As National Wellness Month comes to a close, I’d like to share some ideas on one of the most significant things you can do for your wellness and that is taking care of your soul.
I cannot overemphasize the importance of soul care. How you take care of your soul affects how you care for your mind, which also affects how you care for your body.
That’s right – it’s the infamous mind, body, soul connection.
But what does taking care of your soul even mean? Is this just another way to talk about self-care?
Let’s discuss what it’s all about and 12 intentional ways to take care of your soul every day.
What is the meaning of take care of your soul?
Is taking care of your soul the same as self-care? The answer to this question is yes, but also no, not exactly.
If you recall in my 50 Super Simple Ideas for Self Care Saturdays post, I discussed what constitutes self-care and explained 6 different types of self-care.
One of the types of self-care is “spiritual self-care” and it’s defined as doing things that feed your soul and nurture your spirit. That is what we’re going to cover in this post.
You can practice spiritual self-care in many different ways, depending on your personality and beliefs. It has to do with connecting to your spirituality, but it doesn’t necessarily have to involve religion, although it could.
Why is taking care of your soul important?
Just as you show your body love and care for it by eating nourishing foods, drinking enough water, and engaging in regular exercise, you also must nurture your soul.
Taking care of your soul is a vital part of overall wellness. When your soul is nourished, you feel alive, joyful, and fulfilled. This in turn allows you to bring forth the best version of yourself, show up for others in a more present and loving way, and maintain focus on what matters most in your life.
Also, being intentional in taking care of your soul creates a deeper connection with and awareness of yourself and your strength. This fosters greater resiliency and helps you navigate challenging chapters in life with more ease.
Related: “How to Start a Simple Wellness Journey”
12 Ways to Take Care of Your Soul (Every Day)
1.) Spend time alone
The most important relationship in your life is the one you have with yourself and in order to nurture this relationship, it’s essential to spend time with yourself, alone.
I used to feel uneasy spending time alone with my own thoughts and would instead try to busy myself with tasks and activities I didn’t enjoy simply so I would not be alone with idle time to myself.
It took me a long time to realize that time alone is healthy and not at all scary. Not to mention, as an introvert, it’s how I recharge.
Now I feel like I crave alone time constantly. It’s like I’m trying to make up for all the missed opportunities that I regretfully didn’t take advantage of in my younger years.
Alone time is certainly something that feeds my soul and I strive to have some solo time each and every day.
Related: “This is 40(ish): A Letter to My Younger Self”
2.) Start your day with stillness
I know I sound like a broken record with this lately, but starting each day with stillness is vital to caring for my soul. When I’m not able to do this, I see a huge impact on my mood and how I feel throughout the rest of the day.
It’s also a really simple way to connect with your soul before the rush of your day begins. I simply take 20 minutes to sit in silence after I first wake up.
The key is to wake up earlier than the rest of your household so this time can be undisturbed. I use this sacred time to check in with myself, focus on how I’m feeling, observe the thoughts that come into my mind, listen to my breathing, and just soak in the quiet solitude of a household not yet awake.
Even if I don’t have time for my full morning routine, simply taking these 20 minutes to gently awaken my mind, body, and soul is an indispensable way in which I take care of my soul every day and leads me to feel more grounded, intentional, and productive.
Related: “How to Establish a Morning Routine That Will Make You Love Waking Up”
3.) Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is about simply noticing and accepting what is going on in the present moment without judgment.
By having this present-moment non-judgmental awareness, you’re allowing yourself to step back and slow down so you can notice what you didn’t notice before.
This strengthens your connection to the world around you, helps you focus on your values, and operate more intentionally.
Mindfulness is a quality that we all possess. It’s within all of us, you just have to learn how to access it.
I use mindfulness techniques throughout my day to help me feel more calm, centered, and connected. Practicing mindfulness is a meaningful way to take care of your soul.
Related: “The Unique Ways Being Mindful Matters for Moms”
4.) Slow down and rest
It’s hard to know when you need to slow down and rest, especially in our culture which holds work and productivity above all else, but allowing time for rest is a fundamental part of taking care of your soul.
If not, you often become mentally (and physically) exhausted, find yourself lacking focus, and feel a general sense of apathy towards life. This certainly is not healthy for you or your soul.
The type of rest you might need can range from doing absolutely nothing (e.g. taking a nap) to partaking in active rest (like yoga or stretching). It’s important to assess the type of rest you need so you and your soul can flourish.
Related: “Hustle Mode: 5 Warning Signs You Need to Slow Down and REST”
5.) Find Your Passion
Finding and doing what makes you feel alive is one of the most crucial ways to take care of your soul. Your soul needs to be seen and this is often through finding your passion in life.
For the majority of people, defining what you’re truly passionate about is no easy feat. I certainly struggled with this for a long time, but eventually I found my passion in writing.
