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Spirituality and StressSpirituality and Stress

Chapter 8Chapter 8

Chapter OverviewChapter Overview

• Spiritual healthSpiritual health

• Religion and spiritualityReligion and spirituality

• Spirituality and healthSpirituality and health

• How spirituality and religion affect How spirituality and religion affect healthhealth

• Forgiveness and healthForgiveness and health

• Volunteerism as a spiritual and healthy Volunteerism as a spiritual and healthy activityactivity

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Definitions of Spiritual Definitions of Spiritual HealthHealth• Adherence to a religious doctrineAdherence to a religious doctrine

• Ability to discover and express Ability to discover and express one’s purpose in lifeone’s purpose in life

• Ability to experience love, joy, Ability to experience love, joy, peace, and fulfillmentpeace, and fulfillment

• Ability to help yourself and others Ability to help yourself and others achieve full potentialachieve full potential

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Spiritual HealthSpiritual Health

• According to Dean Ornish (1992), the basic According to Dean Ornish (1992), the basic cause of heart disease is a lack of cause of heart disease is a lack of emotional and spiritual healthemotional and spiritual health

• Kabat-Zinn (1992) recognized the Kabat-Zinn (1992) recognized the importance of spiritual health in reducing importance of spiritual health in reducing stress and improving general healthstress and improving general health

• Spiritual health may include answers to Spiritual health may include answers to “Who am I?” and “Why am I here?”“Who am I?” and “Why am I here?”

• Focusing on spiritual health can reduce Focusing on spiritual health can reduce stress and increase satisfaction with your stress and increase satisfaction with your lifelife

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Religion and SpiritualityReligion and Spirituality

• Both affect healthBoth affect health• They have similarities and They have similarities and

differencesdifferences• SpiritualitySpirituality

– Orientation to the transcendent Orientation to the transcendent features of lifefeatures of life

• ReligionReligion– Organized entity with basic beliefs and Organized entity with basic beliefs and

practicespractices

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Spirituality and HealthSpirituality and Health• Some researchers have shown evidence Some researchers have shown evidence

that prayer can improve healththat prayer can improve health

• Living a spiritual life correlates with Living a spiritual life correlates with healthy behaviors in generalhealthy behaviors in general

• Prayer is the most common form of Prayer is the most common form of complementary and alternative medicinecomplementary and alternative medicine

• Businesses have begun to recognize the Businesses have begun to recognize the role of spirituality in the health of role of spirituality in the health of employeesemployees

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Did You Know?Did You Know?

• In the Mall of America in Minneapolis, In the Mall of America in Minneapolis, there is a 400 square-foot basement room there is a 400 square-foot basement room that employees can use for a break from that employees can use for a break from workwork

• The room contains foot-washing stalls, The room contains foot-washing stalls, shelves for shoes, prayer rugs, a compass shelves for shoes, prayer rugs, a compass to locate the direction east, and a poster to locate the direction east, and a poster displaying 13 religions’ interpretations of displaying 13 religions’ interpretations of the Golden Rulethe Golden Rule

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How Spirituality and How Spirituality and Religion Affect HealthReligion Affect Health• Control theory: when someone feels a Control theory: when someone feels a

degree of control over a stressor, the degree of control over a stressor, the person’s health is less affected by the person’s health is less affected by the stressorstressor

• Two different approachesTwo different approaches– Primary control:Primary control: attempts to change the attempts to change the

situation (problem focused)situation (problem focused)– Secondary control:Secondary control: attempts to control oneself attempts to control oneself

(emotion focused)(emotion focused)

• Religion or spirituality can function as Religion or spirituality can function as either primary or secondary controleither primary or secondary control

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How Spirituality and Religion How Spirituality and Religion Affect Health (cont.)Affect Health (cont.)

• Pargament (1990) categorized Pargament (1990) categorized religious approaches to control into religious approaches to control into the following types:the following types:– Self-directingSelf-directing– CollaborativeCollaborative– DeferringDeferring– PleadingPleading

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How Spirituality andHow Spirituality andReligion Affect Health Religion Affect Health (cont.)(cont.)

• Social support theory: a sense of Social support theory: a sense of affiliation with others who can assist affiliation with others who can assist with maintaining health and well-beingwith maintaining health and well-being

• Those affected by terrorism can benefit Those affected by terrorism can benefit from spiritual support in various forms:from spiritual support in various forms:– Emotional supportEmotional support– Financial supportFinancial support– Informational supportInformational support– Advice supportAdvice support

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How Spirituality and Religion How Spirituality and Religion Affect Health (cont.)Affect Health (cont.)

• Placebo theory: people who believe Placebo theory: people who believe that something will help them often that something will help them often report that it doesreport that it does– Researchers use double-blind technique Researchers use double-blind technique

to keep subjects from learning whether to keep subjects from learning whether they are receiving the treatmentthey are receiving the treatment

– Some say the placebo effect is a valid Some say the placebo effect is a valid reason for following a course of actionreason for following a course of action

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Other Spiritual Concepts Other Spiritual Concepts that Affect Healththat Affect Health

• Being unforgiving means harboring Being unforgiving means harboring unhealthy angerunhealthy anger

• Forgiving others is associated with Forgiving others is associated with better healthbetter health

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Other Spiritual Concepts Other Spiritual Concepts that Affect Health (cont.)that Affect Health (cont.)

• Volunteering is a spiritual activity Volunteering is a spiritual activity with many benefitswith many benefits

• Service-learning projects give Service-learning projects give students a chance to volunteer by students a chance to volunteer by using their skillsusing their skills

Spirituality and Stress Spirituality and Stress ManagementManagement• Resolving a crisis satisfactorily gives Resolving a crisis satisfactorily gives

one a feeling of connection to the one a feeling of connection to the past and future, the chain of lifepast and future, the chain of life

• This helps one develop the feeling This helps one develop the feeling that life has a purposethat life has a purpose

• This feeling is invaluable during This feeling is invaluable during times of stresstimes of stress

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Spirituality and Stress Spirituality and Stress Management (cont.)Management (cont.)

• Gafni (2000) described the concept of Gafni (2000) described the concept of “soul prints,” people’s unique stories“soul prints,” people’s unique stories– Soul prints are their unique views of holy Soul prints are their unique views of holy

and holistic livingand holistic living– Failure to live one’s story results in Failure to live one’s story results in

“spiritual disease”“spiritual disease”

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Spirituality and StressSpirituality and Stress

Chapter 8Chapter 8

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