Working on our spiritual growth sounds good, but with as busy as we are it can be hard to find the time. So much takes up our time…work, maintaining relationships, caring for family, household management…some days we’re lucky to work on any self-care at all. Most people know that their spiritual health is important and that they could benefit from a spiritual practice, but just don’t know how to fit it into the day with everything else.
The first thing to remember is that a spiritual practice can look however you want it to. It does not have to fit someone else’s idea of spirituality. Anything that gives you feelings of peace, gratitude, or joy can be part of your spiritual practice. For example, if you find peace and contentment is painting, painting becomes spiritual; if making crafts excites and provokes joy, creating becomes spiritual. One of the best things you can do to feed your soul is engage in things that you feel passionate about.
Try to schedule time for yourself each week, even if it is just a small amount at first. Take at least 30 minutes a week that you would have spent in front of a screen with something you feel passionate about. You don’t even have to actually do anything. You can just take the time to think about it. Think about what you would like to do an what it would feel like to be doing something that matter to you. Daydream about it. Get excited about it. Eventually, inspiration will strike, and you will feel moved to act on these thoughts and begin to bring these things down from a divine space into a physical one.
Adding things to your regular routine is another good way to engage with spirituality. When I first began my own spiritual practice, I started to mindfully wash dishes. Washing dishes was something I had to do everyday anyway. It was not something I had ever particularly enjoyed doing. I decided to approach my family’s dirty dishes with a beginner’s mind. I viewed them without judgement. I paid attention to the colors and sizes of each dish. I took time to notice the way the soap bubbles reflected the light, the sounds the made as they popped, and how they felt on my hands and looked on the dishes. I watched as the dishes became clean and concentrated on their texture as I ran my hands over their surface checking for any missed spots while I rinsed them. I noticed every little detail in the process. This became a habit for me and washing the dishes was suddenly something I looked forward to as a nice relaxing part of my day.
Another way I have added spirituality to my daily routine is by listening to recordings by my favorite spiritual inspirations, such as Abraham Hicks or Wayne Dyer, while I’m doing my household chores or driving. I have found this is a good way to support my spiritual growth and education and also makes doing things I usually find tedious more pleasant.
My final suggestion is to start and end each day with gratitude. While writing out a gratitude list in a journal is a good idea, it’s not necessary. Just taking time to think about the things you are grateful for as you are waking up and going to sleep can have a profound effect on your life. Gratitude is the quickest way to improve our energetic vibration. Getting in the habit of this twice a day check-in of all we are grateful for is a wonderful practice that does not take up much time or effort but has profound results.
A spiritual practice does not have to be difficult or time consuming, it only has to resonate with you and bring you peace and joy. You can start as small as you want or feel you have time for. You will most likely find that the more time you do devote to your spiritual needs, the more time you will want to devote to them. I started off mindfully washing dishes and have grown to centering my life around my spirituality.