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How Spirituality Can Benefit Your Health and Well-Being

Finding balance in and connection with something bigger

Elizabeth Scott, PhD is an author, workshop leader, educator, and award-winning blogger on stress management, positive psychology, relationships, and emotional wellbeing.

Megan Monahan is a certified meditation instructor and has studied under Dr. Deepak Chopra. She is also the author of the book, Don't Hate, Meditate.

• Spirituality vs. Religion
• How to Practice

Potential Pitfalls

Whether you were raised with a religious upbringing or tend to feel that "spirituality" is a gimmick used by New Age wellness influencers, you've probably found yourself wondering if there was something more. It might not be religion, per se, but you still might crave a deeper connection—to yourself, others, or the world in general. According to health experts, that connection can pay off in important ways for both your mind and body.

Spirituality is a worldview that suggests a dimension to life beyond what we experience on the sensory and physical levels. In practice, this might entail religious or cultural practices and beliefs surrounding a higher being, connection with others and the world as a whole, and/or the pursuit of self-improvement.

Having a connection to some type of spiritual belief has been a source of comfort and relief for many people. Although spirituality is highly individual, its meaning is often shared and expressed in group activities such as church services and holiday rituals. ​Research has linked spirituality with well-being and health in the face of life challenges.

At a Glance

Spirituality isn't just about religious belief—it's about connecting with something outside of yourself that brings meaning and connection to your life. This can involve following an established religious tradition, but it can also focus on spiritual practices like breathwork, service to others, and spending time in nature. People practice spirituality for various reasons, including finding community and fostering a greater sense of hope.

Research suggests it can have very real benefits, including buffering the effects of stress and building a stronger social support system. If you want to bring spirituality into your life, consider trying practices such as mindfulness, empathy, meditation, and gratitude. Finding an approach that has meaning for you is the best way to reap the rewards.

What Spirituality Looks Like

Spirituality is not a single path or belief system. There are many ways to experience spirituality and the benefits of a spiritual experience. How *you* define spirituality will vary.

For some people, it's the belief in a higher power or a specific religious practice. For others, it may involve experiencing a sense of connection to a higher state or a sense of inter-connectedness with the rest of humanity and nature.

Some characteristics of spirituality can include:

• Asking deep questions about topics such as suffering or what happens after death
• Deepening connections with other people
• Experiencing compassion and empathy for others
• Experiencing feelings of interconnectedness
• Feelings of awe and wonder
• Seeking happiness beyond material possessions or other external rewards
• Seeking meaning and purpose
• Wanting to make the world a better place

Not everyone experiences or expresses spirituality in the same way. Some people may seek spiritual experiences in every aspect of their lives, while others may be more likely to have these feelings under specific conditions or in certain locations.

For example, some people may be more likely to have spiritual experiences in churches or other religious temples, while others might have these feelings when they're out enjoying nature.

Different Types of Spirituality

There are many different types of spirituality. For example, you might try to get in touch with your own sense of spirituality through:

• Meditation or quiet time
• New age spirituality
• Service to your community
• Spending time in nature
• Spiritual retreats

Other people express their spirituality through religious traditions such as:

• Christianity

Spirituality Is Diverse

It is important to remember that there are many other spiritual traditions that exist throughout the world, including traditional African and Indigenous spiritual practices. Such spiritual practices can be particularly important to groups of people who have been subjected to the effects of colonialism.

Spirituality vs. Religion: What's the Difference?

Although spirituality and religion can overlap, here are some key points that differentiate the two.

Can be practiced individually

Doesn't have to adhere to a specific set of rules

Often focuses on a personal journey of discovering what is meaningful in life

Often practiced in a community

Usually based on a specific set of rules and customs

Often focuses on the belief in deities or gods, religious texts, and tradition

Reasons to Bring Spirituality Into Your Life

People often turn to spirituality to:

• Find purpose and meaning : Exploring spirituality can help people find answers to philosophical questions such as "What is the meaning of life?" and "What purpose does my life serve?"
• Cope with feelings of stress, depression, and anxiety : Spiritual experiences can be helpful when coping with the stresses of life. 
• Restore hope and optimism : Spirituality can help people develop a more hopeful outlook on life.
• Find a sense of community and support : Because spiritual traditions often involve organized religions or groups , becoming a part of such a group can serve as an important source of social support .

