude, and acceptance.
Spirituality often refers to your inner self and what
you make of the world around you. Every person has a different way of defining
their spirituality through values, ethics, religious faith, beliefs, and
morals.
Taking care of your spiritual health leads to a greater sense of
purpose and feeling of overall peace and tranquility. However, finding meaning
and purpose is a constantly evolving concept, and there are ways in which you
can assess your own spiritual wellness and begin your journey to finding your
own inner peace. This can be achieved by exercising your spirituality both
physically and mentally.
Why is spiritual wellness important?
Finding meaning or purpose in life can be difficult
and without it, one may feel lost. This is where spiritual health comes into
play.
When dealing with life’s challenges, this kind of wellness can provide
you with comfort, strength, and courage to face those challenges without
crumbling under pressure.
Using your own experiences and circumstances,
spirituality helps you incorporate healthy practices that benefit your mental
health and emotional well-being.
According to the Mayo Clinic, people who are
in touch with their spirituality often live longer than others. Spiritual
beliefs can build communities, bring people together and prevent feelings of
loneliness and isolation that commonly cause depression in adults.
Often people with similar beliefs come together and
help one another overcome adversity. Feelings of hopelessness associated with
depression are often met with a sense of hope that is provided through
spirituality.
It provides your life with meaning, which ultimately allows you
to have a happier and more positive outlook on life while preventing you from
feeling lost, discouraged, and confused.
With time, you learn to cope with problems in a
healthier way, reducing your overall
stress levels and any mental health
complications that may arise from chronic exposure to stress.
Being over
stressed can also weaken your immune system, making you more prone to infectious
diseases.
Stress can also cause hypertension (high blood
pressure), which if left untreated can lead to
heart and kidney disease.
Channeling
your spiritual health to reduce stress can therefore keep you in great physical
and mental shape.
Practices involved in bettering spiritual health can also
provide you with immediate gratification. For example, meditation, yoga, and
prayer provide an immediate sense of calm and relief.
This can make even the
most stressful of times more manageable.
Taking a few moments to reflect,
relax, and recover can do wonders for both your physical and mental
health.
Personal reflection
No matter what stage you are in life, it is important
to evaluate your spiritual health.
To find out how connected you are with your
spirituality, some self-reflection is required.
Assessing your spirituality can
be as simple as answering the following questions with yourself.
- What gives my life meaning?
- What gives me hope?
- How do I get through tough times?
- Where do I find comfort?
- Do I make time for relaxation during the day?
- Are my decisions guided by my core values?
If you’re having a hard time providing answers to
those questions, this probably means that you need to be more in touch with
your spirituality. Since it is a personal journey, no one can tell you how to
better your spiritual health. You must let your own experiences and beliefs
define what spirituality means to you personally.
Spirituality and religion
Spirituality and religion are two different things.
Religion is pretty set in stone, which is quite the opposite of spirituality.
Many people use religion as a crutch, to enhance and better their spiritual
health. With Jordan’s population being about 93 percent Muslim and 6 percent
Christian, religious beliefs play a huge role in spiritual health.
The teachings and religious traditions act as a rule
book, which many people follow and use as guidance.
It impacts values and
improves your sense of morality. Religion also acts as a pillar of strength for
many, helping them get through tough times. Acts of prayer also bring a sense
of immediate calm.
For those reasons, many people use religion to enhance their
spiritual health.
How to improve spiritual wellness
When
striving to develop and practice your own spiritual wellness, it is best to
find the technique and approach that works for you; like the other dimensions
of wellness, there is no right or wrong way of bettering your spirituality.
Your journey to spiritual wellness could begin with implementing one or more of
the following:
1.
Explore your spiritual core. Start by asking yourself questions
like the ones provided above to help you find meaning.
These questions will help you think
more in-depth about yourself and how to best approach your spiritual health.
2.
Look for deeper meanings. Find what gives your life meaning,
what drives you to be better, and what helps you feel peace.
3.
Get it out. Expressing what is on your mind
will help you to maintain a focused mind.
This will often help you make sense
of the world around you, preventing feelings of loss and confusion.
4.
Try yoga. Yoga is a physical technique that
can help improve your spiritual wellness by reducing emotional and physical
strains on your mind and body.
5.
Travel. Taking time for yourself to travel
to a comforting place or somewhere new may also prove to be beneficial.
Traveling
does not have to be expensive. You can take a few friends and drive over to the
Dead Sea for example. The change in scenery will be great for your spiritual
health.
6.
Think positively. Try not to allow negative thoughts
to take over. Find like-minded people to share your thoughts with.
This allows
you to take a step back and view life in a more positive manner.
7.
Make time for meditation or prayer. Devote time out of your busy day
for reflection and to help your mind slow down for a moment.
Doing so can
provide you with a sense of calmness that will carry with you throughout the
rest of your day.
Read more about
Health
Sources:
https://www.lhsfna.org/index.cfm/lifelines/september-2016/spiritual-wellness-what-is-your-meaning-and-purpose/
https://www.sagelife.com/resources/the-health-benefits-of-spirituality/
https://www.verywellmind.com/how-spirituality-can-benefit-mental-and-physical-health-3144807
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