Learn How to Become More Spiritual: 10 Fulfilling Ideas

People often assume that spirituality comes from mainstream religions. Although those belief systems can provide comfort and clarity, you don’t have to join a religious organization when you want to learn how to become more spiritual. Try these ideas to connect with a higher purpose and find meaning within yourself.

1. Identify Your Values

Spirituality is most rewarding when it aligns with your values. Identifying your beliefs is challenging if you’ve never named your values before. Consider what ideals drive your decisions, give your life meaning and help you through tough times. You might create a list with values like:

• Compassion
• Gratitude
• Kindness
• Leadership
• Service

Making a list of your personal values gives you a starting point as you learn to become more spiritual. When you discover various approaches to spirituality, you’ll know what doesn’t feel right for you based on what aligns with your core ideals.

2. Name What You’re Missing

You might also hope to become more spiritual because your life feels like it’s missing something. People who believe in a specific religion or philosophy often stick with that belief system because it fills a personal need. Reflect on your primary motivation behind your quest for spirituality. You might be seeking things such as:

• Purpose
• Peace
• Clarity
• Identity
• Community

Naming your specific needs will make it more evident when you’ve found a spiritual system that works for you. The beliefs or perspective will align with your core values and needs, resulting in a fulfilling spiritual life.

3. Try Daily Meditations

Imagine someone in a traditional religious gathering. They wouldn’t be able to sing worship songs or join in group prayer if they were using that time to multitask on their laptops or phones.

The same problem presents itself for anyone learning how to become more spiritual. Your stressors and daily distractions might prevent you from focusing on your spiritual journey. Try meditating daily for a few minutes to ground yourself in your values. Whether you focus on a guiding flame or breathe deeply on your front porch, calming your heart rate and blocking out distracting thoughts make it easier to grasp your spiritual identity.

4. Practice Self-Love Habits

Foundational spiritual values often require self-love. It’s challenging to believe that you can put love, kindness and forgiveness into the world if you don’t think you’re worthy of those things in the first place.

Engage in self-love practices to feel rooted in your inherent worth before giving back through your beliefs. You could encourage yourself with positive affirmations, reward yourself for every success and eliminate harmful comparison thoughts to start loving yourself more.

5. Start a Gratitude Journal

Gratitude is a powerful tool in spirituality. It makes you more aware of the goodness in your life while blocking negative feelings like greed or jealousy. Negativity hinders spiritual growth, so practice radical gratitude with daily journal entries. Even if you only record one or two things you love in your life, you’ll start a more positive mindset that feeds your spiritual life.

6. Commit to an Ideal

Many religious systems challenge their followers to put their beliefs into action. You can do the same to understand if your beliefs are something you want to stand behind. Think about prioritizing kindness by going out of your way once a day to help someone. Keep up with your gratitude journal if being thankful is your primary focus.

You could also engage in things like community service or activism if the causes align with your foundational values. You’ll feel more committed to your spiritual identity by putting your beliefs into action.

7. Read Books on Spirituality

People have been writing about spiritual practices since the quest for meaning began. You can always read books on spirituality to gain new perspectives and ask yourself helpful questions. Look for the best-selling spirituality books from various religions or practices to gain advice from global experts. You may learn about different goals, beliefs or disciplines that feel more authentic to your foundational values.

8. Take Nature Walks

Stress distracts people from their spiritual journies. It makes you focus on what angers or worries you rather than practicing your values by being kind or giving back. Taking nature walks can remove your various stressors.

Research shows outdoor walks improve your mental health and strengthen your cognitive functions. When you return from your daily walk, you’ll have a more positive frame of mind that facilitates better personal growth.

If you can’t take walks every day or don’t live near a nature park, don’t worry. Any time spent outside in the fresh air and sunshine can contribute to your improved mental health. Set aside a few minutes for a weekly practice to see how refreshed you feel after getting back home.

9. Consider Finding a Community

Many people seek spiritual belief systems when they feel alone. Forming healthy relationships is easier when you meet people who prioritize the same values. Once you’re confident in your core beliefs and preferred practices, see if there are people with similar spiritual standing in your community.

You can meet with those people to discuss your growth, worship together or practice your spirituality however you decide is best for you. Bond at volunteer events, religious gatherings or book club meetings to talk about your journey. You’ll feel less alone in your quest for spirituality, which may remove the last stressor preventing your growth.

10. Keep an Open Mind

It might feel comforting to think you can learn everything about the meaning of life from one religion, but that will hold you back from developing your spiritual life. Keep an open mind as you learn from new perspectives and try different practices. No one has all of the answers to life’s biggest questions.

You’ll only continue your spiritual journey by keeping an open mind. As you adapt to new belief systems and ideas, you’ll become more rooted in your identity and assured of your values.

Try New Ideas to Become More Spiritual

Anyone can learn how to become more spiritual by trying new things. Reflect on what ideas are most central to your identity and what you want from your spiritual life. You’ll know how to proceed in your growth by understanding what you want while keeping an open mind to other perspectives.