Wellness and Healthy Lifestyle: SPIRITUAL WELLNESS: LECTURE 6 What is Spiritual Wellness? 1

Wellness and Healthy Lifestyle: SPIRITUAL WELLNESS: LECTURE 6  What is Spiritual Wellness  The ability to integrate your beliefs and values into your actions. Being spiritually well enables you to weather the ups and downs of life with resilience.  It is unique to each individual. Your “spirit” usually refers to the deepest part of you, the part that lets you make meaning of your world.  It provides you with a sense of who you are, why you are here and what your purpose for living is. It is that innermost part of you that allows you to gain strength and hope. 2

Wellness and Healthy Lifestyle: SPIRITUAL WELLNESS: LECTURE 6  What is Spiritual Wellness  Spiritual wellness may not be something that you think much of, yet its impact on your life is unavoidable. The basis of spirituality is discovering a sense of meaningfulness in your life and coming to know that you have a purpose to fulfil.  For some, spirituality may be equated with traditional religions such as Christianity, Hinduism or Buddhism. For others, it may mean growing in your personal relationships with others, or through being at peace with nature. 3

Wellness and Healthy Lifestyle: SPIRITUAL WELLNESS: LECTURE 6  What is Spiritual Wellness  Many wellness behaviours can benefit your spiritual wellness. Such behaviours include feeling connected with others, feeling part of a community, volunteering, having an optimistic attitude, contributing to society and self -love/care.  Spiritual wellness can be defined through various factors including religious faith, values, ethics and morals.  The ability to establish peace and harmony in our lives. It is expanding our sense of purpose and meaning in life. 4

Wellness and Healthy Lifestyle: SPIRITUAL WELLNESS: LECTURE 6  How does spiritual wellness relate to health?  There is some research that links spiritual wellness with physical wellness. 1 1  Spiritual wellness can bring comfort and lend strength for handling life's challenges. Some people find that tending to the spirit seems to be as healing as medicine itself. 5

Wellness and Healthy Lifestyle: SPIRITUAL WELLNESS: LECTURE 6  Why is Spiritual Wellness important?  Allows you to seek meaning and purpose in human existence  Allows you to appreciate your life experiences for what they are  Able to develop a harmony with your inner self and the outside world  Spiritual wellness grants you balance.  Several studies show positive effects that spirituality has on physical health. Spiritual strength promotes positive thinking, positive attitudes, and positive health which all work toward creating a healthy body. 6

Wellness and Healthy Lifestyle: SPIRITUAL WELLNESS: LECTURE 6  Signs of Spiritual Wellness  Development of a purpose in life  Ability to spend reflective time alone  Taking time to reflect on the meaning of events in life  Having a clear sense of right and wrong, and act accordingly  Ability to explain why you believe what you believe  Caring and acting for the welfare of others and the environment  Being able to practice forgiveness and compassion in life 7

Wellness and Healthy Lifestyle: SPIRITUAL WELLNESS: LECTURE 6  Practices that enhance spiritual wellness include:  Pondering the meaning of life  Respecting the beliefs of others  Living in a way that is consistent with your values and beliefs  Taking time for quiet reflection prayer or meditation  Building awareness through journaling 8

Wellness and Healthy Lifestyle: SPIRITUAL WELLNESS: LECTURE 6  Practices that enhance spiritual wellness include:  Becoming more aware of the deeper meanings of everyday events  Serving your community through volunteerism, giving or service projects  Spending time in nature  Taking time to appreciate the arts 9

Wellness and Healthy Lifestyle: SPIRITUAL WELLNESS: LECTURE 6  Ways to help improve your spiritual wellness:  Be quiet. Take time for yourself every day, even if it's just before you go to sleep, or when you're driving home.  Be open. Spiritual experiences can happen anywhere at any time.  Practice being non-judgmental and having an open mind.  Be receptive to pain or times of sorrow. It is often in these times when we discover how spirituality can help us cope.. 10

Wellness and Healthy Lifestyle: SPIRITUAL WELLNESS: LECTURE 6  Ways to help improve your spiritual wellness:  Practice forgiveness.  Pray, meditate or worship.  Live joyfully.  Allow yourself to believe in things that aren't easily explainable. 11

