Spiritual wellness is an essential dimension for holistic healthcare. Your spirituality should be nurtured; not ignored. 

Do you ever wonder about the effect that your spirituality has on your overall health? And, do you ever wish that you could use your spirituality to improve your mental and physical health? If so, you’re not alone. And fortunately, you CAN – and it’s a lot easier than you think. I’ll show you how these spiritual tips for self-care can improve your life. But first, let’s address the burning question that’s currently in your mind.

Is Spirituality the Same as Religion?

The short answer is NO, spirituality is not the same as religion. Actually, although everyone may not be religious, everyone does have spirituality. 

However, our expression of spirituality varies according to our lived experiences, cultural influences, and religious beliefs, etc. Now, let’s discover what spirituality really is.

Spirituality: concerning the spirit or soul. This ‘inner dimension’ has broadened to not only include religious traditions but our values, principles, supernatural beliefs, and the quest for an ultimate, sacred meaning in life. – Wikipedia, 2021

The distinction between religion and spirituality can be confusing to many people, so let’s start with the basics.

Most religions have “beliefs” which are usually expressed through scripture or teaching. And most religions include various kinds of rituals – things that they do to express those beliefs. Also, there is often a set of rules that guide an adherent’s conduct.

Conversely, spirituality focuses on your personal beliefs about God, love, creation, etc. 

Notedly, most religions are built around spiritual concepts. But, spiritual beliefs can exist independent of any religion or faith-based worship.

So, spirituality is the belief system that governs your relationship with existence itself. And because it exists within each individual, it cannot be quantified or standardized. Its expression is subjective and determined by you alone.

Plus, it doesn’t rely on an introduced body of teachings or belief system, which means that it isn’t “handed down” to you by anyone else.

What role does spirituality have in personal self-care? 

Your spirituality influences your decision-making, goals, sense of responsibility, and optimism. Some studies show that persons who regularly engage in spiritual activities have a longer life expectancy. 

This is because active involvement in spiritual activities positively influences morals and personal values.

Likely, spiritual nurturing decreases stress levels by adding a supplementary coping mechanism and increasing social support (Puchalski, 2001).

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.” - Alphonse Karr

Actively nurturing your spirituality helps you to truly live in your purpose. In addition, it gives you hope to overcome any challenge and promotes inner peace. 

According to research, religious beliefs usually positively improve the management of illness and misfortune leading to improved quality of life.

In fact, a survey showed that 76 % of patients used prayer as a form of pain relief. Spirituality has also been shown to influence self-esteem and treatment compliance (Puchalski, 2001).

The rituals and rules associated with religious behaviors are also forms of self-care, because they impose boundaries on your actions. And, imposing boundaries is necessary for achieving mental wellness. 

For example, if you’re religious, you may be guided by the Ten Commandments. These ten rules form a sort of “contract” between you and God, which tells you how to live your life. And if necessary, they give you something to fall back on; something that reinforces self-discipline and self-control. 

Read also: Self-discipline: The magical formula for success.

Examples of the spiritual tips for self-care

Now that you understand the difference between spirituality and religion, let’s focus on how to use these spiritual self-care tips for better health. And remember, while I can offer some suggestions here… YOUR best ideas come from within!

Improving your spiritual self-care may seem complicated. But, it’s easier than you may think. With regular practice, you’ll notice positive changes in your everyday life.

Actually, spiritual self-care is all about reconnecting with yourself. And while some of these tips may feel simple, they’re guaranteed to help improve your connection and wellbeing over time. However, the more you practice, the better you’ll be.

Here are some spiritual tips for self-care to get you started:

Meditation and mindfulness	Kindness with intention	An attitude of gratitude
Forgiveness	Detachment from others	A religious community
Be true to yourself	Self-reflection	Spend time in nature
Music therapy	Volunteering	Positive thinking

Check out this video where I discuss 10 Spiritual Self-Care Tips you should not ignore

1.Increase your spirituality with meditation and mindfulness

In this fast-paced world, it’s important to take some time to just slow down and focus on yourself. Meditation is an excellent spiritual self-care tip that will help you calm your mind and eliminate stress and distraction. 

Mindfulness, a form of meditation, entails being focused and accepting the present moment without judgment.

Additionally, consider using positive phrases and affirmations to dispel negative thoughts. In fact, meditation and mindfulness are very constructive tips for self-care to help you truly embrace your talents and build self-confidence.

“Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; it’s holy ground. There’s no greater investment.”
-Stephen Covey

Tips to improve spiritual wellness with mindfulness

Tips to improve spiritual self care through mindfulness include:

•  Have a full awareness of yourself and your surroundings.
• Accepting the present moment as it is. Try not to control every situation.
• Make nonjudgmental observation.
• Participate in activities that slow your heart rate and reduce stress. Some examples include yoga, tai chi, breathing exercises, qi gong.

Health and wellness benefits of mindfulness

The health benefits of mindfulness are well known. In fact, meditation and mindfulness have been found to reduce stress levels, boost self-esteem, improve sleep quality, and increase happiness. 

Improved physical well-being, including improving pain and cardiovascular health,  is another benefit of practicing mindfulness.

Read also: 27 habits to naturally improve your sleep.

2.Kindness with intention to improve spiritual wellness

You may not realize it, but the smallest acts of kindness can have a profound effect on your personal well-being.

In fact, doing nice things for others has been shown to improve health and contribute to a longer life span. By engaging in random acts of kindness with intention each day, you will feel less stressed and anxious.

Doing a kind deed sure does a ton of good, sometimes even more for you than for the receiver. That’s because kindness not only improves relationships but it can quickly boost your self-esteem and self-worth. 

Scientifically speaking, acts of kindness increase oxytocin which has positive cardiovascular effects. It’s also praised for helping with aging and stress.

As such, be kinder than necessary because even the smallest acts of kindness will have lasting effects.

Tips to improve spiritual wellness with kindness

Tips to improve your spiritual self-care through kindness include:

• Identifying situations of potential stress for you or others.
• Recognizing the simple things that make life easier.
• Doing something nice for someone else without expecting anything in return.
• Letting go of grudges.
• Staying connected with friends and family.
• Being kind to yourself and overcome any negative self-image.

Health and wellness benefits of kindness

Kindness has been associated with a number of health benefits. In fact, kindness can improve mood and social connection, reduce stress levels, lower blood pressure, prevent illness and strengthen the immune system.

In addition to physical benefits of practicing kindness toward others, there is a long list of physical benefits for being kind to yourself.

Being kind and compassionate to yourself will improve your cognition of your own actions as opposed to self-criticism.

In addition, self-compassion and kindness have been linked with reduced inflammation, improved cardiovascular health and a reduced tendency for heart disease (Hans et al., 2019).

Treating yourself with kindness will alleviate stress, increase happiness levels, improve overall mental health, and give you the ability to reach self-actualization. 

"Sometimes it takes only one act of kindness and caring to change a person's life." - Jackie Chan

3.An attitude of gratitude to improve for spiritual wellness

Gratitude will make it easier to dispel negative feelings and thoughts. Simply start by considering all the things and people in your life that you are truly grateful for.

Moreover, focusing on these reasons will make you happier, more optimistic, and will attract much more blessings in your life. While you’re at it, be sure to let others know that you are thankful to have them in your life.

Related: 11 Key ways to develop an attitude of gratitude. 

Tips to increase spiritual wellness with gratitude

Tips to increase your spiritual self-care with an attitude of gratitude include:

• Keeping a gratitude journal of all the things that you are grateful for.
• Paying attention to what you appreciate when it’s happening instead of after the moment has passed.
• Making an effort to notice and acknowledge small acts of kindness from others.
• Being thankful even for challenges, mistakes and differences. Even if you’re not happy about something, it’s important to find the good in the bad and focus on that.
• List things that would bother you less if you knew other people were dealing with them as well.

Health and wellness benefits of an attitude of gratitude

People who practice gratitude on a daily basis have a number of health benefits. In fact, using a gratitude journal will likely increase happiness levels and improve overall mental well-being.

In addition, expressing your appreciation can help strengthen relationships with friends and family members (Ratey & Haglin, 2011).

Studies also show that being thankful for what you have can benefit your physical health. People who are grateful tend to be less depressed, more optimistic, and suffer from fewer aches and pains than those who are ungrateful.

Gratefulness can give you the ability to recognize the beauty that surrounds you every moment of the day. Ultimately, gratitude helps you to realize that your life is a miracle, and it’s up to you to make the most of it.

4.Forgiveness to improve spiritual self-care

Forgiveness is a powerful way to release negative emotions and feel inner peace again. It may be hard to let go of resentment or anger you have toward someone, but forgiveness can positively affect your health and well-being.

When we hold onto anger and hurt feelings, it can have serious consequences for our physical and mental health.

