6 Ways to Increase your Spiritual Self Care

When we think about building connection, we often think of it in terms of connection to others; spending quality time with the people that we love. But, when was the last time that you spent time with yourself?

Building a deeper connection to ourselves and to the universe or divine presence that guides your life feeds your soul. But, how do you begin to nourish your soul and explore your spiritual connection? It’s something that i’ve been working on for many years and of course it never ends but I’d love to share the things that help me stay connected to myself and the divine.   

LISTEN
Have you had those times in life when you look back and see that there were so many signposts along the way, but you just kept running right by them? While there’s nothing that we can do after the fact, it does teach us that life is willing to show us the way. All it asks is that we slow down long enough to listen.  Give it a try. Take advantage of a quiet evening or an early morning and sit with yourself for a while. Perhaps there’s something that your soul is craving or your intuition is desperate to get your attention. Allow it time and space to appear. Know that resistance to doing this is absolutely normal and so be kind to yourself and take it slowly until it begins to feel comfortable.

MEDITATE
You know that this had to make the list, right? I’m a big believer in the power of meditation and after a few years of regular practice I cannot imagine my life without it. I could talk all day about the benefits but for me I find that it helps to steady my mind and ground me in the moment. This means that the chatter in my head is so much less than it used to be, I can let go of the small things that I used to ruminate on for days. And in times of anxiety or stress I have an anchor - my breath - that keeps me from drifting far away from myself.

Even if you’ve tried it before and felt that you failed then I encourage you to give it another try - I started my daily practice with 2 minutes a day, literally - and built it from there... Here are a few more tips for making meditation your new wellness practice.

PRAYER
Whatever form this takes for you, there’s no denying that it helps us to feel connected to a power that is larger than ourselves. It’s not my place to say what this should look like for you but please explore the thoughts that arise when you think about prayer. It can open up another world and provide a foundation outside of everyday life. 

JOURNAL
Connecting to your inner thoughts and goals through journaling is a wonderful way to rebuild lost connections to yourself. I’ve journaled on and off since I was a teenager and I used to think that it was only effective if I wrote pages of notes every day. But, the truth is that some days you just don’t feel in the mood and that’s ok - write what you want whenever you feel the need. Try daily if that fits but if not then at the end of the week could work or even a couple of times a month just to check in.
 

DATE
How many things don’t we do because we have no-one to go with? Well, surely it’s better to go alone than not at all? Now I don’t mind admitting that I need to take my own advice here and do this much more often but let’s both try and give it a go - what do you say? Now, if you’re anything like me, then you’re quite happy in your own company (and dare I say even prefer it sometimes) and this won’t be too much of a challenge. But, if you are usually happier surrounded by others then maybe build up to it slowly with short outings here and there. This can be anything from taking a walk to reconnect with nature, visiting a place of spiritual significance for you or even taking yourself out to dinner.     

SPACE
I’m going out on a limb here because I’m not sure if anyone else thinks of decluttering as a spiritual practice but hear me out. Clear space creates clarity in our minds and that helps us to see the road ahead. On the reverse side, clutter in any respect - emotional, physical and energetic - creates noise that stands in the way of creating time for the deeper connections that we crave. Not sure? Give it a try and see how it feels. Here are 5 Ways that Clearing Clutter Helps to Clear Your Mind.

I hope that’s inspired you to increase your spiritual self care. Of course there are many other ways to rebuild connection in your life. But the key is to get started, so what can you do this week to take the first step to increasing your spiritual self care?    

AUTHOR: LEANNA DOOLIN

Co – Founder of holistic skincare brand, Pure Thoughts and advocate for women finding pause in their day to breathe deeply, give thanks and reconnect to what matters. Loves early mornings, dogs and books that you can’t put down.