Spirituality and Wellbeing

#spirituality #wellbeing

4 min read

“Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind, and spirit. When one is free from physical disabilities and mental distractions, the gates of the soul open.” – B.K.S. Iyengar

Lately, the terms ‘holistic’ and ‘wellness’ have been popping up everywhere in the healthcare industry. The whole idea is to treat the whole person, not just the physical body. It views sickness or diseases as interconnected to every aspect of a person’s life. One of the humanistic and holistic models, such as the biopsychosocial model, can help us understand it better. While the term ‘spiritual’ might not be explicitly included in the name, it’s surely a crucial component that cannot be ignored.

Table of Contents

What is Spirituality?

Usually, people are unclear about the difference between religion and spirituality. There are numerous definitions, and it’s really up to you how you would like to define them (I wrote my master’s thesis specifically on this subject, so trust me, I’m still as confused as you are.) But for the sake of simplicity, let’s consider spirituality as a broader term that includes religions, faiths, or any beliefs that provide principles for conducting a good and meaningful life, resources for coping with stress, answers to existential questions, and the transcendental aspect of the human being.

Impact on Wellbeing

It might not be obvious at first how spirituality affects our health and wellbeing—especially, on a physical level—but it definitely impacts us both positively and negatively.

The impact, however, is not solely from spirituality itself but from how a person engages and utilizes its resources.

It’s possible that two people with identical beliefs and spiritual practices can experience completely different outcomes. So, let’s explore some examples for each wellness dimension.

Physical Dimension

Positive

  • Effective stress coping protects against many physical diseases like heart disease and hypertension.
  • Viewing the body as sacred and deserving of good care encourages self-care.
  • Discouraging harmful behaviors such as smoking, drinking, overindulgence, or sexual misconduct.
  • Some practices include healthy physical activities like asana practice or walking meditation.

Negative

  • Certain beliefs could lead to delay or rejection of medical attention.
  • Could influence unhealthy and unhelpful medical decisions.
  • Self-harm rituals: Extreme fasting or self-torture.

Mental Dimension

Positive

  • Practices like prayer or meditation boost positive emotions and neutralize negative ones.
  • Encouraging a positive and growth mindset.
  • Promoting self-resilience.

Negative

  • Rigid thinking and closed-mindedness.
  • Excessive guilt or anxiety from beliefs in divine punishment or karma.
  • Losing a sense of autonomy or control.

Social Dimension

Positive

  • Emphasis on love, compassion, and forgiveness helps foster human relationships.
  • Social rules and precepts promote harmony and reduce conflict.
  • Encourage community participation and provide social support.

Negative

  • Justifying hatred against other groups or non-believers.
  • Harmful herd thinking or cult-like control for vulnerable groups.
  • Excessive devotion leads to relationship conflicts.

Spiritual Dimension

Some psychiatrists I’ve interviewed point out that spirituality is already integrated with each dimension of the biopsychosocial model, but separating it as another dimension helps us see it more clearly and makes it easier to work with.

As we’ve discovered that people also need spiritual care, emphasizing the spiritual dimension can improve healthcare quality and health outcomes.

Positive

  • Providing a sense of purpose and meaning to life.
  • Offering existential perspectives.
  • Providing hope and optimism through a personal transcendence.

Negative

  • Potential for delusional and distorted worldviews.
  • Obsession with pseudoscience.
  • Existential crisis.

Be wise and Be Realistic

When we say that spirituality matters, it’s important not to judge one set of beliefs or faiths as superior or inferior to others. We have to consider ‘the whole’ of it too. Some may argue that it could have only been indirect results, but in reality, it depends on whether it’s the right fit for that person and if it harmonizes with other dimensions in their life. But one thing we can be certain of is we can improve our wellbeing with anything that reduces stress, promotes self-care, and fosters good relationships.

So, a helpful question to keep reflecting on is “Do my spiritual beliefs truly lead me to greater wellbeing?”

Fortunately, rigorous research over the years has shown that the positives far outweigh the negatives. One systematic review has found about 80% with positive results and 20% with mixed and negative results. While fixating on getting only positive results and avoiding all negative effects in life is unrealistic, it’s only when a person is mindful and aware of the impact of their religion, or spirituality, that they can truly realize their wellness potential without losing balance.

Be kind, be happy.