Benefits of Spiritual Self-Care
When I speak to someone who is trying to “get healthier”, they are usually talking to me because they are trying to lose weight or they just discovered they have diabetes or some other condition.
They usually say things like “I know I need to eat better” or “I know I need to get it together, but it’s hard”. And I get it… because it is hard.
So what can you do? And what does spiritual self-care have to do with it?
Well, oftentimes, people struggle with their health because life has gotten or has been TOUGH (can I get an amen?!)
Either they have struggled with access to quality food, have worked a job in which they have never really had time to eat a decent meal, or they have been running like a “chicken with its head cut off” for years. It is also possible that they never learned how to cook and felt overwhelmed by all of the “health trends” and did not know where to start with the excessive information on the “innanet”.
Well, let me stop you right there and acknowledge that all of these things that you may have experienced are not signs that you and your family line are doomed to a life of poor health. There are systems created to keep you where you are while others become wealthy from your misfortune.
Read these articles to learn more:
So… What Does Spiritual Self-Care Have to do with Weight-Loss & Health?
When I began to understand that our bodies were built for a WHOLISTIC APPROACH to life (meaning all things are connected rather than dealing with one problem with a linear approach, like just giving someone medicine), it began to FREE how I addressed caring for myself and my health.
I understood that when I took time to understand what my spirit needed, I was better able to address my needs for the day rather than just floating through life consuming whatever was in front of me.
So here are a few steps to better understand what I’m talking about.
There is no universal “consensus” on what your “spirit” is. Some people describe it as your internal voice and emotions. Some describe it as your soul. Some describe it as your thoughts, will, and emotions. The purpose of this is not to get you to believe in what I believe. It is to help you connect to the deepest part of yourself.
*This may be triggering for some if never done before. Take your time and stop if you are overwhelmed or uncomfortable.
If you have a belief system, I encourage you to take some time to discover what you believe in. One of the biggest reasons why people find themselves aimlessly making decisions in life is because they are not grounded in what they believe. This is a journey. Not something you do one time. This practice can help you decide how to address life when it comes your way (because life is hard).
Consider the challenges in life as part of your journey that you are navigating through daily. For example:
In this practice, you may discover that you have used tv as your ONLY outlet when life is stressful. As a result, you go through a cycle of feeling bad about yourself, binging on tv, and forcing yourself to workout and “eat right” until life becomes overwhelming again (and the cycle continues).
You may not solve your issue after discovering this, but being aware can help you to know what is going on (rather than the approach that “ignorance is bliss”)
If you need help finding healthy outlets (which is something we are ALL struggling with at points in our life):
Take some time each morning to declare peace, joy, acceptance, (and any other positive adjective) over yourself. This is spiritual self-care because you are training your spirit to receive positive affirmation.
*Scientific research shows that people who have a grounding in this way are less likely to develop many illnesses. 1, 2
Consider meditating to step away from the external stressors of life
I like to meditate by listening to worship music or sometimes sitting quietly with God (that is my belief)… but do whatever works for you.
Build on what you have already worked on. If you have been trying to sleep more, continue working on that goal with small daily practices. This is spiritual self-care because you are caring for the deepest part of yourself which can help you have the energy to be grounded a little better.
All of these tips can help you in your overall health goals because our health status is affected by more than what we eat or our exercise regimen. We often cannot address those until we deal with the other things in life that make it almost impossible to enjoy a healthy lifestyle.
If you are struggling with having your daily needs met, spiritual self-care is not an exercise that ignores what you need. YOU NEED WHAT YOU NEED.
We should all have access to quality food, water, good healthcare, and safe living conditions. Yet, that is not everyone’s norm.
I will share some budget friendly tips soon for my newsletter subscribers and on social media, so make sure to SUBSCRIBE for more free resources.
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