Spiritual Wellness Inventory

1. 5/13/2016 Spiritual Wellness
Inventory
Kristen Lawrence
Kaplan University
HW420

2. There are demands put on our spiritual and psychological well-being everyday by both
the world around us and ourselves. These demands, when not dealt with properly, can have a
detrimental effect on our spiritual and psychological well-being. Seaward (2013) said it best
when he described the human spirit like a river that flows through the human body. Unresolved
issues like anger and fear are like damns that block the flow of the river. And stress is just
another force that adds to the blocking of the flow of energy. Growth of your spirituality comes
from balance of your heart and head. And although the journey is hard work, the work is worth
all the effort (Seaward, 2013). I have developed the following questions as “medicine for the
soul” (Seaward, 2013, p.232) for both myself and my potential clients for several reasons. It is a
great tool to help keep yourself on track with your spiritual growth and it is a great tool for me to
use as a professional to help my clients. I feel it touches upon each of the important aspects of
growing spiritually, as I will explain.
Question number one is “Do you take time daily to meditate, pray or grow spiritually? If
you do, what is it and do you feel it is helpful?” I believe that this is important for a couple of
reasons. First, as Seaward (2013) notes, we live in a busy and hectic world that demands much
from us. It is important to take time to disconnect from that crazy world and recharge our mind
and spirit. These types of exercises, like prayer and meditation, can help your recharger your
personal energy. In addition, taking time to practice sacred rituals is important to helps us stay
reminded and connected to our divine source, whatever that may look like for you. This too will
help to recharge you and give you energy, both spiritually and mentally (Seaward, 2013).
Secondly, “Do you have a strong support system of friends and family or do you feel part
of a healthy community or group?” I feel external relationships are important for several
reasons. First of all, they are a “reflection of how we see and treat ourselves” (Seaward, 201,

3. p.115). So if we are able to have strong, lasting, healthy relationships with others, that is a good
reflection of how we are treating ourselves. In addition, having a strong support system or a
group to turn to turn to for both good and bad times is helpful in coping with all that life throws
our way. It helps us when we are going through a difficult time and need support to cope with
the stress, and it helps us to know that we have people who care and are by our side, no matter
what the circumstances.
Thirdly, “Do you get at least 30 minutes of physical activity daily?” Maintaining
physical well-being helps to maintain a balance in our wellness paradigm, and helps our body to
preserve homeostasis. In addition, many people find that physical activity is a great way to
release stress, reconnect with nature and their spirituality. It does not have to be vigorous
activity every day. Somedays you may need a walk in nature, other days you may need Pilates
and still other days you may need a fast past aerobics class. What is important is to pay attention
to what all aspects of your body are calling for on that day.
The fourth question to ask is, “Do you take time to volunteer or give back to your
community?” To me this relates to what Seaward (2013, p.239) calls “compassion in action.”
This is about doing something for others with no strings attached, without expecting anything in
return and with an attitude of both parties being equal. Truly volunteering and giving your
service is about non-judgement and both parties benefiting. This is important because it is
important to give back to the world around you in order to experience a sense of appreciation for
what you have. This action of service can also help you to find clarity and purpose and to
reconnect and recharge your spirituality and psychological well-being.
Next, “Do you make time for hobbies, fun and/or laughter?” There is healing power
found in humor to the mind, body and soul (Seaward, 2013). Humor can be found in your

4. hobbies, in fun activities you do or in everyday life, if you choose to see it. Additionally,
positive emotions that come from laughter have been shown to have a positive effect on the
immune system (Seaward, 2015)
Succeeding, “Do you experience meaning in your daily life or your life in general?”
Having meaning in life can help us get through even the darkest of times, can give us a reason to
get out of bed in the morning and can help us find joy and happiness in the little things in life.
Having a meaningful purpose in life is part of the three pillars of cultivating your spirituality.
This can help you to grow and develop your spirituality and psychological well-being, by
looking deep within and asking “Who am I?” and “Why am I here?” (Seaward, 2013, p.116).
Furthermore, “What drives or motivates you to get out of bed in the morning or to
succeed in life?” This goes along with having a meaningful purpose in life and being driven by
the right emotions. Are you being driven by your dark side or your ego? Or do you have honest
and pure intentions? Are you motivated and working on the premise of love, compassion, and
forgiveness towards yourself and others? (Seaward, 2013) This will help you to grow spiritually
and develop your psychological well-being, on a deeper more meaningful level.
The eight question is, “Do you have the tools to successfully manage stress? If so, what
are they?” To me, this is extremely important because if you are overcome with stress, you will
not be able to make any growth on your spiritual journey. As I mentioned earlier, your energy
flow will be blocked. By releasing stress, you will be able to clear your mind, refocus your
energy and leave yourself open for new ideas, perceptions and emotions. This can be done
through meditation, deep breathing, exercising, and so many other ways. The important thing is
finding the healthy activities that work for you personally.

