Spirituality and wellbeing

1. Spiritual Wellbeing
Dr. Suresh Kumar Murugesan PhD
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2. Concept
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3. Wellbeing
a state of being healthy and happy
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4. Spirituality
the quality of being concerned
with the human spirit or soul as
opposed to material or physical
things.
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5. Spirituality
● a sense of purpose
● a sense of ‘connectedness’ – to self, others, nature, ‘God’ or Other
● a quest for wholeness
● a search for hope or harmony
● a belief in a higher being or beings
● some level of transcendence, or the sense that there is more to life than the material or
practical, and
● those activities that give meaning and value to people’s lives.
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6. Spiritual wellbeing
Spiritual wellbeing means the ability to
experience and integrate meaning and
purpose in life through a person's
connectedness with self, others art, music,
literature, nature, or a power greater than
oneself.
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7. Spirituality
● Spirituality is not a single path or belief system.
● There are many ways to experience spirituality and
the benefits of a spiritual experience.
● For some people, this might involve the belief in a
higher power or a specific religious practice.
● For others, it may involve experiencing a sense of
connection to a higher state or a sense of
interconnectedness with the rest of humanity and
nature.
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9. Signs of Spirituality
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10. Signs of Spirituality
Some signs of spirituality can include:
● Asking deep questions about topics such as suffering and what happens after death
● Deepening connections with other people
● Experiencing compassion and empathy for others
● Experiencing feelings of interconnectedness
● Feelings of awe and wonder
● Seeking happiness beyond material possessions or other external rewards
● Seeking meaning and purpose
● Wanting to make the world a better place
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11. Research Findings
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12. Study 1 Whitehead BR, Bergeman (2012)
Research has shown that religion and spirituality can help people
cope with the effects of everyday stress.
One study found that everyday spiritual experiences helped older
adults better cope with negative feelings and enhanced positive
feelings.
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13. Study 2 McMahon, BT, Biggs (2012)
Research shows that older women are more grateful to God than
older men, and they receive greater ​stress-buffering health
effects due to this gratitude
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14. Study 3
According to research of Johnson (2018), those with an
intrinsic religious orientation, regardless of gender,
exhibited less physiological reactivity toward stress
than those with an extrinsic religious orientation.
Those who were intrinsically oriented dedicated their
lives to God or a "higher power," while the
extrinsically oriented ones used religion for external
ends like making friends or increasing community
social standing.
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15. Study - 4 Studies demonstrated the positive impact of spirituality on
physical health and mental health as well as on other positive
health outcomes such as subjective well-being, health-related
quality of life, coping skills, recovering from mental illness, or
less addictive or suicidal behaviors (Mueller et al., 2001; Miller
and Thoresen, 2003; Kharitonov, 2012; Unterrainer et al., 2014).
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16. Study 5
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17. Benefits
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18. Health Benefits of
Spirituality
1. Better health
2. Greater psychological well-being
3. Less depression
4. Less hypertension
5. Less stress, even during difficult times
6. More positive feelings
7. Superior ability to handle stress
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19. Benefits of
spiritual
wellbeing
Benefits of spiritual wellbeing include:
● Feeling content with life
● Maintaining balance and control of life
● Building positive relationships
● Feeling a purpose and meaning in life
● Experiencing a connection with a power greater than
oneself
● Accepting and growing from the challenges and
changes in life.
● Helps to overcome hardship in life
● Spiritual people make healthier choices
● Help to live longer
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20. Spiritual
Wellness
Activities
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21. Spiritual Wellness Activities
● Practicing meditation or yoga
● Praying or taking part in organized religion
● Spending quiet time alone pondering the meaning
of life
● Building awareness through Gratitude journaling
● Serving your community, spending time in nature,
appreciating music and the arts
● Reading and reflection
● Affirmation and Mindfulness
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22. References
1. Louise Delagran (2021). Why spirituality is important? https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/why-spirituality-important
2. Elizabeth Scott (November 27, 2020). What Is Spirituality? https://www.verywellmind.com/how-spirituality-can-benefit-mental-
and-physical-health-3144807
3. https://www.adventhealth.com/blog/importance-maintaining-your-spiritual-well-being
4. Denise Mann (November 14, 2017). 6 Ways Spirituality Can Help Make You Healthier.
https://www.everydayhealth.com/pictures/ways-spirituality-can-make-you-healthier/
5. https://daylesfordcrossing.com/news/spirituality-health-benefits
6. Luna Greenstein (DEC. 21, 2016). The Mental Health Benefits of Religion & Spirituality. https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-
Blog/December-2016/The-Mental-Health-Benefits-of-Religion-Spiritual
7. Ritika Srivastava (14th Mar 2018). Spiritual wellbeing at work: how to do it right. https://www.hrzone.com/lead/culture/spiritual-
wellbeing-at-work-how-to-do-it-right
8. Rebecca Blackwell (2020). What Are the Dimensions of Wellness for Senior Living?https://blog.hurusa.com/what-are-the-
dimensions-of-wellness-for-senior-living
9. Bożek A, Nowak PF and Blukacz M (2020) The Relationship Between Spirituality, Health-Related Behavior, and Psychological
Well-Being. Front. Psychol. 11:1997. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01997
10. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01997/full
11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3671693/
12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1305900/
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23. References
1. Nita, M. ‘Spirituality’ in Health Studies: Competing
Spiritualities and the Elevated Status of Mindfulness. J
Relig Health 58, 1605–1618 (2019).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-019-00773-2
2. https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/sites/default/files/impact-
spirituality.pdf
3. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn/2012/278730/
4. https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2007/186/10/spirituality-
religion-and-health-evidence-and-research-directions
5. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-35380-w
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