If you’re spiritually healthy, you feel grounded and centered no matter how stressful your circumstances are. Spiritually healthy people don’t rely on external events to feel inner peace; instead, they focus on God, prayer, Scripture, or a source of energy that brings them to a higher state of being. Here are several practical ways to be as spiritually healthy as possible – even when life isn’t going well!

Before the tips, a quip:

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.” ~ Buddha.

I haven’t listed “live in the present moment” as one of my ways to be spiritually healthy, but I believe in it wholeheartedly. After all, the present is all we have! If you want to clear away all the cobwebs and get in touch with your soul, read The 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse: A Breakthrough Program for Connecting with Your Soul’s Deepest Purpose (pictured). And, read on for a few suggestions on improving your spiritual health…

5 Ways to be More Spiritually Healthy

1. Find practical ways to apply Scripture or spiritual truths to everyday situations. One of my pet peeves at church is when the preacher doesn’t teach us how to apply Christian truths to daily life! It’s all fine and good to say “love your neighbor” or “walk humbly with your God” or “pray without ceasing” – but what does that mean? To increase your spiritual health, find practical ways to apply your understanding of your church sermons, Scripture readings, daily meditation, or books about Buddha to your daily life. For instance, go beyond knowing that praying with your spouse is powerful to actually experiencing it.

2. Set healthy boundaries with friends, family, and acquaintances. When we’re serious about striving for spiritual health, we may think that we have to give, give, and give some more – until we have nothing left. The Christian faith, for instance, teaches us to serve even if we don’t feel like it, even if we’re tired, even if we just don’t wanna. As important as it is to make sacrifices for faith, it’s also important to stay emotionally healthy…and that involves setting boundaries with the people we love and want to serve. In my next article (“Tips for Setting Boundaries for Christians and Other Believers”), I’ll offer a few suggestions about boundaries and spirituality. 

3. Pretend your mistakes are only a “five-second blip.” One of the biggest obstacles to spiritual growth is my bad habit of berating myself for my mistakes, flaws, weaknesses, and oversights. When I chastise myself, I’m not improving my spiritual health. If you tend to dwell on your mistakes, remember that you’re probably the only one who remembers and berates yourself for them. You’re not perfect and you will stumble, no matter how spiritually healthy you are…and no matter how focused you are during prayer.

4. Enjoy your own personality and quirks. Go beyond liking and accepting yourself – to actually getting a kick out of being you! Laugh at your quirks, accept your eccentricities, poke fun at your foibles. Be authentic with people, and you’ll be more authentic with God in prayer or your higher source of power when you’re meditating. Tap into your true self, beliefs, opinions, dreams and personal goals. Share yourself with other people – honestly, gently, courageously. It takes courage to be authentic with yourself and others…and that courage will make you more spiritually healthy.

5. Discuss philosophical and spiritual ideas with an open mind. In Tips for Spiritual Health, Gini Grey (my partner here on Quips and Tips for Spiritual Seekers), describes energy vibrations and spirituality. Now, I may not fully understand what she means and how it relates to my own spiritual growth, but I like to talk about her ideas with my husband, my Christian friends, and even my God! To nurture your spiritual growth, let different philosophies of spirituality penetrate your mind. You don’t need to believe in them or let them penetrate your spirit…just be open to learning more about different beliefs.

What do you think – do you have any tips or questions on these practical ways of improving your spiritual health? I welcome your thoughts below…