I was working from home when my province declared its state of emergency. For weeks I had followed the movement of COVID-19 through Asia, then Europe, then other parts of Canada. For some reason I felt sheltered, somehow believing this disease would not affect my part of Canada in the same ways it had affected other parts of the world. Then social distancing happened; then schools started closing; then businesses started closing; then we were told not to leave our homes unless absolutely necessary. In a matter of days, my world changed, almost completely.
Despite the magnitude of these changes, I consider myself fortunate. I am in a good place mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I have many reasons to get up in the morning, even with the restrictions placed on everybody’s movement and now having to stay home full time.
Do I have a secret? Not really. I try to eat healthy food. I try to exercise regularly. I work hard to communicate honestly and openly with my family and co-workers. Most of all, I take my mental and spiritual health very seriously.
“When life brings unexpected realities into a person’s experience, . . . knowing how to engage the consequent changes can be a challenge”
Having worked the past number of years in spiritual care (chaplaincy work), and also having published several peer-reviewed articles on spirituality and spiritual health, I know spirituality is closely connected to how people find meaning and purpose in life. Spirituality is also deeply connected to a person’s identity–how they have experienced themself in the past informs how they experience themself in the present and how they move into the future.
When life brings unexpected realities into a person’s experience, then, knowing how to engage the consequent changes can be a challenge. This is especially true when all a person’s routines, relationships, work, habits, and hobbies are affected by these new concerns. While there can often be significant mental health challenges that can result from these experiences, drastic changes can also create problems that are, at their core, spiritual. When a person’s routines, and all the other things that give them a sense of self, are no longer available to them, they can experience a loss of identity; their sense of meaning and purpose has been called into serious question.
To address these challenges, it is often appropriate to consult with a qualified mental health professional, like a counsellor, psychologist, social worker, or psychiatrist. It can also be appropriate to talk with a qualified spiritual health professional, like a Certified Spiritual Care Practitioner or Certified Psycho-Spiritual Therapist. Trusted friends, clergy, or spiritual directors can also provide crucial means of support.
But there are also concrete steps each of us can take to keep ourselves well. The things I do to sustain my health are easy to practice and accessible to almost everyone. Eating well, exercising regularly, and maintaining open and honest communication with loved ones and colleagues are all crucial to maintaining psychological and physical wellbeing. But being intentional about spiritual health is something that might be new to many people.
In the next number of posts, then, I’ll be outlining some of the basic concepts connected to spirituality. I will then be better able to write about spiritual health, showing how spiritual health equips us to live through rapidly changing realities with flexibility, resilience, and grace.
When the world changes in a matter of days, we all need to prepare ourselves to engage these changes. When no one knows when normalcy will return, if ever, all the more reason to be intentional in our preparation.
What kind of person might I be during this crisis and after it passes? What will my relationships be like through the crisis and beyond? How might the world change because of the crisis, and how might I participate in the change? How can I prepare myself to flourish in the midst of change? How can I build in others the capacity to similarly flourish, showing myself as a leader in change? How can I embrace the unexpected and the unknown by discovering my inner strength, resilience, and compassion?
These are the questions that will guide the posts that follow. Thanks for joining me on the journey.
References
Lasair, S. (2018). Understanding, assessing, and intervening in the spiritual nature of medical events. Practical Theology 11 (5): 374-386. https://doi.org/10.1080/1756073X.2018.1528749
Lasair, S. (2019). A Narrative Approach Spirituality and Spiritual Care in Health Care. Journal of Religion and Health [Online First]. https://rdcu.be/bSZY3
Disclaimer: The advice and suggestions offered on this site are not substitutes for consultation with qualified mental or spiritual health professionals. The perspectives offered here are those of the author, not of those professionals with whom readers might have relationships as clients or patients. In crisis situations, readers are encouraged to contact these professionals for appropriate support and treatment if needed.
Reflective Life 