What is Spiritual Wellness?
There are many components to our overall health and well-being, including physical, mental and emotional. However, one important aspect that can often be overlooked is spiritual wellness.
What is spiritual wellness? The general definition of spiritual wellness is the search for your life’s meaning and purpose, as well as striving for consistency in your values and your actions. A spiritually healthy person has a clear purpose in life and is able to reflect on the meaning of events. They also have clearly defined ideas of right and wrong and are able to act accordingly. Some people follow specific religious practices, while others may pursue a general sense of harmony and self-awareness. Maintaining good health is vital to aging well, and Rolling Green Village retirement community places importance on it. To learn more contact us. Continue reading to learn benefits of spiritual wellness.
The National Wellness Institute says spiritual wellness follows these tenets:
- It’s better to ponder the meaning of life for ourselves and to be tolerant of the beliefs of others than to close our minds and become intolerant.
- It’s better to live each day in a way that’s consistent with our values and beliefs than to do otherwise and feel untrue to ourselves.
To determine your spiritual well-being, ask yourself these questions:
- Do I make time for relaxation in my day?
- Do I make time for meditation and/or prayer?
- Do my values guide my decisions and actions?
- Do I have a well-defined sense of purpose and meaning?
- Do I feel in harmony with the world around me?
- Am I accepting of the views of others?
Those with good spiritual health typically display hope, a positive outlook, forgiveness/self-acceptance, commitment, meaning and purpose, a sense of self-worth, clear values, and feelings of peace. People who may need to reevaluate their spiritual health generally experience feelings of emptiness, anxiety, loss of meaning, self-judgment, apathy and conflicting values. They often think they need to improve themselves.
Because everyone’s path to spiritual wellness may be different, it’s important for everyone to explore what they believe and their own sense of meaning and purpose. Some see benefit in meditation, prayer, affirmations, or specific spiritual practices that support their connection to a higher power or belief system. Others enjoy practicing yoga and meditation.
Benefits of spiritual wellness.
Some of the benefits of spiritual wellness include having compassion, the capacity for love and forgiveness, altruism, joy, and fulfillment. Your religious faith, values, beliefs, principles and morals define your spirituality and can help you enjoy your spiritual health.
If you’re a person engaged in the process of spiritual wellness, you’re willing and able to transcend yourself to question the meaning and purpose in your life and the lives of others. In addition, you seek to find harmony between that which lies within and the social and physical forces that come from outside.
Many of the activities associated with wellness are key components of a healthy spiritual life. Examples include volunteerism, social responsibility, optimism, contributing to society, connectedness with others, feeling of belonging/being part of a group, and love of self/reason to care for self.
To invest in your spiritual wellness, it’s important to enjoy the little pleasures in life. You can do that by first setting aside some time for daily relaxation: take regular nature walks, sign up for yoga classes or simply find a quiet corner to meditate. You can also visit a museum or treat yourself to a new play or musical.
The importance of spiritual wellness.
As we age, it’s easy to feel socially isolated as lifelong friends or your spouse passes on. It’s during these times people often question their life and reason for being. That’s when having a spiritual community – church support group, grief group, etc. – can become an important support system. The right group can relate to what you’re going through and help you better understand how you’re feeling and what next steps you should take. Your spiritual community can also help you stay involved, active and assist you in rediscovering your purpose.
Helping you thrive in all aspects of wellness.
At Rolling Green Village, we believe maintaining good health is vital to aging well. In fact, we have a 33,000-square-foot, light-filled and airy building entirely dedicated to promoting better health. Our Health and Wellness Center houses our indoor heated saltwater pool, café and juice bar, chaplain services, massage therapy, therapy suites, cardio and strength training room, and a wellness screening clinic.
To learn more about our whole-person wellness philosophy, use our contact form to schedule a personal visit.