I get that life’s circumstances and responsibilities often get in the way, so if you are lucky enough to discover your passion, then I hope you can also figure out how to make it a part of your life, even if only some of the time.
Finding your passion and doing what makes you feel alive is fuel for your soul.
Related: “5 Surprising Books on Finding Your Passion In Life”
6.) Get out in nature
Last night, I was sitting in my backyard, taking in the sounds of the summer night all around me. I heard the crickets and birds chirping, the leaves of the trees rustling in the breeze, and felt a touch of cool air on my skin.
At that moment, I felt such inner peace and I realized that I often feel this way when I’m spending time in nature. You can feel when you are doing something that connects with your soul; getting out into nature seems to evoke that for me and I know I’m not alone in that feeling.
Nature all around us is magical and wondrous and spending time in it is an amazing and natural source of soul care.
7.) Laughter
They say laughter is medicine for the soul. That’s because it has been proven to elevate your mood.
Studies have shown the psychological benefits of laughter, such as improving depression, anxiety, and reducing stress.
Try to find something that makes you laugh every day. This can bring balance to your life and is a fun and effective way to take care of your soul.
8.) Practice Gratitude
Practicing gratitude by actively making an effort to notice all the good in your life is a powerful tool for taking care of your soul.
Furthermore, it’s been proven that regularly expressing gratitude can also help your physical health. By contributing to your overall sense of well-being, it helps to lower stress levels and this can strengthen your body’s immune response, actually helping your body fight off illness and stay healthier.
A gratitude practice also helps you maintain a positive mindset. We already know that a strong mind and body help fuel a healthy soul and vice versa.
Some ways you can easily incorporate gratitude into your everyday soul care would be by writing in a gratitude journal, saying gratitude affirmations, or doing a gratitude meditation.
9.) Meditation
Meditation has many proven benefits including stress management, self-awareness, improved mood, creativity, and imagination. Plus it’s an amazing way to connect with your soul & practice spiritual self-care.
There are many apps you can download for guided meditations, affirmations, or meditative music, but if traditional meditation isn’t your thing, just taking a few moments to focus on your breath each day can be beneficial.
When you take a few moments to just breathe, it helps you slow down and clear your mind. Practice breathing in through your nose, hold it for a few seconds, and then exhale through your mouth. Repeat this a few times and you will feel a sense of calm wash over you.
10.) Find connection with others
It’s important to have people in your life with whom you can be yourself. Those people who offer support without judgment and make you feel like you are truly seen are the ones who touch your soul.
Also, when you are able to reveal your true self to others, it increases the chances that they will do the same and that is when you experience the true connection that your soul needs.
Related: “How to Take off Your Mask and Reveal Your True Self”
11.) Engage in self-reflection
Regular self-reflection is the best way to connect with yourself and is an integral part of personal growth that helps you evaluate your life and start being intentional in creating the life you want, rather than functioning on auto-pilot.
A deeper connection with yourself is a crucial part of taking care of your soul. It also leads to more happiness and fulfillment in your life overall.
You really can’t go wrong with engaging in self-reflection each day through journaling or other means that work for you.
Related: “10 Major Benefits of Self Reflection (+ FREE Questions to Get Started Today)”
12.) Set daily intentions
Setting daily intentions is really so simple and literally only takes a few minutes each morning to set you up for the day you want to have.
An intention can be whatever you want or need it to be and is meant to set forth how you want to show up in the world. The goal of intention setting is to slow down and decide what is important to you each day and to then evaluate how your daily choices are meeting the intentions you have set.
Setting intentions each day is pivotal in helping you live your life in a way that is more connected to your authentic self and this is a major part of taking care of your soul.
Related: “What You Need To Know About Setting Daily Intentions”
There is not one right way to nourish and take care of your soul.
As you can see, there are many ways to intentionally take care of your soul every day. I hope these ideas inspire you to discover what your soul needs.
Doing things that nourish your soul on a daily basis will help you find a sense of inner peace and start living with more purpose, passion, and happiness every day.
How will you take care of your soul today? I’d love to hear your ideas.
Carly is a wife, mom, and former NYC fashion industry executive turned writer and life coach. Through her writings on littlevoicebigmatter.com, she shares practical advice, heartfelt insights, and actionable resources to inspire and support women in motherhood, relationships, wellness, and life. Carly also helps women create better balance in their lives and live with more joy, purpose, and connection every day through her coaching.
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I’m in a 12 step program can this also help to nourish your soul if you live the steps.
Just reading your list makes me feel calmer and happy. Everyone should be doing these things!
This made my soul happy just reading this! Thank you for sharing these ideas! good for me to know and be mindful of adding these into my life.
I love this post! And the ideas are amazing for self care! I try to practice more of these as possible as I can, especially mindfulness and gratitude. Thank you for sharing
These are great ideas! I agree with you. Taking care of the soul is important ❤️