Whether big or small, resentment and lack of forgiveness will likely rob you of a whole lot of happiness. Notably, forgiveness doesn’t mean that you’ve forgotten or agree with what was done. 

However, it is necessary for your healing and for reclaiming the power that person has over you. Always remember that forgiveness is for you and is vital for your self-care journey. It won’t be easy but try to find ways to let go of these negative emotions.

Tips to improve spiritual wellness with forgiveness

Tips to improve your spiritual self-care through forgiveness include:

• Write down your feelings about the person or situation that you are struggling to forgive.
• Remember that forgiving doesn’t mean forgetting what happened or condoning their actions.
• Be open-minded and determined, don’t get discouraged if it takes time to work through these emotions.
• Find meaning/lessons from the situation. 

Health and wellness benefits of forgiveness

The health benefits of forgiveness include lowered blood pressure, improved heart health, and stronger immune system. 

Finally, forgiveness can help you feel empowered, which is incredibly important for your overall health and well-being.

“To experience peace does not mean that your life is always blissful. It means that you are capable of tapping into a blissful state of mind amidst the normal chaos of a hectic life.” – Jill Bolte Taylor

5.Learn to detach from problem to improve spiritual wellness

It’s important to understand that you can’t control everything in life, and it’s often not your responsibility. Learn to let go of things that are out of your control so that you can focus on what really matters.

Attempting to control things that are outside of your power is a stressful approach, and it will create much resistance within yourself.

As such, focus on what you can do in the present and let go of all other variables. When you’re able to release yourself from all expectations and learn how to detach yourself, you can move forward with more freedom.

Tips to improve spiritual wellness with detachment

Tips to practice detachment and improve your spiritual self-care include:

• Instead of letting yourself dwell on a past mistake, think about how you can learn from it.
• Rather worrying about an upcoming event, determine what you can do to create a positive outcome.
• Instead of feeling anxious about things that have yet to happen, trust that everything will work out as long as you do your best.

Health and wellness benefits of practicing detachment

When you can detach yourself from problems, you’ll be able to constructively learn and grow from negative experiences. 

You will also feel more relaxed, which can decrease stress, anxiety and depression levels and improve sleep and self-esteem. It’s also important to remember that having expectations of how things should go in your life is often unrealistic.

So, try not to put too much pressure on yourself.

Detachment is also beneficial because it breaks down your control and teaches you to flow with what life offers.

This is a holistic approach that will make you feel more open to the world, which can encourage better relationships and lead to success in many areas of your life.

Read also: Personality traits to become successful people

6. The spiritual benefits of a religious community

Religious communities include persons that share common vision and values. They provide support in times of need, and exchange positive energy through mutual respect for differences while holding on to their core beliefs.

It provides a sense of belonging and a community and acceptance.

As such, religious communities may be a source of joy, hope, and physical and emotional support during trying times. Additionally, they may provide lots of healthy ways and opportunities to remain engaged in meaningful activities.

Ultimately, religious interactions will help with isolation and loneliness. Undeniably, the effects will vary from one person to another since we all have different spiritual needs, expectations, and values for our religious communities.

However, for many, religious communities are a foundation of wisdom, understanding, and strength.

Tips to improve spiritual wellness with religious communities

Tips for selecting religious communities to improve your spiritual self-care include:

• Checking if the prospective community has a good reputation and leadership qualities.
• Choosing those that provide activities such as guided meditations, and other ways to strengthen your spiritual connection.
• Asking about programs for children and youth.

Health and wellness benefits of religious communities

The health benefits of having religious communities include increased satisfaction with life, less depressive symptoms, improved social support, improved health behaviors and physiological outcomes.

In fact, having a strong sense of belonging is one of the most important things in a person’s life. It helps individuals feel secure and provides positive emotions. Belongingness and love can form the basis of happiness.

Having a strong sense of belonging to a religious community can be therapeutic to your mental state. It helps reduce stress, anxiety, fear, loneliness, and insecurity. 

In turn, you’ll experience more positive emotions such as joy, hope, trust and self-confidence and satisfaction. Essentially, it can provide motivation for people to continue living and to maintain physical health and wellbeing.

Spiritual maturity is neither instant nor automatic; it is a gradual, progressive development that will take the rest of your life. – Rick Warren

7.Being true to yourself will boost your spiritual health

Your happiness should always come first. People who love themselves unconditionally are happier than those who seek the approval of others. It is important that you stand up for what you believe in, and define your belief system.

This means that you should not feel bad about who you are no matter what others say. Develop the habit of thinking positively to lead a fulfilling life. 

