In our busy modern lives, it can be all too easy to lose touch with our spiritual selves. We rush from task to task, commitment to commitment, without ever stopping to nourish the soul. Before long, we may start to feel drained, disconnected, or dissatisfied despite outward signs of “success.” That is when temporarily disconnecting from the hustle and bustle for some spiritual self-care can be vital for inner wellbeing.
Pausing to prioritize spiritual nourishment allows us to tap into wisdom, clarity, creativity, and a sense of meaning that a hectic schedule often obscures. Just as our bodies need rest after prolonged exertion to restore themselves, so too does our spirit benefit immensely from stillness, silence, and conscious reflection from time to time.
Taking Time Off for Spiritual Self-Care
With countless demands on our attention, setting aside time for spiritual self-care requires consciously deciding to make it a priority. But just as we schedule time for doctor’s appointments, social commitments, and errands, we must also calendar time for stillness and solitary activities that nourish the soul.
Potential spiritual self-care activities that can restore and strengthen us include:
- Meditation or breathwork
- Time in nature or gardening
- Journal writing
- Yoga, qi gong, or gentle movement
- Art, music, or creative activities
Prayer, reflection, or reading inspirational texts
Building even small windows for these moments of spiritual nourishment into each day can work wonders over time. Just 5-10 minutes of meditation in the morning, a brief walk outdoors over lunch, journaling before bed – small steps that allow us to tap into our inner wisdom regularly can greatly impact our energy, mindset, and sense of centeredness.
Understanding Why Pausing Is Necessary for Spiritual Nourishment
Beyond merely carving out time, to reap the benefits of spiritual self-care we must be fully present during these activities. Slowing down, quieting our thoughts, disengaging from digital distractions – this enables us to genuinely shift from “doing mode” into “being mode.” It is presence, not necessarily length of time, that offers spiritual nourishment.
It is this state of being that allows our innate wisdom and creativity to bubble up from beneath the churning thoughts and tidal wave of stimuli we otherwise face each day. Only through presence can we access the deeper parts of ourselves – our core values, visions, emotions, truths.
Inner Clarity Emerges from Stillness
When we stop actively searching for answers, solutions, goals, or accomplishments, space opens up for inner clarity to emerge organically. Pausing allows us to get out of our own way so we can gain higher perspective and a more authentic understanding of what really matters most to us or any situation.
Strengthening Our Resilience and Wellbeing
Prioritizing spiritual nourishment strengthens our resilience against stress, anxiety, overwhelm, and life’s inevitable challenges. By regularly connecting to our inner haven of wisdom and peace, we cultivate mental, emotional, and even physical health buffers.
Just as eating healthy foods promotes good body functioning, consciously feeding the soul bolsters the mind, heart, and spirit to operate at their highest levels. We all face obstacles in life – spiritual self-care helps us navigate these with steadiness, optimism and grace rather than instability.
Practical Tips for Stepping Back and Making Time for Spiritual Growth
As with any new habit, dedicating time for spiritual nourishment takes some trial and error to determine what resonates best. Don’t get discouraged if your mind wanders or you struggle to disengage from distractions at first. Be gentle with yourself and do not treat this time as another item on your task list to complete.
That said, having some structure and guidelines around spiritual self-care can help engrain it into your lifestyle. Useful starting points include:
Choose An Anchor Activity
Pick one activity, like journaling, breathwork, or walking, and start there. Commit to this soul-nourishing ritual for just 5-10 minutes daily without judgment. Let it anchor you as you build the spiritual self-care habit.
Designate Sacred Space
Optimize your environment for presence by defining a spot just for spiritual rejuvenation. Keep it simple, uncluttered, and technology-free. Candles, spiritual symbols, flowers or greenery can further punctuate this as sacred space.
Set Phone Boundaries
Put devices on silent or airplane mode so pings or notifications do not tempt your attention. Let calls go to voicemail unless there’s an emergency. Set the expectation with family that this time is just for you.
Transition Gently In & Out
Ease into your spiritual time by starting with a few deep breaths or short prayer. Close by journaling takeaways or insights gained. Bookend with brief rituals to help differentiate this time from mundane tasks.
Incorporating small windows of time for spiritual nourishment and inner connection yields exponential benefits over time for both our personal happiness and external success.
Beyond lower stress, improved mood, enhanced focus, and better sleep, research has linked activities like meditation, creative expression, being in nature and journal writing to increases in:
- Compassion
- Gratitude
- Self-awareness
- Problem-solving
- Cognitive function
- Attention span
- Immunity
- Post-traumatic growth
- Relationship satisfaction
Perhaps most importantly, regularly nourishing our spirit reconnects us to a sense of meaning, purpose, wonder and inner tranquility. This serves as a compass guiding us to our most authentic self in all facets of life – relationships, work, health, recreation and more.
Pausing to tend to our deepest needs creates space for wisdom and creativity to infuse everything we do with more harmony, joy and heart. Though simple, dedicating time for spiritual nourishment thus becomes the secret sauce helping our external world properly reflect – and feed – the beauty within.
Dreams, spirit, growth – I explore them all. Laugh, learn, grow with me. Unlock your inner guru.