5. Ninth, “Do you find it easy to forgive yourself and others?” When you are unable to
forgive you are giving away your personal power. You are literally being held captive by your
emotions and the past. This unresolved anger can “joke” your spirit (Seaward, 2013, p.235).
Being able to forgive will help you to let go of the past, regain control of your emotions, which
will ultimately lead you to be able to grow and develop in a more positive direction. The reward
of the hard work of forgiveness if freedom! (Seaward, 2013).
Lastly, “Are you happy with your life?” This may seem like a no-brainer type of
question. But so many people are just going through the motions each and every day. It is
important to stop and take time to examine every aspect of your life and make sure it is what you
want and are working towards. You only get one life to live and I would hope you would not
want to waste it being unhappy. This question requires some deep thinking and being honest
with yourself but it is important in order to make the necessary changes to grow in the right
direction spiritually and psychologically.
These questions, I feel, are important to ask many times throughout your journey. You
are constantly growing, changing and getting distracted by life. It is important to take the time to
stop every now and then to evaluate where you have come from, where you are and where you
are headed. The key factor in this process, if you are going to make true progress, is to be honest
with yourself.
I interviewed several different women in different avenues of life in order to gain a better
perspective on how useful the above inventory would be. I interviewed a single mom in her
early forties, a recently married woman who was once a single mom and is also a new mom (in
her thirties), and a woman in her late fifties who is unable to work due to health conditions.
What I found was that, although they each had extremely different answers for each of the

6. questions, the majority were content with where they were and with their journey. For example,
for question number one that asks about taking time to pray, meditate or grow spiritually, one
prayed daily, one prayed only in difficult times and one practices yoga and meditation. The
avenue they chose works for them and meets their spiritual needs at the current time. The
majority of the woman talked about having a strong support system that came from both family
and friends. They also talked about the importance of their children having those same types of
relationships. The moms incorporated their daily physical activity into their daily lives with their
kids, which is also where they indicated much of their fun and laughter came from. The woman
who no longer works is able to experience fun and laughter from her grandchildren, along the
same path as the mothers. All of the women volunteer and talked about the importance of giving
back, all doing it in different ways. One woman has therapy dogs that she volunteers, another
volunteers through an organization her employer is involved with and another woman helps to
clean her church. Each of the woman talked about having meaning in life, again in different
ways. Two of them talked about how they find meaning not only in their children/grandchildren
but also in the dogs they have. Another woman talked about how she finds so much meaning
now that she has found love again after being a single mom for so long. Each woman was
motivated by their family and faith. And, once again, each of the women had different yet
effective tools for managing stress. One woman talked of long showers, deep breaths, a good cry
and a walk in nature. Another talked about yoga, solitude and being in nature plus having the
security of good friends and family. She also talked about learning over the years not to stress
over the little things and that some things are completely out of her control. Another talked
about dealing with her stress by talking through it with her therapist and having some good days
and some not so good days, but knowing everything would be alright. An ironic aspect is that all

7. three women had difficulty with forgiveness. All are working on it and say it is a work in
progress and that they are harder on themselves than others. But they all talked about the
importance of forgiving both themselves and others. Lastly, each woman whole heartedly said
they were happy with their life, which made me really happy. To quote one woman, “Absolutely
I am happy with my life. I have more love in my life than most, and have been through enough
rough times that I know the worth of being loved. I smile more than I cry. I’m successful
professionally. I make enough money and am financially secure to raise my kids independently
and comfortably. I have amazing relationships with friends, family and acquaintances” (Lyon,
M. 2015, Personal Communication). Another woman says that every day is like Christmas. And
another said that she feels loved and content at this stage in her life.
I believe this inventory that I created can help the interviewee look deeper into
themselves and their life and the meaning of their life. As I mentioned when explaining these
questions, each question has a specific meaning and purpose in our life and can help us look
within to explore who we are and what we are doing with this body, mind and soul we were
given. After interviewing several different women, I am content that this inventory will be
helpful across any gender, race, socioeconomic level, etc., to help someone explore their spiritual
journey.

8. References
Lyon, M. May 2015 Personal Communication
Seaward, L. (2013) Health of the Human Spirit 2nd Edition, Burlington, MA; Jones & Bartlett
Learning
Seaward, L. (2015) Managing Stress: Principles and Strategies for Health and Well Being 8th
Edition, Burlington, MA; Jones & Bartlett Learning