Stress Management
Connect with your spiritual self.
In general, spirituality is a path to finding purpose, meaning, inner peace, and hope in life. It involves your personal values and how you relate to others. For some people, spirituality includes an organized religion with its set of beliefs, symbols, and rituals. For others it is being connected to nature or believing in a power greater than oneself. Spirituality can give deeper meaning to life and help you focus on what really matters.
Ways people find strength in spirituality during times of stress or a crisis:
* Prayer
* Meditating
* Expressing their thoughts and feelings in a journal
* Counting their blessings
* Forgiving and healing
* Reaching out to help others
* Practicing and receiving unconditional love
* Attending a place of worship. This can provide a sense of community and shared purpose, as well as support and understanding.
* Connecting to a higher power
Spirituality can help you lead a healthier life.
Several studies have shown that people with strong religious and spiritual beliefs:
* Have a stronger immune system
* Have lower blood pressure
* Have less anxiety and depression
* Are better able to deal with arthritis, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses
* Heal faster from surgery
* Recover from drug addiction faster and are better able to abstain from substance abuse. Self-help programs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) use spiritual messages in their 12-step recovery process.
Action Step
Pastoral counselors can help with mental health and spiritual concerns. Find a pastored counselor in your area fromwww.aapc.org.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
