Faith and spirituality mean different things for different people and for many colleagues are vitally important.  

Spiritual wellness may mean different things to different people. For some, spirituality may be synonymous with traditional religion, while for others it relates primarily to the quality of personal relationships or love for nature.

If you don’t identify with a particular form of spirituality or faith, spiritual wellbeing can represent our connection to ourselves and the world around us. The ability to experience and integrate meaning and purpose in life through connection with oneself and others, as well as through other contexts in life such as music, art, literature, nature or something greater than oneself.

A foundation for spiritual wellness may be the sense that life is meaningful, and you have found your place in it. The search for meaning and purpose in human existence leads one to strive for a state of harmony with themselves and with others while working to balance inner needs with the rest of the world.

Consider the questions below. Your answers may provide clues to enhance your own spiritual wellness.

• What gives your life meaning and purpose?
• What gives you hope?
• How do you get through tough times? Where have you found comfort?
• What are your 3 most memorable experiences?
• If you belong to a religious community, how are you connected to this group?
• If you have survived losses in your life, how have you done so?
• Describe a time or instance when you felt comfortable and that all was right with the world.
• Describe a time when your life was filled with a sense of meaning or when you experienced a sense of awe.

Tips on improving your spiritual wellbeing

Spirituality is a very personal experience, and everyone’s spiritual path may be unique. Research shows, however, that some spiritual stress relief strategies have been helpful to many, regardless of faith.

• Be your authentic self: When you’re honest and open in everything you do, you’re honouring yourself. It isn’t always easy to stand up for everything you believe in or speak your mind. However, once you decide to accept the discomfort of making things awkward when expressing your real self, it’s absolutely the best feeling in the world. Allowing your authentic self to shine can be as easy as not faking a smile for the sake of others or telling your real opinions even when everybody else agrees on something else. Believe it or not, it’s the small things that can be hard to do.
• Think Positively: Once you view things in your life in a positive way, you’ll find yourself thinking differently by refocusing your mind to a healthy and happy place. Once you get rid of the negativity and reframe how you think of particular situations and things, you’ll notice that you’ll be more relaxed.
• Give to others: When we give without expecting anything in return, we are practising kindness and a selfless way of being. This contributes towards our positive outlook of life and it creates more optimism towards things we do. Start practising giving, by simply complimenting someone each day.
• Become more mindful: Mindfulness encourages you to be less judgmental (both of yourself and others) and focus more on the present moment rather than dwelling on the past or future. By becoming more mindful, you can become more aware and appreciative of the present.
• Let it go: Holding on to your hurt and grudges against somebody else will only affect your peace of mind since the other person doesn’t get as affected as you. So, instead of holding on to your pains, choose to forgive and let go. This won’t only give you peace of mind, but it can be good for your spiritual health.
• Practice gratitude: Always be grateful for whatever you have in life because there are many people who don’t enjoy that much. Never get jealous of others who achieved more than you. Just be satisfied with all of your accomplishments.