What if even a few minutes a day could help your spirit feel freer and more alive? Whether you are newly exploring soul care or already committed to a routine, embracing embodied, nature-based, or creative spiritual practices is good for your health.
Studies show that spiritual beliefs and practices can boost your mental health and emotional well-being. If you face challenges such as loneliness, anxiety, or depression, soul care practices have been shown to strengthen a person’s ability to work through difficult moments.
Three steps to get started
As you consider ways to strengthen your soul care habits, use this step-by-step guide to draw on the power of spirituality in your daily life.
Step 1: Choose your soul care goals
Reflect on the following spiritual goals and identify one or two that support your current soul needs the most.
- I want to feel a sense of meaning, purpose, or values
- I want to increase my emotional well-being and mental health
- I want to increase feelings of calm and inner peace
- I want to feel a sense of having support
- I want to focus on my personal growth and development
Step 2: Journal your reflections
With your selected goal(s) in mind, grab a pen and paper and spend 15 minutes answering the following prompts:
- Why does this goal matter to me right now?
- How might this goal help me connect with something bigger than myself, God, the Divine, spiritual beings, my “true self,” or others around me?
- How do I want my daily life experiences to change or improve by focusing on this goal?
Step 3: Set your intentions and take action
With your goals and reflections in mind, write down one or two daily actions that can bring you closer to the changes you seek.
Example: To feel a sense of having more support, I will create a morning ritual to feel connected with something bigger than myself.
You can create your own action steps or try one of the following spiritual practices:
- Embodied spiritual practices focus on awareness of your body, senses, and experiences. You can choose mindful walking, mindful eating, mindful breathing, dancing, rituals involving touch or sound, fasting, playing instruments, or meditation.
- Nature-based spiritual practices focus on deepening your relationship with nature, ecosystems, and the sacredness of the Earth. You can choose gardening, hiking, outdoor meditation, observing changing seasons and the beauty of nature, or swimming outdoors.
- Creative spiritual practices focus on exploring your spirit through self-expression, storytelling, and finding meaning in the arts or crafting. You can choose painting, creating music, writing poetry, creating an altar, or storytelling.
The Takeaway
When you move through life supported by spiritual beliefs, practices, and experiences, research shows that you can be happier, stronger, more grounded, and more resilient. Spending a few minutes each day on a soul care habit is an important step in your self-care journey. You may practice soul care alone or join in community with others who share your beliefs. Remember, you have the power to choose goals and connections that matter most to you. Setting intentions for each day will help you reach your soul care goals one brave step at a time!
References
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (2022, July 12). Spirituality linked with better health outcomes, patient care. hsph.harvard.edu/news/spirituality-better-health-outcomes-patient-care
- Abrams, Z. (2023). Can religion and spirituality have a place in therapy? Experts say yes. Monitor on Psychology, 54(8). apa.org/monitor/2023/11/incorporating-religion-spirituality-therapy
