How are mental, physical, and spiritual health related?

As we speak of often here at Thrive, humans are not just physical beings comprised of isolated organ systems—we are embodied beings with emotional, mental, and spiritual facets as well. Our physical, mental and spiritual health are interconnected as part of our holistic health, with the health of each facet influencing the health of the others.

The yardstick of our overall health is much more intangible than these three simple categories, but they are major life barometers that can tell us a lot. Being healthy in these areas is part of a thriving life, but thriving is also just as much about the presence of goodness in our life, such as being loved by friends and family, finding life exciting and enjoyable, having a sense of purpose, and feeling good about who we are, as it does with the absence of well-publicized struggles such as anxiety or depression. 

How are mental and physical health related?

You’ve probably heard about the mind/body connection—that our bodies and brains are inextricably linked. This can be seen in everyday situations where perhaps someone feels upset (a good, long cry or an intense argument), and then later they experience a headache or back pain. Or it could be observing deteriorating mental health in someone with a chronic illness. It works the other way around, as well—our emotions produce physiological responses. When we worry, our stomachs can become uneasy or when we feel afraid, our bodies can feel hyper alert and anxious, maybe even causing us to sweat. 

Evidence from neuroscience increasingly supports the fact that embodied, physical practices such as meditation and yoga can lower cortisol levels and take the brain out of reactivity and into receptivity. In other words, our physical practices can help our mental states. 

The CDC acknowledges this connection, as well: “Depression increases the risk for many types of physical, long-lasting (chronic) conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Similarly, the presence of chronic conditions can increase the risk for developing a mental health condition.”

How are physical and spiritual health related?

As Harvard University article remarks on a study, “Spiritual community participation—as exemplified by religious service attendance—is associated with healthier lives, including greater longevity, less depression and suicide, and less substance use.” Our bodies were designed to be complimented by the tenets of spirituality—we need healthy spirituality to thrive. When our bodies are not at their best, we can often still engage in some sort of spiritual connection, but when our spiritual connection is lagging, there is a forfeiture of the bolstering effects that it offers us.

Healthy spirituality provides a framework for coping skills and reducing stress, such as prayer, meditation, and breathwork, which can help reduce cortisol levels, blood pressure. By offering community, healthy spirituality can reduce stress by providing a relational support system. It can also be an onramp to experiencing transcendent emotions, such as hope, joy, awe, and gratitude, which are health protective. 

How are spiritual and mental health related?

Our mental health is girded by what we believe about our purpose and belonging in the world. Spirituality provides connection to something bigger than ourselves and helps us assign meaning to our lives so that we can align with this sense of purpose and belonging. The skill of meaning-making that spirituality offers can provide us with a well of internal fortitude to push through difficult seasons. 

Hope is essential to our mental health, and a connection to a transcendent source is an anchoring force of hope in times of distress. When we are connected to something greater than ourselves, we can feel that we are held and guided, with an incorruptible bond to hope for our lives. 

Why is spiritual health important?

Spirituality is an essential part of human life. Seeking and experiencing God or something beyond the ordinary realm and the human gravitation towards the transcendent that provides meaning, direction, and inspiration has been evident since humans were drawing on cave walls. Healthy spirituality grows our capacities to love God (higher power, or our source of divine love), ourselves, and others, and deeply connects us in reciprocal ways to others. And, as embodied beings, these same capacities influence our mental and physical health. 

It is important that our spirituality is healthy, as not all spirituality is created equal. Healthy spirituality means not only connecting to our source of transcendent love, but also understanding our deep interconnectedness to one another—the reciprocity in our existence—that relies on community and a less individualistic mindset about spirituality. We are better with one another and we become better for one another, and our spiritual health is paramount to this foundation.

Practice: Small steps to improve your mental, physical and spiritual health today

Even small choices can be catalysts for systemic change, and making a choice in one area will ultimately benefit every other area. Notice that it may be something physical that can improve your mental health, or something physical that can improve your spiritual health. And the steps for each will not only improve that area, but have positive effects on the other areas, as well. It is part of our embodied nature!

Mental: 

• Go outside for fresh air and sun

• Take a walk (even 10 minutes)

• Do a short breathing exercise or gratitude practice

• Reach out to a friend

• Read or meditate on a meaningful prayer or scripture

• Perform an act of kindness

• Smile into a mirror (even if you don’t feel like it)

• Remind yourself that you are loved for who you are

• Choose not to reach for your phone during lulls in your day

Physical: 

• Go to sleep 30 minutes earlier

• Take note of how your body feels after you eat today (did your food choices serve your body well?)

• As your body allows, intentionally walk a few more steps than yesterday 

• Drink a glass of water

• Eat a piece of fruit

• Move your body—stretch, practice yoga, take a walk

Spiritual:

• Pause for 2-5 minutes and express gratitude towards God or to pray for a loved one

• Write down a prayer in a journal or on a piece of paper

• Engage your mind, body, and spirit through yoga, breathwork, or meditation

• Connect with the beauty of nature—a prayer walk, sit outdoors and marvel at the beauty of creation

• Spend 2-5 minutes meditating on a scripture, meaningful prayer, or something else that inspires joy or peace for you