Staying Positive Through Spiritual Guidance

How Religion Makes You Healthier

8 March 2016 by Gail Gardner

Believers turn to their churches for spiritual and emotional guidance. You find words to live by there and help navigate the moral conflicts that life continually creates. In addition to these benefits, your spirituality also has health effects. You should embrace spirituality as a way to improve your mental and physical health.

Stress Relief

People who live with high levels of stress often experience stomach problems, frequent infections, headaches, high blood pressure, and a variety of other physical ills. They also are vulnerable to many psychological problems such as anxiety and depression. However, people who participate in daily religious practices handle stress better. Experts believe that religion promotes optimism, which leads to good health. This mindset also helps you get through negative life events, such as serious illness. Also, religious people tend to help others, another quality that aids your own health. 

Healthy Lifestyles

Many religions either mandate or promote certain lifestyle choices that lead to better health. For instance, some ban the consumption of alcohol or smoking. Even when various religions do not ban these unhealthy behaviors, they tend to discourage them, reminding their members that the body is indeed a temple and needs to be treated with respect. If you do not drink, or do so in moderation, and eliminate smoking, you lower your risk of a number of illnesses, including cancer, cardiovascular problems, and liver damage.

Longevity

The result of your improved health is often a longer life. People who go to church services multiple times a week may live up to seven years longer than those who never attend. Undoubtedly, all the physical benefits of being a religious person contribute to this statistic, but the social aspects of attending church are also thought to be beneficial. Regular interaction with others who share your convictions improves your mental health, which keeps you physically healthier. Regular church attendance simply enriches your life in many ways. 

Your main goal in being a religious and spiritual person is not physical health, but it is an extra benefit of being a member of your church. When you actively pursue your beliefs and practice them regularly, you are improving your mental and physical health. You feel more at peace with the world and more hopeful. These qualities mean your body is less stressed and you are less likely to suffer from a variety of physical and mental problems. If you don't regularly attend church but have been thinking about it, consider looking into local Christian churches in your area.

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