Spiritual Wellness: Self-Care for the Soul

by | Mar 26, 2013 | Self-Care, Wellness Tips & Information


By Dr. Donna L. Hamilton, MD, MS

What do the words health and holistic have in common?  Word buffs may have guessed it: They both come from root words meaning “whole.” Yes, a holistic health approach literally means addressing the whole person, as in body, mind and spirit.

This trinity often gets lost, however, in the average holistic health discussion.  The majority of focus usually goes to the body, particularly nutrition, natural healing, and fitness.  The mind gets some attention, usually during discussions about meditation or stress management.  The spirit, however, often gets neglected, even by integrative health practitioners.

The natural rhythm of winter offers a wonderful opportunity to turn your attention to your spiritual wellness.  The shorter days and colder temperatures usually create more time at home. Nature’s cues also point to stillness and rejuvenation: animals hibernate, plants go dormant preparing for spring, and the snow storms encourage everyone to stay inside or at least slow down.

Cultivating spiritual wellness doesn’t necessarily mean exploring religion, though for many of you it will.  It involves nurturing parts of your life that give it meaning, that help you feel more alive and  connected to something greater than yourself. Spiritual wellness boosts come from many places. Common experiences include formal religious worship, nature outings, listening to soul stirring music, praying, and meditating.

If you’re a self-care newbie you might be feeling a bit selfish, after all you have children to take care of, older parents to look after, and innocent pets needing attention.  That’s precisely why it’s important to make self-care a priority.  You have to take care of yourself so you can effectively take care of your responsibilities.  Plus, you simply deserve good attention.

Spiritual self-care can give you a boost that physical, mental, emotional, and social wellness care can’t. Nourishing your soul, the essence of who you are, can inspire and energize you in unimaginable ways. It’s worth doing.  You’re worth the time.

Spiritual self-care,however, doesn’t have to take a lot of time.  Once you understand what nourishes your soul it’s easier to incorporate these activities into your daily activities.  Some of your routine activities can become “soul boosters” simply by looking at them with new eyes.  Here are a few tips to get you started.

1)     Move from routine to ritual: Bring reverence to daily activities like cooking, bathing, or taking care of your children.  Sincere gratitude for having food that many don’t, having enough strength to bathe yourself when many cannot, or taking care of children that many would love to have can turn a mundane activity into a soul stirring ritual.

 

 

2)     Know your guiding values:  Know what’s most important to you. Use this to make choices that nourish you instead of deplete you.  If you value family time, fun, self-care or service make them sacred priorities.  Schedule accordingly.

 

 

3)     Know what makes you tick:  Self-awareness and self-care go hand in hand. It’s necessary to know what nourishes you in order to give it to yourself. Start paying attention to what fills you up and what drains you.  Start doing more of what feels good and less of what feels bad. Your soul is your inner compass.  Listen.

 

Make spiritual self-care fun and rewarding, not another thing on your to do list.

 

Be well.

 

Donna Hamilton, MD has a mission to help everyone live the healthy, satisfying lives they’re meant to lead. She speaks nationally on wellness promotion teaching a holistic approach addressing mental, emotional, social, spiritual and physical wellbeing. To schedule Dr. Hamilton for speaking engagements visit  www.ManifestExcellence.com

 

Donna Hamilton, MD, MS, FAAP
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