How To Practice Spiritual Self-Care To Soothe Your Soul

Spread the love

Practicing spiritual self-care can help to both soothe and uplift your soul

Welcome to the first in my series on the 8 dimensions of self-care! Every month or so, I will write a post on one of the 8 dimensions of self-care, which are:

  • Spiritual
  • Emotional
  • Social
  • Environmental
  • Physical
  • Intellectual
  • Social
  • Financial

I’m super excited to start this series and help you understand all about the different dimensions of self-care. Let’s get started with spiritual self-care and learning about how to take care of yourself spiritually!

*This post may contain affiliate and/or referral links. It doesn’t cost you anything extra to use the provided links to purchase any of the below products or services. Please check out my disclosure policy.*

What Is Spiritual Self-Care?

To me, spiritual self-care just means connecting yourself to something larger that you. For some people that may mean God. For others, that may mean nature.

I personally don’t ascribe to any particular spiritual faith, so I choose to practice spiritual self-care by connecting to anything that helps me to feel more connected to the human experience, the Judeo-Christian God, other Gods and Goddesses, and nature.

My best advice for you is to practice spiritual self-care in a way that supports your efforts to be more connected to a higher calling or greater meaning in your life.

How To Practice Spiritual Self-Care

Practicing this type of self-care doesn’t have to be difficult or take a lot of time. Though the time that you devote to your spiritual self-care and spiritual self help is totally up to you!

Spiritual Self-Care Ideas

Meditation

Meditation is a wonderful and easy way to practice this dimension of self-care. Why is it so easy? Because you can do it any time or anywhere. If you’re like me, or how I used to be, I used to think that meditation meant sitting in silence with your eyes closed and thinking of absolutely nothing. Meditation does NOT have to be that.

Meditation can be done in various ways including using the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT/tapping), repeating an affirmation while focusing on its meaning to you, or even meditation with gongs (you can learn about my experience with gong meditation).

Related: Check out these 25 products to help you achieve maximum levels of mindfulness and meditation

Start A Creative Project

Creativity can be a gateway to not only expressing yourself, but showcasing that expression to others. Creativity is often a way that people can share their beliefs in a higher power or higher connection as well as expressing the important human connection.

Have you ever felt a powerful connection to a piece of art, a poem, or a sculpture? THAT is the universal human experience that connects us all.

Pray or Say Affirmations

Sometimes you may feel that you’re alone or that you don’t have anyone to talk to. I personally believe that is not true. Prayers or affirmations can be your way to speak to your higher power or higher connection. If you’re not comfortable speaking out loud or want to put a bit more power into your prayers or affirmations, write them down.

Participate in a Healing Circle

Participating in a healing circle (specifically, the healing circle that I have been a part of) has been an amazing part of my spiritual growth over the past year. Healing circles (also called women’s circles or sister circles), are special groups in which women come together to share, grow, and support each other. Many healing circles can have specific themes (mine is self-discovery) and some allow for the freedom to speak your mind on any topic.

Remember when I said spiritual self-care is just connecting to something larger than yourself? Healing circles allow you to connect to the larger human experience, and many specifically the feminine experience and know that you are not alone.

Read A Spiritual or Religious Book

As I mentioned before, spiritual self-care doesn’t have to be tied to a singular religion or spiritual practice. I’ve read many spiritual and religious books from multiple faiths that have enhanced both my understanding of my own spirituality, but also my understanding of others, which is incredibly important to me. Some of these books have been specifically on spiritual self-care.

Keep on reading to see some of my favorite spiritual self-care books.

Practice Gratitude

To me, practicing gratitude is spiritual in nature because it is thanking your higher power or higher connection for everything that you have (and for everything that is coming towards you). Practicing gratitude connects us to spirituality because it is sending positive energy out into the universe so that it can continue to be spread to both ourselves and to others.

Connect with Nature

Connecting with nature could be anything from watching a sunrise or sunset while you say a few affirmations or sitting on the ground and letting your toes wiggle in the grass.

Talk With a Spiritual Advisor

A spiritual advisor could be anyone that you believe is able to help you with your connection to something larger than you. This spiritual advisor could be a religious leader like a priest or could be someone such as a psychic or tarot card reader. Choose someone who aligns with your beliefs and values to help you on your spiritual journey.

Take A Class On Spirituality

One of the best classes that I ever took was a class on Hinduism when I was in college. We learned about their different Gods and Goddesses, how Indian culture is/was structured around this religion, and the intersection between Hinduism and other religions and spiritual practices. This is where my love of spirituality and learning about other religions/spiritual practices can from.

BetterListen is a great resource for spiritual self-care topics such as mindfulness, meditation, Buddhism, from thought leaders like Marianne Williamson, Ram Dass, and Thich Nhat Hanh. There are even some absolutely free resources there.

Attend A Religious or Spiritual Event

Attending a religious or spiritual event is a great way to not only learn about spirituality but witness it in action. When I was in the class on Hinduism when I was in college, my classmates and I were able to go to a Hindu temple and participate in one of their ceremonies. It was absolutely beautiful (picture below – not great quality but it was over 10 years ago ?)

People completing a Hindu religious ceremony

Journals & Books About Spiritual Self-Care

These spiritual self-care books and journals will help you continue with your spiritual journey. I’ve used/read many of these books ?

The Spirit Almanac

The Spirit Almanac is your guide to ancient self-care practices that will help you on your spiritual journey. Some of the topics in this book include crystals, essential oils, and astrology. Grab it here.

The Witch’s Book of Self-Care

The Witch’s Book of Self-Care is all about self-care rituals and spiritual self-help tips that to pamper your mind, body, and spirit, all grounded in the magic of witchcraft. Click here to check it out.

Good Days Start with Gratitude

This journal is a super simple gratitude journal that will help you begin a gratitude practice. Get the Good Days Start with Gratitude Journal.

Experiencing Spirituality

Experiencing Spirituality is a fantastic book that showcases stories from different times and cultures while the authors comment on the shared human experience that connects all of us.

The Artist’s Way

The Artist’s Way is a phenomenal book to help you achieve a greater understanding of your spirituality through creative expression.

PIN ME!

I hope this helped and gave you a good starting place on how to take care of yourself spiritually and understanding your spiritual self. How do you practice this type of self-care? Let me know your spiritual self-care ideas or spiritual self help tips in the comments!

If this post helped you, consider buying me a coffee!

Briana Hollis is a licensed social worker and self-care coach. She earned her Master of Science in Social Administration from Case Western Reserve University in 2014 and her Master of Education from Tiffin University in 2019. She has spent the last 5 years working in crisis intervention.  Her passion for serving others is the heart of this site. She started Learning To Be Free to assist others in bringing freedom to their lives.

Briana is also the author of The Self-Care Journal for Young Adults.


Spread the love

Comments

  1. It was easy for me to heal inside and find some peace when I was in my original place surrounded by the Nature and the sea, especially that. I find it harder now that I’m living in a big city…
    It’s incredible how the environment disrupts our balance!!!

  2. Cate says:

    So excited for this series! Thank you for putting it together.

  3. Phylecia M says:

    This series is a wonderful idea! Especially since everyone is stressed out during the pandemic. One of the things I like about this list is how practical it is. Meditation and creative projects are ideal ways to soothe the soul.

  4. Thomas says:

    Nice post. One of my favorite spiritual self care techniques is to exercise. I consider that to be Active Meditation. I generally do it first thing in the morning to help clear and center my thoughts for the day. A good friend of mine got me into Chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. Every now and then i’ll recite it when my negative thought patterns get too invasive and repetitive.

    Keep on writing!!

Comments are closed.