Photo by Jeremy Thomas (@jeremythomasphoto) via Unsplash

In this fourth post in my series about self-care for helping professionals I’d like to discuss spiritual self-care. The word “spiritual” can definitely bring up different thoughts, beliefs, and emotions. For some people spirituality refers to religious ideologies and practices (e.g., ceremonies, rituals, studying of religious texts) and cultural traditions. For other people, spirituality is interpreted more broadly as the need for connection, purpose, harmony, and/or peace experienced through nature, one another, or within oneself. If the word “spiritual” makes you feel uncomfortable or conjures up painful memories, please feel free to skip the rest of this post or substitute the words/phrases “connection to your true self”, “purpose”, or “harmony”. This aspect of self-care is important to nurture because it helps you connect to the non-material aspects of life and to your true self.

Here are some questions to consider in regard to your spiritual self-care:

Do you make time for reflection?
How often do you spend time with nature?
Where do you find inspiration?
How would you characterize your ability to garner and express optimism and hope?
What non-material aspects of life do you value?
How would you characterize your level of openness about not knowing, not being in charge, or not being the expert?
What in life is meaningful to you? What brings you a sense of purpose?
If applicable, how often do you participate in religious ceremonies or rituals? How connected do you feel to your faith community?
If applicable, how often do you meditate, pray, spend time in contemplation, or engage in reading inspirational literature/lectures/podcasts/music, etc.?
Describe recent or past experiences of awe.
How often do you spend time with children or animals?
How often do you contribute to causes in which you believe? What kinds of contributions do you make?

Self-Care Reflection:

What trends did you notice in your spiritual self-care behaviors?
What strengths in your spiritual self-care behaviors do you have?
Are there areas of your spiritual self-care that you would like to begin addressing?

Pick one or two areas of spiritual self-care that you would like to, and are willing to, consistently work on. Describe at least one strategy that you are willing to consistently implement.

Example: Keep a gratitude journal

“I will spend a few minutes each evening reflecting or journaling about what I’m grateful for in my life.”

Sending you best wishes as you address your spiritual self-care,

Nicole