Three realms of Self-Care
Self-care and the benefits of taking care of mind, body, and spirit are crucial to overall well-being. When you approach mental health from a holistic mind-set, you bring together all pieces of your health to make yourself whole. Working with a therapist in Orlando gives you the resource you need to start this journey. Orlando Thrive Therapy in Orlando offers you this three-part blog that is designed to help you improve the three most critical elements to good mental health. This blog in the series will be focusing on Spiritual Health.
This three-part blog series will focus in on the three aspects of our health and how to implement strategies to enhance our connections to these outlets and become more aware of what our strengths and weaknesses are in order to motivate and pursue change.
The three aspects of our health are:
mind • body • spirit
What Is Spiritual Health?
It’s a common misconception to assume spiritual health is specifically religion. While faith and religion can tie into spirituality, they can exist separately.
Spirituality is defined as “the quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things”. Things such as your religious faith, your values, your views on morality, the beliefs and principles that define you, your ability to forgive and let go, love and fulfillment are all encompassed in your spiritual health.
As Deepak Chopra once said, “religion is a belief in someone else’s experience, spirituality is having our own experience”. It is very common to have both of these as influences in our lives, but it is important to emphasize our spiritual health separately. How do we look specifically at spirituality? First by understanding where it comes from, what it encompasses and then review where it needs more attention and development.
Top Tips To Enhancing Spirituality
* Finding and reciting a mantra that resonates.
* Practice thoughtfulness.
* Listen to spiritual music.
* Embrace your family traditions.
* Rid yourself of toxic relations.
* Prayer or meditation.
* Owning up to mistakes you’ve made.
* Make a list of things that are important to you.
* Donate to your favorite charity or cause.
* Research your astrology natal chart.
* Find answers to spiritual beliefs or questions.
* Learn about other religions.
* Count your blessings.
* Reconnect with your spiritual side:
rest more, reflect on your experiences, read spiritual writings in spare time, or consult a spiritual advisor.
Using Mantras And How They Help
A commonly known mantra is “OM”, you may know of this as a sound used in yoga exercises, but it has a deeper meaning and scientific influence. “OM” is known as the sound of the universe, the first vibration and represents the birth-life-death process.
As well, “OM” is said to vibrate at 440 Hz, which is the same frequency as most modern music. It’s a natural and easy calming exercise used to focus the mind which we can use in yoga, meditation, or even every day stressors at home or on the job.
If “OM” doesn't feel right for you, then using a positive affirmation mantra works too. Examples of a mantra worth repeating during your meditation could be,
“My body is healthy; My mind is brilliant; My soul is tranquil.”
No-No's For good Spiritual Health
As an inverse, there are a multitude of ways you can hurt your spiritual health. These include:
* Not listening to your intuition,
* Holding onto anger toward faith or spirituality,
* Refusing to take risks in your life,
* Limiting your creativity,
* Not spending time in nature,
* Only focusing on your own self-interest and not the world around you,
* Lack of non-sexual intimacy, and
* Experiencing feelings of not belonging or loneliness.
Our spiritual health revolves around our soul, our willingness to love and commit, and our outside experiences. Of the three realms of health, spiritual health is the least understood but provides us with our own beliefs, morals and outlooks on life and therefore should be nurtured just as we nurture our body and mind.
For those with more influence on religion and worship, we recommend the Serenity Prayer, developed by Reinhold Niebuhr. Reciting this prayer in times on indecision or crisis can lead to inner peace and a tranquil mind:
"God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
forever in the next.
Amen."
Tune in for the next in this three-part series on BODY and how to implement the best changes in this element of self-care. If you want to have a better understanding of your spirituality or be assessed on your awareness of spiritual health in Orlando contact a counselor at Orlando Thrive Therapy, or the author of this article Mallory Hawkes at malloryhawkes@gmail.com!
