According to Collins Dictionary “Your spirit is the part of you that is not physical and that consists of your character and feelings.” Your spirit is essentially your strength, resilience, drive, and the root of all your emotions. We can easily strengthen our physical selves and we can also boost our emotional sides but how do we uplift our spirits? (https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/spirit).
Those who have religious faith in their lives can turn to their beliefs and the tenants of their religion to uphold their spirit. There are also a great number of people who do not ascribe to a religion yet still need spiritual support to strengthen themselves. Whether you are religious or not there are things we can do to strengthen our spiritual selves. These can become daily practices which we use to help us find strength in our daily lives.
- Personal Reflection
Psychologist Allen R McConnell Ph.D. feels that the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur has a great deal to teach us about self reflection. In fact, self reflection is used in many ways from forming a bond to your religion to helping us fight addiction. Our spirit is a complex part of us, something we cannot really understand unless we have insight into ourselves. (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-social-self/201009/reflection-critical-self-improvement).
We need to spend time each morning reflecting on ourselves. Some quiet time assessing our dreams, strengths, weaknesses, fears, and motivations. It is important to understand the makeup of our personal spirit so we can better work to feed its needs.
- Mantra Meditation
The Exploration of Consciousness Research Institute (EOC) suggests that using positive mantras in meditation can help boost our spiritual health. We all have goals in life even if they are merely to be happy. A morning meditation with the focus of clearing the mind of negativity and boosting your positivity is a great day starter. (https://eocinstitute.org/meditation/mantra-meditation/).
Choose some words that will feed your goal of improved motivation, happiness, positivity, compassion etc. and chant them as you meditate. Allow the words to sink into your spirit and become part of your motivation.
- Physical and Mental Health
Our spiritual health is connected with both our physical and mental health meaning that they have a great effect on it. The Seleni Institute suggests that regular exercise and healthy eating has a positive effect on our mental health.
The stress reducing effects of exercise are just one benefit as well as feelings of physical wellbeing and confidence. When we feel healthy our mental health is improved and when we feel settled in body and mind together our spirit is strong. So, start each day with exercise and a healthy breakfast.
- Do a Good Deed
As part of every morning, we must resolve to do something during the day for someone else. A selfless act which helps someone no matter how small feeds our spirit. There are so many out in the world who could benefit from one small act or a kind word.
There is one key component to remember with this, once you plan and execute your good deed move on. Do not seek praise from others or expect deep gratitude, it is enough that you know what you have done.
- Write in a Gratitude Journal
Our spirit is strengthened by the things we have in our lives and not just the material items. We should spend a little time each morning contemplating the good things in our lives that we are grateful for. This may work better if we note them in a journal allowing us to revisit our blessings. Write about the positive things, people, and feelings in your life that you feel grateful for.
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