The Very Real Benefits of Religion and Spirituality
Religion and spirituality are both rooted in the quest to understand the meaning of life and, in some cases, how one’s relationship with a higher power may influence that meaning. That said, though religion and spirituality are similar in foundation, they differ greatly in practice.
Religion is an organized and community-based system of beliefs, whereas spirituality is more of an individual belief system. Some people describe religion as a square, a shape that has little room for acceptance; spirituality, on the other hand, is more like a rectangle, a shape that has enough room for several different objects.
No matter how you feel about one or the other, both religion and spirituality can have many positive mental health benefits. In addition to giving practitioners something in which to believe, both belief systems can help a person better tolerate stress, give him or her purpose, help him or her find forgiveness, and provide him or her with inner peace. That said, just like the practice of both religion and spirituality differ, so too do the benefits of each.
The Health Benefits of Religion
Though more structured than spirituality, religion offers several freeing benefits that most people cannot find anywhere else. For one, religion provides a much-needed sense of structure. Religion requires routine observation, which mandates that practitioners show up to a place a worship at a given time to pray to a higher being. Religion also gives people something in which to believe as well as a community of people with which to connect over similar beliefs. These facets can have a huge positive impact on a person’s mental health. In fact, research suggests that religion has such a powerful impact on peoples’ mental health that is has proven to reduce alcoholism and drug use and diminish the risk of suicide.
Some other positive impacts of religion on mental health include the following:
- Religion creates a sense of belonging.
- Religion helps individuals cope with difficult life situations.
- Religion provides structure, predictability, and routine.
- Religion provides guidelines by which people can live.
- Religion teaches forgiveness, compassion, and gratitude.
The Health Benefits of Spirituality
Spirituality is a lot less structured than religion and therefore provides far different benefits. Whereas religion is about connecting with a community and a higher being, spirituality is about better understanding oneself and attempting to figure out how one fits in with the universe. Spirituality is about finding purpose. Not purpose as defined by society but rather, purpose as it pertains to the rest of the world, the universe, and possibly the afterlife. In a nutshell, spirituality is about helping people understand their interpretation of the meaning of life, which is something the guides at The Way International attempt to help practitioners do.
Though spirituality does not provide structure, routine, and a sense of community as religion does, it does require practitioners to take up healthy practices for the mind and body. These practices are designed to influence emotional and mental wellbeing. Some benefits of such practices include the following:
- It enriches a person’s sense of self and empowerment by giving them the choice of how to practice.
- It focuses on personal development and growth.
- It is accepting of any person, regardless of one’s beliefs.
- It encourages self-reflection.
- It gives one a sense of belonging in the world.
- It encourages appreciation and interaction with the physical environment.
The health benefits of religion and spirituality are not limited to their respective categories. Depending on how one practices and honors his or her beliefs, the benefits can transcend each category. Additionally, a person does not have to be strictly religious or strictly spiritual. When a person chooses to be both, he or she can reap the rewards of both and become an all-around more well-rounded individual.