Spiritual Tools for Mental Health

“The Wound is the place where Light enters you.” ~ Rumi

The word spirituality is used so often that it sometimes loses its meaning and significance. It can be associated with ego, as in how spiritual someone can be. Also, there are many people who do not believe in a higher power and the word spirituality just doesn’t resonate.

Yet I feel that spirituality can be an amazing tool for mental health. This is my personal definition of spirituality: spirituality is a creative force that connects me to the wise parts of myself and also to something greater than the material world. Spirituality gives meaning to my struggles and my life as a whole. I feel like having faith, however you define this, is an essential part of recovering from mental illness. Healing mental illness is more spiritual than we know because it requires understanding deep aspects of self and life. Moreover, spiritual tools, like meditation or prayer, can be significant resiliences for recovery.

Spirituality doesn’t need to be seen as a specific religion (although it can be) or a threat to rationality; instead, it can be unique energy that can help connect you to positive resources in yourself and in community. If spirituality feels like the wrong word and has negative connotations for you, perhaps try another word. Another way of thinking about spirituality is asking yourself, “What is sacred to you?” Whatever is sacred to you, can generate feelings of strength, love, and compassion, helping you through difficult times.

For me, self-compassion, cultivating gratitude and curiosity, focusing on purpose and meaning, and engaging in creative expression are significant parts of what helps me feel connected to what I consider a higher power.

What is sacred to you and/or what helps you feel deeply connected, is unique to you. There are so many ways – through movement, prayer, community, or spending time in your garden – that you can nurture this positive connection that elicits feelings like peace, awe, or faith. Mental illness can be a rough ride. In hard times, this deeper, larger perspective and connection can literally be life saving.