Have you heard of Soul Health before? Some of you may have heard me talk about my Health Wheel. The Health Wheel is based on different “versions” of stress in our lives. If these stresses are not managed, over time they can lead to chronic health concerns, e.g. cardiovascular disease. The wheel is a way to self-assess how you are doing in certain areas of stress in your life and figure out how well you are managing that stress.
At the center of the Wheel is Soul Health, surrounded by four main components:
- Physical Stress
- Emotional Stress
- Chemical Stress
- Spiritual Stress
Soul health is located as the center point of the health wheel because I believe it is the focal point to our overall wellbeing. I have witnessed and heard story after story about people who were terminally ill yet still had a joyful spirit. Their physical health was completely in shambles, yet they remained upbeat, and full of life. I believe that is because their soul health was strong and healthy.
So, what is soul health? The way I look at soul health is: we are living in a spirit of gratitude, we see every opportunity and life experience as a learning and growing experience, we find joy in the simple things, and we have confidence in what happens when we die. Chalk it up to a positive MINDSET and always looking for the opportunity to grow, help others, or find the good in every situation.
Look into the eyes of someone that has a strong soul health and you will see a twinkle, or bright spirit in their eyes. Look in the eyes of someone who is struggling in their soul health and you will see a lack of life in their eyes. I think that soul health happens when life is more in balance, and someone learns to take time to enjoy the simple moments in life. They have more of a sense of inner peace no matter the circumstances in their life.
How does someone get soul health?
This is a hard question to answer. Here are some of the things I do to improve my soul health:
Slow down enough to stop and recognize my blessings in my everyday life.
Have an attitude of gratitude.
Make life more about others and less about myself.
Spend time with people that seem to be joyful and fill my cup rather than empty it.
Have a belief in something bigger than myself. For me that is God, and I have peace in knowing that I will go to heaven someday. Not because I was good enough but because I believe that Jesus died for my sins and I was given the gift of grace.
Do things that charge my battery.
Live in the moment.
Enjoy the relationships in my life. I meet with a 75 year old man every 2 weeks and he gets tears in his eyes every time he talks about how life is more about relationships than any other thing. He often says, “I have never heard anyone dying say that they wish they worked more, but they often say they wish they would have spent more time with the ones they love.”
Managing your stress is the first step in trying to reduce it. Simple things done over time lead to change. You can do it! It’s ok to stop and enjoy the simple moments that life brings. If you’re not sure how to promote more soul health, ask me at your next appointment and I will try to guide you in the right direction.