It’s been a challenging week for me. More about that in future posts. Despite the best-laid plans, I am running out of time to write a post before my 4 pm Friday, publishing deadline. I am eternally grateful to freelance contributor Cassie Steele for contributing another post. Cassie published her first post here
To say the world is chaotic right now may seem like a bit of an understatement. Violence, poverty, political unrest, lack of job security, terrorism, and a broken healthcare system are just a few of the things that may be causing worry, stress, and imbalance. Originally it was thought that people turned to religion for comfort during rough times, but now it seems people are turning toward spirituality to help them cope instead. How? Let’s find out.
Does Spirituality Equal Wellbeing?
A study by the Pew Research Center found that 1.1 billion, or 16% of the world’s population, have no religious affiliation but that the majority say that they do consider themselves spiritual and believe in God or a higher power. Here in Canada, a new study by Angus Reid found that 60% of Canadians considered themselves privately faithful or spiritually uncertain compared to just 21% who said they were religious. Privately faithful means they don’t identify with any specific religion, yet they do believe in God or a higher power and indulge in prayer.
So, how can spirituality help you thrive in today’s crazy world? Studies have shown that people who consider themselves spiritual report a greater sense of satisfaction, deeper engagement with their community and an overall feeling of peace and wellbeing. These can all help you cope with stress better.
By making a conscious effort to nurture your spiritual health through connecting with nature, journaling, doing Yoga, praying, discussions with other spiritually healthy people and reading the Bible or other spiritual texts, you’ll create healthy escapes from the chaos when you need them and find a better balance.
Hope and Purpose
Spirituality gives people a sense of hope and a feeling of purpose. When times get challenging, turn to them to keep yourself grounded and focused. You can do this by meditating, doing breathing exercises, and by joining groups of other like-minded individuals.
Spirituality, whether it involves belief in God or not, tells us that the chaos is temporary and there are better things to come. It gives us the belief that we are a part of something much bigger than ourselves and something of great beauty and wisdom. It is these beliefs that support us with guidance and give us the strength to cope with hard times.
Spirituality is becoming increasingly important in today’s uncertain times. It provides a way to centre one’s self and a reminder that we all have a purpose. Spirituality gives us strength and the knowledge that we are all part of a much greater plan, one that will make the hard times worth it.
Thank you, Cassie.
Cassie can be contacted by leaving a comment or sending an email to the address on the home page.
