Spirituality and Mental Health: Peace and Self-Discovery, Quiet Heart and Quiet Mind
Is life feeling a little like a never-ending sprint of deadlines, social obligations, and personal expectations? It’s easy to get overwhelmed and lose track of what really matters. Maybe a quick check-in on overall wellbeing will help? Could it be that spiritual practices, whether tied to religion, or simply a sense of inner peace and purpose, are a healing remedy for what’s feeling muddled and tangled and just-off-balance? Spirituality isn’t just about chanting mantras, going on soul-searching retreats, or even attending church on the weekly! Spiritual practices can bring a bit of the mysterious and the miraculous into supporting mental health and emotional well-being.
Let’s explore how spirituality and mental health intertwine, and why integrating some spiritual attention into your experience of everyday life might just be the breath of fresh air your brain and body and deepest Self need!
The Link Between Spirituality and Mental Health
Spirituality, in its simplest form, is about connecting with something larger than yourself: Nature, Universe, God as you understand God, a higher power, or even the energy that flows between you and others. What is spirituality for you? A sense of peace? Purpose, or meaning? Maybe meaning that transcends the day-to-day grind of life?
In this, “spirituality” might be different for you, from “religion.” Just notice if there’s a distinction for you, and hold that as you read on…
Mental health encompasses the emotional, psychological, and social well-being of a person. We sometimes talk about mental health having “pillars”: Social, Financial, Physical, Spiritual, etc. How we think, feel, and act are all affected by this aspect of our wellness. It shapes how we handle stress, relate to others, and make decisions. It’s no surprise that practices tied to spirituality — like mindfulness, meditation, and prayer, wandering around in nature, creating, singing in community, for example — have a heartening and strengthening impact on mental health.
A growing body of research shows that cultivating a spiritual mindset can reduce anxiety, depression, and stress. It even affects the brain itself! Spirituality offers ways to make sense of the world around us, reduce emotional distress, and build a sense of inner calm, even in the face of adversity.
The Science Behind Spirituality and Mental Health
While spirituality might seem like a fluffy, abstract concept, there’s science behind its benefits. Let’s explore some of the ways that spirituality contributes to mental well-being:
Mindfulness and Stress Reduction: Many spiritual practices emphasize mindfulness. This might be defined as being fully present in the moment without judgment. Whether you’re meditating, doing yoga, or sitting under a tree, mindfulness helps you pay attention to thoughts and feelings without assigning a label of “good,” or “bad,” to them. You simply notice what is…right now…and let it be for right now. This awareness can help you manage stress more effectively and reduce negative thinking patterns that fuel anxiety or depression.
Improved Emotional Resilience: When life throws challenges our way, spirituality can offer the emotional tools to handle them. Many spiritual traditions teach the importance of acceptance, forgiveness, and gratitude. These practices foster emotional resilience—helping you bounce back from difficulties with a more balanced, positive outlook.
Connection to Something Larger: Feeling connected to a higher power or a sense of purpose can provide a great sense of comfort and security. Knowing that you’re part of something greater can help alleviate feelings of loneliness and existential anxiety. It can be especially powerful when you’re navigating life’s big questions: “What’s my purpose?” or “Why am I here?”
Soothing of Complex Emotions: Many spiritual practices, like prayer or chanting, encourage positive affirmations and a focus on love, kindness, and compassion. These practices have been linked to reduced levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) and enhanced feelings of well-being. Spirituality encourages an internal shift from fear-based thinking to a mindset of love and acceptance, which can create lasting changes in your mental state. (Note: This is one place where it can be important to note the difference between “religion,” and “spirituality” — for those who have experienced religious trauma, “love and acceptance” may be outside of, or muddied by, their experience in a religious group context.)
A Sense of Belonging: Spiritual communities, whether they’re religious or secular, can provide a sense of belonging and support. Social connectedness has long been linked to better mental health, as it helps counteract feelings of isolation and loneliness. When you’re part of a community that shares your values, you may feel like you matter, which can provide immense comfort.
Gentle Practices to Bolster Your Spirituality and Mental Health
Now that we know how spirituality and mental health are connected, let’s wonder about some simple, sustainable, even light-hearted ways to incorporate spirituality into everyday life:
Start Your Day with Gratitude: Instead of diving straight into the daily rush, take one minute each morning to reflect on what you’re grateful for. This could be as simple as appreciating your cozy bed or the sunshine outside. Thankfulness helps rewire your brain to focus on what is already Good, setting a calm tone for the day ahead.
