By Michelle Wilson, wellness program manager
The wellness wheel and you: spiritual well-being
November is the time we celebrate Thanksgiving and feeling thankful for things in our lives is an important part of spiritual wellness. When we focus on sharing our gratitude, we may find a deeper sense of peace and happiness. Spiritual well-being is also linked to our sense of purpose and fulfillment. It is improved when we feel our lives have meaning and it can be supported with or without organized religion. Activities that focus on our beliefs and values add to spiritual well-being.
Consider choosing at least one area to focus attention on a regular basis to increase your sense of spiritual wellness.
- Values: Think about what matters to you. What do you value for yourself and others? What do you value in your relationships? For some people, love, honesty, trust, and compassion are important values. When we know what we value, we can choose to act in ways that support us in living true to our values and increasing our sense of well-being.
- Meaning and purpose: We increase our sense of spiritual wellness when we believe our lives have meaning and a sense of purpose. We may find meaning in caring for people we love, in doing work that makes our community and world a better place, or in simply being kind to others in our daily lives. Think about what you believe will bring meaning and purpose to your life and make choices each day to support this.
- Gratitude: One of the simplest ways to increase our spiritual well-being is to think about what we appreciate in our lives. When we focus on what we love and care about, we relax and can feel greater peacefulness. When we let other people know we appreciate them, we support our own wellness and offer others the gift of our caring words and actions.
- Practices that bring feelings of peacefulness: If you don’t have a regular activity to bring yourself into a quiet, peaceful place, consider trying mindfulness. Some people use prayer, meditation, or participation in group services to support their spiritual well-being. Others take regular walks in nature and reflect on what they value and appreciate. Choose any activity that supports you in feeling peaceful and more connected to your own sense of life purpose.
Tip: Check out a mindfulness video or audio or get a mindfulness app for your phone. Visit our wellness page, www.laclinicahealth.org/wellness, for short mindfulness audios in English and Spanish offered by our wellness coaches.