Research-Backed Benefits of Spirituality

While specific spiritual views are a matter of faith, research has demonstrated some of the benefits of spirituality and spiritual activity.

The results may surprise no one who has found comfort in their religious or spiritual views, but they are definitely noteworthy in that they demonstrate in a scientific way that these activities do have benefits for many people.

The following are a few more of the many positive findings related to spirituality and health:

• Better mental health : Evidence indicates that spirituality and religious practices can have a variety of mental health benefits, including lower anxiety, depression, and substance use.  
• Greater happiness and well-being : Research also shows that spirituality is also linked to increased happiness, subjective well-being, and life satisfaction.
• Better stress coping : People who are connected to a spiritual practice or tradition also tend to be more resilient and are better able to cope with various life stressors.
• Increased social support : Participating in spiritual and religious practices is associated with having a broader social support network.

This, along with other research, demonstrates that there may be tangible and lasting benefits to maintaining involvement with a spiritual community. This involvement—along with the gratitude that can accompany spirituality—can be a buffer against stress and is linked to greater levels of physical health.

Dedication to God or a higher power translated into less stress reactivity, greater feelings of well-being, and ultimately even a decreased fear of death.

People who feel comfortable and comforted using spirituality as a coping mechanism for stress can rest assured that there's even more evidence that this is a good idea for them. Prayer works for young and old alike. Prayer and spirituality have been linked to:

• Better health
• Greater psychological well-being
• Less depression
• Less hypertension
• Less stress, even during difficult times
• More positive feelings
• Superior ability to handle stress

How to Practice Spirituality

Whether you are rediscovering a forgotten spiritual path, reinforcing your commitment to an already well-established one, or wanting to learn more about spirituality for beginners, there are countless ways to start exploring your spiritual side and help improve your well-being.

Spirituality is a very personal experience, and everyone’s spiritual path may be unique. Research shows, however, that some spiritual stress relief strategies have been helpful to many, regardless of faith. Some things you can do to start exploring spirituality include:

• Pay attention to how you are feeling : Part of embracing spirituality means also embracing what it means to be human, both the good and the bad. 
• Focus on others : Opening your heart, feeling empathy, and helping others are important aspects of spirituality.
• Meditate : Try spending 10 to 15 minutes each morning engaged in some form of meditation .
• Practice gratitude : Start a gratitude journal and record what you are grateful for each day. This can be a great reminder of what is most important to you and what brings you the greatest happiness.
• Try mindfulness : By becoming more mindful, you can become more aware and appreciative of the present. Mindfulness encourages you to be less judgmental (both of yourself and others) and focus more on the present moment rather than dwelling on the past or future.

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One potential pitfall of spirituality is a phenomenon known as spiritual bypassing . This involves a tendency to use spirituality as a way to avoid or sidestep problems, emotions, or conflicts.

For example, rather than apologizing for some type of emotional wound you have caused someone else, you might bypass the problem by simply excusing it and saying that "everything happens for a reason" or suggesting that the other person just needs to "focus on the positive."

Research has noted a link between spirituality and resilience in the face of challenges. Whether this owes to a higher power, a sense of peace, community connection, or some other factor, spirituality may help foster your sense of well-being. Finding meaningful ways to connect with your own sense of spirituality—however you experience it—can be a powerful way to improve your psychological health and boost well-being.

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By Elizabeth Scott, PhD Elizabeth Scott, PhD is an author, workshop leader, educator, and award-winning blogger on stress management, positive psychology, relationships, and emotional wellbeing.