With the sudden passing of my mother last Summer, I felt lost and needed something to help ground me. So in December, I decided to create a consistent spiritual practice for myself. I wanted to reconnect with myself and increase my spiritual connection.

See I grew up in a religious family. We spent Sundays at church and some weekdays at Bible study. As an adult, I attended my father’s church and even was a member of the Trustee Board. However, when my father moved so did my church home and much of my religious connection.

But now I needed something more than religion, I needed to feel something on a more personal, spiritual level. So deepening my relationship with my higher power was the way to go. For 75 days I engaged in a consistent spiritual practice and the changes I felt were unexpected and rewarding.

What is a spiritual practice?

A spiritual practice is a discipline consisting of regular and intentional actions and activities to deepen a connection with your higher power. This practice is personal and will consist of any actions/activities that you choose. There is no right or wrong here so do not focus on that. If you need ideas of things to add to your practice or daily routine, check out The Ulitmate Guide to Improving Your Day.

My morning routine

• Step 1: Complete the Daily Refresh on my bible app
  • Read a scripture
  • Listen to a short teaching about the scripture
  • Read a related devotional 
  • Prayer
• Step 2: Write in my gratitude journal
• Step 3: Meditate for 5-15 minutes 
• Step 4: Freeform Journaling – Brain Dump or Daily intention setting
• Step 5: Manifest Journaling

My mornings start a little less hectic

There is something about starting the day slowly that adds more peace to your life. Having a slow start instead of jumping right into the hustle and bustle of the day has made a world of difference for me. I am more mindful and aware of my internal and external surroundings. I feel more in touch with things.

I am better able to handle stressful situations in the first half of my day

The mornings used to be a stressful time, with 2 children and a team of 25 people to lead at my 9-5, the mornings can be pretty all over the place. Plus our commute is close to two hours in each direction. There is always something that we forgot to do, traffic to contend with, or burning team questions before I drop my girls off at school. By the time I arrived at work, I was frazzled. I would be exhausted and NOT ready to tackle the day. My irritability was real. 

“The truth is that stress doesn’t come from your boss, your kids, your spouse, traffic jams, health challenges, or other circumstances. It comes from your thoughts about your circumstances.”

Andrew Bernstein

However, now the morning is less stressful. The slow start allows me to fully think through situations. I can problem-solve more effectively. I can start my work day engaged and ready for the questions, meetings, and other expectations.

My response to situations is not as harsh

Road rage is real yall. I used to have issues.  Since starting my spiritual practice, my driving has been much calmer. I am not reacting to every lane cutoff or slower driver on the road with the same intensity as before.

Likewise, there was a situation with my partner that I normally would have internalized and felt like crap about. But the situation did not bother me at all. I was amazed when I realized it.  Not taking that personally is a big deal for me. I am even handling myself with more love than criticism.

On the path of grief recovery, it is essential to keep yourself grounded. I achieve this in 30-45 minutes each morning. Having peace and clarity, and starting my day with an intention makes all the difference. My word for 2023 is self-love. My spiritual practice is a form of self-love as it allows me to step out of the reality of things and focus inward. I focus on my dreams, increase awareness and mindfulness and realign my energy. I am so grateful for this practice. Let’s see what’s happened after 90 days, 6 months, or even 1 year. I cannot wait to see the difference.

I hope this article has encouraged you to start or enhance your spiritual practice. Let me know which activities you chose for your spiritual practice in the comments below. For more inspiration, check out this blog post and follow us on Instagram. Join our email list for additional enlightenment, inspiration, and tools/strategies to improve your life. If you need a personalized life success plan, schedule a session today.