In fact, being yourself is an important part in being happy because it promotes positive thinking which can have a great impact on your physical and mental health.

Tips to improve spiritual wellness by being true to yourself

Tips for improving your spiritual wellness by remaining true to yourself include:

• Being aware of your strengths.
• Accepting weaknesses and flaws in order to improve on them.
• Finding positive people who will bring out your best qualities.
• Practicing self-love unconditionally.
• Developing the habit of thinking positively.

Health and wellness benefits of remaining true to yourself

The health benefits of remaining true to yourself include having a strong sense of self-worth, healthy body image, better mental health and positive emotions like happiness and love. In fact, finding your core beliefs and remaining true to yourself will help you live your life with purpose.

8.The importance of reflection to improve spiritual wellness

Reflection will teach you some of the most important life lessons.

Looking back positively is crucial to discover and critically analyze both your successes and failures. As such, self-reflection will help you avoid repeating the same errors.

Undoubtedly, making a mistake is painful. But, making the same mistake over and over again, can be detrimental to your wellbeing. That’s why reflection is an essential activity for self-care.

Tips to improve spiritual wellness with self-reflection

Tips to improve spiritual wellness through self-reflection include:

• Being able to take responsibility for your own decisions without feelings of guilt.
• Avoidance of perfectionism which blocks out opportunities for personal development and growth.
• Accepting your mistakes.
• Becoming aware of the things that are within your control by taking charge of yourself and your life.
• Acknowledging both successes and failures without demeaning yourself or over exaggerating.
• Staying positive in times of failure.

Health and wellness benefits of self-reflection

Essentially, practices of reflection will help with personal development, emotional intelligence and self-esteem while minimizing those negative feelings of regret. 

In fact, finding the need to improve on past mistakes and preventing them from happening again will improve self-esteem through positive self appraisal. The act of self-reflection helps you learn about yourself, and develop your talents.

Introspection will help you understand how your past may have been affecting your present circumstances. As a result, you can make informed decisions about your future while overcoming obstacles that may arise.

“We do not learn from experience…we learn from reflecting on experience.” – John Dewey

9.The healing power of nature to improve spiritual wellness

The connection between human consciousness and the natural environment is undeniable. Nature has the unique ability to inspire feelings of wonder, awe and connectedness. 

In fact, simply being in nature allows for an appreciation of your surroundings which will enrich your life.

Tips to improve spiritual wellness with nature

Tips for improving your spiritual wellness by connecting with nature include:

• Spending time in your garden.
• Visiting a nearby park or beach.
• Going for a hike or boat ride.
• Staring at the stars at night.
• Using natural light sources to illuminate your home.
• Meditating in a clean open space. 

The health benefits of connecting to nature

Notably, being in nature decreases the production of stress hormones, and reduces anxiety, blood pressure, and pulse. It’ll help to clear the mind and has even been proven to vastly increase your energy levels, happiness and overall mental well-being. 

Further, nature is also a great idea for self-care since it helps with coping. Research shows that approximately 60% of people prefer to be in a natural environment when they are stressed (Delagran, 2016).

10.Music therapy to improve spiritual wellness

Self-expression is a powerful tool when looking for ways to improve your wellbeing. In fact, music therapy has been proven to elicit the release of endorphins, dopamine and serotonin. 

These chemicals are not only responsible for your physical state but also serve as a feel-good factor. This helps to generate new ideas and stimulate mental growth.

Use this link to discover more ways to improve your brain power. 

Tips for improving spiritual wellness of music therapy

Tips for maximizing the spiritual benefits of music therapy include:

• Listening to music that has a positive effect on you.
• Learning to play an instrument or singing.
• Releasing emotions and shifting mental state with dance and movement therapy.

The health benefits of music therapy

Music therapy promotes calmness and inner peace. Subsequently, it will alleviate symptoms of depression, anxiety and chronic pain and improves mood and outlook on life.

In fact, music therapy can also reduce blood pressure and heart rate, which will help with hypertension and other cardiovascular issues.

11.Volunteering to improve spiritual self-care

Volunteering with the local community or organizing a fundraiser for your favorite charity can have an astonishing effect on mental wellbeing.

In addition, it allows you to regularly work alongside others, meet new people and improve your professional and personal skills. Also, teaching and coaching others will help improve your own skills and knowledge base.