Michelle and I have a little locally thrown, night-sky-blue clay tea pot sitting on our kitchen table. It was, of course, intended to serve tea! We use it as a Gratitude Jar instead. There are no rules to how or when we engage with it. When a Gratitude of particular note rises, we simply write it out on a little slip of paper, fold it up, and put it in the tea pot. We also write our wishes-prayers-needs and toss them in there, too, naming Gratitude and Longing, both.
Try Meditation or Deep Breathing: If the thought of sitting in silence for hours doesn’t appeal to you, don’t worry! Meditation doesn’t have to be serious or difficult. Even one minute of deep breathing (imagine taking just 3 deep breaths), or focusing on a calming image or word/phrase feel grounding and ease tension. Over time, it will even help you build emotional resilience.
We use breath a lot at Still Lake Listening. We’ll often open a group session with a phrase like, “Let’s take 3 deep breaths together.” There’s a reason for this: When we rest our attention on our breath, and then breath as deeply as we are able (in, and out), it sends a message to the brain that we are safe. Simple. Free! And, in a more spiritual exploration, we might even say that breath is something that connects us to all living things that need air to thrive.
Even more practices…
Mindful Walking: Take a stroll in nature or around your neighborhood and practice being present in the moment. ‘Not sure what this means? Think of mindfulness like a little “boop!” Our brains are usually working really hard to make sense, make plans, problem solve, or make trouble! When our intention is to just notice what is happening right here, right now, we offer the brain a little “boop!” on the nose: “Hey brain! Pay attention to the sights, sounds, and smells around you!” Right here. Right now.
Getting all caught up in storming and forming your very important thoughts? No problem. Bring your attention back to your surroundings: What can you see? Feel? Smell? Hear? It can be challenging to do this without judgment at first, but there’s no need to punish your busy mind for just doing what busy minds do. This practice is about offering your full self (body, mind, and spirit) rest and curious quiet. Quiet Heart. Quiet Mind. Walking mindfully might be a good support in that search.
Just Do Nature! If mindfully walking isn’t your thing, connect with nature in ways that are. Climb, swim, kayak, cycle. Get out amongst it all. Trees matter. Moss mellows. If we had $5.00 for every time someone has said, “Well…I don’t really do religion, but Nature is very spiritual for me!”. Spirituality and mental health seem to slip into an intuitive, natural-as-breathing dance when we step off the concrete and out into the wild.
Affirmations and Positive Self-Talk: For us here at Still Lake this might mean something a bit different from what you’ve heard before (ie: simple, positive statements about yourself that can lift your spirits like, “I am worthy of love and peace,” or “I am capable of overcoming challenges.”). We explore this as a practice of expansive non-judgment. It’s all about resting your attention curiously on whatever may arise. For example, when the sludge of shame slithers in, or impatience barks, rather than recoiling or biting back at yourself (“Stop feeling this way!), you actually allow your full attention to rest on the feeling that is right now.
Notice: what is the feeling that has come to me? Where do I feel it in my body? Does this feeling bring me energy-life-joy? Does this feeling deplete me? Just notice, notice, notice! The thought-feeling that is arising is neither good, nor bad. It simple is. It might be trying to tell you something important. By simply Being With your self honestly and allowing a moment’s noticing, you may get a quick sense of what you actually need. That can create a lot of spacious wonder and a lot less tight, scrunched-up disquiet.
Connect with Others: Whether it’s joining a spiritual community, chatting with a friend, or simply being kind to a stranger, building connections is key for mental health. Don’t underestimate the power of shared experiences and social support. Sometimes an honest, “How are you?” invites deep connection.
Create! Journal, paint, dance, sing, play your zither! Brain, body, spirit are all well met when we let our Inner Creator just Be.
Practice Loving-Kindness: One beautiful spiritual practice in strengthening the spirituality and mental health connection is loving-kindness meditation, which focuses on sending love and well-wishes to yourself and others. It can be a simple thought or a quiet prayer wishing happiness, peace, and health for yourself, loved ones, and even strangers. This can foster feelings of connection and compassion.
Spirituality and Mental Health and Spiritual Direction
Playful, grounding, connected ways of moving toward resilience and Peace, right? Do you get a sense of where will you find moments of quiet heart, quiet mind, and connection to something larger than yourself?
One of the practices we are all about here at Still Lake is spiritual direction. That is spiritual support, companionship, co-learning. You can explore this as a person who aligns dearly with one religion, or another. Or, you can be someone who identifies as spiritual, but not religious. For that matter, you might not consider yourself either (We say a bit about this in our Atheism journal entry). This kind of care offers non-judgmental, wonder-rich exploration of spirituality and mental health through deepening into personal experience, story, and personal growth.
You are welcome here.