Wellness and Healthy Lifestyle: SPIRITUAL WELLNESS: LECTURE 6  Ways to help improve your spiritual wellness  Identify the things in your life that give you a sense of inner peace, comfort, strength, love and connection.  Set aside time every day to do the things that help you spiritually. These may include doing community service or volunteer work, praying, meditating, singing devotional songs, reading inspirational books, taking nature walks, having quiet time for thinking, doing yoga, playing a sport or attending religious services. 12

Wellness and Healthy Lifestyle: SPIRITUAL WELLNESS: LECTURE 6  How is your spiritual wellness?  Do you feel a sense of purpose? Joy? Commitment? Inner peace? Is your outlook on life positive or negative?  Do you feel helpless, hopeless or empty? Are you apathetic, anxious and feel you have no control over your life?  Negative thoughts and feelings may be a result of spiritual poverty.  A longing for meaning and purpose can leave you frustrated and unhappy – or spiritually unwell – without you being able to put a finger on why you’re feeling “off.”  If you feel that your life is out of balance, that you are not in harmony with yourself and others, you may consider some form of spiritual practice to regain your sense of inner peace and purpose. 13

Wellness and Healthy Lifestyle: SPIRITUAL WELLNESS: LECTURE 6  Strategies to Enhance your Spiritual Wellness  Meditate. There are several forms of mediation. This could involve yoga, prayer, reflection, mindfulness, or deep breathing. The point is that taking regular breaks to relax your mind and body will give you a sense of rejuvenation  Make a mental list or write down some of your key goals. Having short or long term goals is a way to prioritize what’s most important in your life. When you strive for goals, it may help to fulfil a sense of drive or purpose  Reject discrimination by standing up for yourself and the rights of others 14

Wellness and Healthy Lifestyle: SPIRITUAL WELLNESS: LECTURE 6  Strategies to Enhance your Spiritual Wellness  Reach out for support when you need it. There are on-campus counsellors, academic advisors, and spiritual chaplains—all free of service to you as a student. Gather the courage to reach out to your professor or classmates too  Breathe. Inhale for 5 seconds, pause, then exhale for 5 seconds. Repeat at least 5-10 times. Deep breathing automatically cues relaxation signals in the brain  Find a community where your spiritual preferences and beliefs align (this could involve a specific religious group or not) 15

Wellness and Healthy Lifestyle: SPIRITUAL WELLNESS: LECTURE 6  Why does my doctor need to know about my spiritual beliefs?  If you are being treated for an illness, it's important for your doctor to know how your spirituality might affect your feelings and thoughts about your medical situation. If you think your spiritual beliefs are affecting your health care decisions or your ability to follow your doctor's recommendations, tell your doctor.  If you have spiritual beliefs, worries or concerns that are causing you stress, talk with your doctor. Your doctor would like to help. If your doctor can't help you with these issues, he or she may be able to suggest someone who can. 16

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Wellness and Healthy Lifestyle: SPIRITUAL WELLNESS: LECTURE 6  Spiritual Wellness Assessment  The spiritual dimension of wellness involves seeking meaning and purpose in one’s life.  Read each statement carefully and respond honestly by using the following scoring:  Almost always = 2 points Sometimes/occasionally = 1 point Very seldom = 0 points  _____ 1. I feel comfortable and at ease with my spiritual life.  _____ 2. There is a direct relationship between my personal values and daily actions.  _____ 3. When I get depressed or frustrated, my spiritual beliefs and values give me direction.  _____ 4. Prayer, meditation, and/or quiet personal reflection is/are important in my life. 20

Wellness and Healthy Lifestyle: SPIRITUAL WELLNESS: LECTURE 6  _____ 5. Life is meaningful for me, and I feel a purpose in life.  _____ 6. I am able to speak comfortably about my personal values and beliefs.  _____ 7. I am consistently striving to grow spiritually and I see it as a lifelong process.  _____ 8. I am tolerant of and try to learn about others’ beliefs and values.  _____ 9. I have a strong sense of life optimism and use my thoughts and attitudes in life-affirming ways.  _____ 10. I appreciate the natural forces that exist in the universe.  _______ Total for Spiritual Wellness Dimension 21

Wellness and Healthy Lifestyle: SPIRITUAL WELLNESS: LECTURE 6  Score: 15 to 20 Points – Excellent strength in this dimension.  Score: 9 to 14 Points – There is room for improvement. Look again at the items in which you scored 1 or 0. What changes can you make to improve your score?  Score: 0 to 8 Points – This dimension needs a lot of work. Look again at this dimension and challenge yourself to begin making small steps toward growth here. Remember: The goal is balanced wellness. 22