Tips to improve spiritual wellness with volunteering

Tips for improving spiritual wellness with a good volunteer experience include:

• Discover what you are passionate about.
• Identify opportunities in your area of interest.
• Create/Determine the best time for volunteering.
• Be aware of people who may want to take advantage of you or expect too much from you. 
• Be willing to give back but maintain healthy boundaries.

Health and wellness benefits of volunteering

Many persons believe that volunteering is a waste of time. However, volunteering and other similar activities protect against inflammation, hypertension, and heart disease, particularly in seniors (Kim S, Ferraro, 2014).

Notedly, this is a great way for socializing that has the potential to improve your self-worth and confidence. In fact, volunteering has also been found to decrease stress and anxiety.

Unfortunately, of all the dimensions of self-care, spirituality is arguably the one that is most overlooked and ignored. 

“Caring for your body, mind, and spirit is your greatest and grandest responsibility. It’s about listening to the needs of your soul and then honoring them.” - Kristi Ling

12.The power of positive thinking to improve spiritual wellness

One of the most damaging things we can do to ourselves is to allow negative thoughts to take root in our minds and then fester.

We tend to be our own worst critics, so it’s important to encourage yourself and give yourself permission to try new things. Be your own ally, not enemy.

Tips to improve spiritual wellness with positive thinking

Tips for improving spiritual wellness through positive thinking include:

• Accepting people for who they are.
• Being at peace with where you are in life right now.
• Stop comparing yourself to others.
• Reminding yourself of your accomplishments.
• Focusing on the positive and letting go of disappointments.

Health and wellness benefits of positive thinking

Positive thinking will stimulate greater feelings of self satisfaction. As such, it will decrease stress and anxiety and improve psychological well-being.

Final thoughts on spiritual tips for self-care

Regardless of your current situation, it’s quite challenging to make your well-being a priority. 

In fact, your spiritual self-care may seem virtually impossible to prioritize. So, that’s why you need to have a plan.

Why? Because more self-care equals a better, more improved you. A better you means a better parent, colleague, spouse, and friend. Actively pursuing physical, psychological, and spiritual tips for self-care is the only way for you to live a longer and more fulfilled life. So, hold yourself accountable.

Fortunately, you can start with just one of these activities and gradually include the others.

However, it’s important to make a conscious effort, be disciplined and reflect on how these beneficial these activities are to you.

Admittedly, some of these self-care ideas may seem small and even insignificant. But, when done routinely they’re guaranteed to positively impact more than one area of your life.

The sooner you start is the sooner you’ll start reaping the amazing results.

If you haven’t already, check out the physical self-care ideas that you need to practice daily. Don’t regret not prioritizing yourself. Remember, prevention is always better than cure.

Related topics

What makes life meaningful?

We all want to feel like our lives have meaning. And, while it’s somewhat subjective, having things in your life that give you a sense of purpose can be incredibly fulfilling.

So, what makes life meaningful?

1. Being happy with who you are

2. Finding meaning in what you do

3. Spending time with loved ones

4. Living a balanced life

5. Understanding your purpose in life

While some of these tips may seem easier said than done, having a sense of meaning and purpose is the key to happiness. So, don’t ever give up on yourself or abandon those you love. Read more

What are the ways to cope with stress?

Stress is a fact of life. However, there are healthy and unhealthy ways to cope with it. For instance, unhealthy ways to deal with stress include alcohol consumption, drug use, over exercising and negative self-talk.

But remember, the better you take care of yourself the better you’ll be able to take care of others. Read about the healthy ways to cope with difficult situations. 

References

Baikie, K., & Wilhelm, K. (2005). Emotional and physical health benefits of expressive writing. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 11(5), 338-346

CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020)Dietary Guidelines for Alcohol. Available here

Delagran, L. (2016) How Does Nature Impact Our Wellbeing? Available here

Hans Kirschner, Willem Kuyken, Kim Wright, Henrietta Roberts, Claire Brejcha, Anke Karl. Soothing Your Heart and Feeling Connected: A New Experimental Paradigm to Study the Benefits of Self-Compassion. Clinical Psychological Science, 2019; 216770261881243 DOI: 10.1177/2167702618812438

Kim S, Ferraro KF (2014) Do productive activities reduce inflammation in later life? Multiple roles, frequency of activities, and C-reactive protein. Gerontologist.54(5):830-9.

Mayo Clinic (2020) Nutrition and healthy eating. Available here

Mayo Clinic (2019) Stress management. Available here

Puchalski C. M. (2001). The role of spirituality in health care. Proceedings (Baylor University. Medical Center), 14(4), 352–357.

Wikipedia (2021) Spirituality. Available here