Assessing the Spiritual Element of Holistic Care
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​One of the beauties of holistic, naturopathic care is that it seeks to understand and address the whole person. This includes an individual’s physical, mental and spiritual health. When one of these areas is weak, it can negatively impact the other areas, affecting overall health and well-being. Conversely, strengthening one of these areas can benefit the others as well. This article will focus on a few ways to strengthen the spiritual aspect of health.

1. Understand Your Identity
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​Many continue to struggle with their core identity and are constantly trying to figure out who they are and what defines them. One component of spiritual health is understanding and being secure in who you are.

If this is still new for you, start simple: What are your passions, talents, beliefs and values? What excites and upsets you? What are your joys and sorrows? How would your family and friends describe you? How would you describe yourself? What are the different “hats” that you wear in your life (e.g., family member, occupation, group/community member, etc.) and how do these define you? How do you establish deeper connections with yourself and others?

It may be insightful here to also reflect on the words you use to describe yourself and examine where they come from. How much of how you describe yourself comes from deeper within or from what others have told you? Who is the true person within, beyond any other label or name given to you by yourself or others? This is a starting point.

​Understanding and being secure in your personal identity frees you from the opinions of others where those less sure of who they are may be more easily swayed and affected by others. Understanding your unique identity instills a greater sense of self-confidence and personal clarity, allowing you to thrive and live more peacefully in the world.

2. Define Your Purpose

Understanding your identity also supports understanding your purpose or mission in life. When you are secure in who you are and what drives and motivates you, your purpose becomes more clear.

You may consider your talents and passions and what you naturally gravitate towards. Examine the things you talk about or do in your free time — when there is no external pressure to make money, perform for work, or anything else.

Reflect on why you are here and what you want to make of your life. By the end of your life, what do you want to accomplish and how do you want to have influence? How can you (or how do you already) impact the world around you? Do you have one single overall mission, or multiple purposes — perhaps based on the multiple “hats” you wear in life? No answer is too big or small and some may still be evolving.

Know that we do not need to be limited to one sole purpose - we can have more than one and they can shift as we continue to grow and develop on our path. Defining your current purpose and personal mission clarifies the direction of your life right now, puts life’s challenges into perspective, and increases personal resilience.

3. Connect With Something Greater Than Yourself

We live in a fast-paced world filled with stress, anxiety and overwhelm. When we seek to connect with something greater than ourselves, it can relieve some of the pressures from our individual lives and provide the space and strength to approach our lives with more energy and peace. This can provide a sense of security and support and allow us to step back and examine the big picture from a different perspective.

The key is to do this in a way that feels right to you — a way that is in line with your identity, purpose and values. For some, this may look like spending uninterrupted time in nature. For others this may be engaging in prayer, meditation, or other spiritual practice.

Most people believe that there is a greater unifying force that connects and influences all of us. Regardless of what you call this greater force, connecting with something greater than yourself has been correlated with a reduction in physical ailments, depression, anxiety, and stress, and an increase in life satisfaction and positive feelings.


Each person’s reflections about spiritual health will be unique. While these are certainly not the only ways to address the concept of spiritual health, they are starting points to consider for those evaluating this important element of individual health.