On Spiritual Health · With Ilia Grace
The part of you that asks “What matters?” deserves care, too. Your sense of meaning, connection, and belonging is part of living well.
The case for spiritual health
You can be getting through the day and still feel far away from yourself. Doing what is expected. Keeping everything moving. Wondering when your life stopped feeling like your own.
Spiritual health gives us language for that part of being human: what makes life meaningful, where we belong, and what helps us meet uncertainty.
At On Spiritual Health, spiritual health means tending to your relationship with yourself, with others, and with whatever gives your life meaning beyond the next task.
That might include meditation, self-care, service, or meaningful time with people you care about most. You get to explore what feels right for you.
The evidence
Spirituality belongs in a serious conversation about health. A 2022 review in JAMA recommended recognizing spirituality as a social factor associated with health and incorporating it into care in ways that respect each person’s values. Read the review.
A study following 48,984 U.S. women found that more frequent religious service attendance was associated with a lower likelihood of subsequent depression. The relationship also ran the other way: depression predicted reduced attendance.
In a small trial of 49 older adults with sleep disturbances, a six-week mindfulness program improved self-reported sleep quality more than sleep-hygiene education. This is evidence for a particular practice in a particular group.
Among roughly 110,000 U.S. health professionals, attending religious services at least weekly was associated with a lower rate of deaths related to suicide, drugs, or alcohol, compared with never attending. The study examined religious participation; it did not test private meditation.
A review of 55 longitudinal studies, involving more than half a million people, found an association between spirituality and less harmful or hazardous substance use. It adds to the evidence that this is a public-health question worth taking seriously.
You deserve the time to make room for what gives your life meaning.
From an idea to an everyday practice
A quiet moment before answering. An honest conversation. A decision that reflects what matters to you. This work can begin inside the life you already have.
My teaching brings it into everyday life through seven pillars. They are a framework for reflection and practice.
Notice what you are carrying and what is within your control.
Make room for something you appreciate while being honest about what hurts.
Notice where you are and what you feel before deciding what comes next.
Practice treating yourself as someone whose care matters, even on an unproductive day.
Take a considered next step while allowing some things to remain uncertain.
Question an old belief about who you have to be or what you have to earn.
Choose a belief or small action you want to make more room for, and return to it.