The Power of Daily Spiritual Practices

We all want to be happier, more present, and less stressed out, right?

While I can’t promise any magic bullets, there are some simple daily spiritual practices that can help nourish your mind and spirit.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell you to become a Buddhist monk or invest in expensive yoga retreats.

Instead, here are four no-no nonsense spiritual practices that — if practiced daily — will help to fortify your mindset and transform your life.

Seriously.

4 Spiritual Practices

So, in no particular order, here they are:

1. Practice Gratitude

First up, don’t grab your phone the second you wake up. 

That’s just asking to let the world’s dramas, demands, and distractions hijack your focus before you’ve even started your day. 

Instead, take a few moments to meditate.

Be still. . . breathe deeply. . . and get present. 

When your mind is calmer and in a more peaceful state, think of three things you’re genuinely grateful for — your health, your relationships, the roof over your head, whatever.

Picture them as clearly as you can and embrace the feelings of gratitude as deeply as you can; the FEELING part — the emotional connection — is important.

Gratitude is one of the most powerful antidotes to our tendency to complain and feel discontented, which is why it’s such a great way to start (and end) the day.

2. Manage the Input 

Be mindful about what input you allow into your life throughout the day. 

Watching too much negative news, aimlessly surfing the web and getting caught up in all the negativity, or hanging out with whiny, toxic people, is like forcing yourself to marinate in mental pollutants. 

I’ve explained this idea to people before by using the example of someone slowly poisoning their food.

Would YOU allow me to drop a tiny trace element of arsenic into your breakfast, lunch and dinner?

No! Of course you wouldn’t! You’d never put it in your mouth.

Why not? 

Because you know it will make you physically sick.

The question then is:

Why do you knowingly allow yourself to ingest poisonous things into your eyes and ears?

It’s essentially the same thing, but instead of poisoning your BODY they slowly poison your MIND, which over time, contributes to mental health issues.

So, if you’re going to consume media, don’t forget to make uplifting or funny stuff part of your daily diet.

(Personally, I gave up watching depressing news shows a long time ago. . .)

Why not read some comics, watch silly cartoons, or listen to some standup?

There’s nothing ‘wrong’ with watching a gritty drama or horror movie, for example, BUT be aware of the effect it is having on your mind.

Without being mindful of this slippery slope, you’ll quickly get to a point where your mind is regularly marinating in misery. 

3. Keep Some Perspective

Finally, keep some perspective.

Sure, your life may not be perfect, and sure you’ve got your struggles.

But chances are, you’ve got it pretty damn good compared to most humans throughout history. 

It’s easy to wallow in self-pity. The mind LOVES it — but it does you no good at al . . .

If you’re down about your situation, imagine how you would feel about it if something much worse happened. 

Imagine that you’d just lost your job — or that you’re living in a war zone — or that you’d just been diagnosed with a terminal illness. . .

Really take a few moments to consider what THAT would feel like. . .

The bad day at work or fight with your partner wouldn’t feel like such a big deal anymore, would it?

A little mental contrast can be a surprising source of perspective and peace.

4. Practice Meditation & Mindfulness

I don’t know how many times in this blog I’ve talked about the importance of meditation and mindfulness! 

It’s a LOT, for sure.

So, rather than bang on about it again, I’ll just say that if you’re serious about making these practices part of your everyday life meditation and mindfulness will help supercharge your efforts. 

A Spiritual Life vs the Same old Life

Look, I’m not promising these simple practices will turn you into some blissed-out, loincloth-wearing guru who can levitate and speak fluent Sanskrit.

What I AM saying is that if you nurture spirituality in daily life by adopting these types of practices, you’ll likely find yourself becoming calmer, more connected, more focused, and just generally happier and more able to deal with the curveballs life throws at you.

Or you can keep living in a constant state of frazzled angst. . .

Your call 🙂