The relation of spiritual abundance to other aspects like health, mind and body is not easy to describe. But we can say at least that they are connected. Spirituality may involve religion or faith, beliefs and “reasons of being”. In general, it can be explained as our personal connection to the purpose and meaning of life and how they can affect you and the people you associate with.
It is a process of self-discovery. Knowing who you really are, understanding why you become the person you are and accepting who you are right now.
With years in service, many veterans and retired defence forces experienced situations that can have an impact on their spiritual health and mental well-being. For many, they may find that their experiences strengthen their spiritual wellness and faith. Others retire and find their experiences cause them to question what they believe in. Many veterans experience post-traumatic stress while transitioning to civilian life. Aside from science-based therapy, spiritual abundance is an additional remedy that can help treat particular post-service stress for our veterans.
Signs of Spiritual Distress that our Veterans May Experience
Spirituality is a great source of strength and comfort. But for our veterans who experienced emotional and physical pain while in service, they may encounter spiritual distress. People experience this when they are no longer able to find peace, meaning and connection to life.
The following are some signs of spiritual distress that we may see on our veterans’ behaviour.
- Loss of direction
When transitioning back to civilian life, our veteran and retired defence forces experience the process of redefining themselves. The changes brought by retirement can trigger them to question their importance in their family and the community.
- Social withdrawal
Some veterans may show signs of social isolation. They may want to avoid people and activities that need to associate with people. When left untreated, this may even lead to bigger issues like relationship conflict with family members, alcohol and drug problems and even depression.
- Difficulty in sleeping
Traumatic experiences may cause sleepless nights for our veterans. Negative thoughts and anxiety of their new life can make it hard for them to sleep. This problem can affect their civilian life as they may show behaviours like irritability and sudden bursts of emotions.
- Anger to God/higher-ups or other people
Since our veterans are trained to hide their emotions, many of them do not show their vulnerability even after their service. But deep inside them, they might already be asking questions like, “Why is this happening to me?” Why me?”. This may lead them to question their faith and what they believe in. Leaving these emotions inside them might lead them to suddenly burst their anger to their family or other people.
- Suicidal Attempts
Most people who consider suicide have problems that they have a hard time overcoming. They feel that no one can help them even their family and friends. Our veterans can also experience this kind of emotion. This can be a result of changes brought by retirement. The feeling of being worthless in the society may overwhelm them and may find suicide as the only escape route.
New life, new environment, new people: these are just some of the things that our veteran and retired defence forces have to face once they transition to civilian life.
In DDDC, we will be by your side while you face these new changes and new life. We have our professional coaches that can guide you every step of the way in achieving spiritual wellness.
Strengthening their Spiritual Abundance
There are several activities that our veterans can do to improve their connection to their spiritual health. By being in sync to it, they can deepen their sense of meaning and purpose. They can discover a new outlook in life that can unload their spiritual distress.
Here are some ways to strengthen spiritual abundance.
- Find your “me” time.
Having a quiet time for themselves is an important opportunity to charge their spiritual health. Silence is very therapeutic and relaxing. They can take this as a break and enjoy what they see around them. Be it their family and grandchildren, their pets or their mini garden. They can also enjoy a few minutes sitting in the park and watch people as they go by.
- Exercise.
Aside from the many benefits on their physical body, exercising can also lessen the spiritual distress of our veterans. The physical workout can be a way for them to release their emotional and mental stress. When they keep their body moving, it provides a better flow of blood and oxygen to the brain which clears the mind with stress, anxiety and depression.
- Volunteer.
By giving their time and efforts to a worthy cause, our veterans can generate many positive emotions that are linked to spiritual abundance. Our veterans and retired defence forces will always have a sense of duty and the feeling that they need to assist other people. By doing volunteer work, they can continue what they learn during their time of service. This act of service can help ease their feeling of loss of purpose when they transition to civilian life.
- Express yourself.
Being true to yourself is the best way to improve one’s spiritual wellness. It is the easiest way to free yourself from all the toxic thoughts and negative feelings. Our veterans may show signs of social withdrawal and isolation which can trigger their spiritual distress. Talking to them about their experiences during their service, either it’s pleasant or traumatic, can help them be more open about themselves. When they make a connection to themselves and others, our veterans can see more of the good of the world and the positive effect they have to other people.
- Be forgiving.
Survivor guilt is common for our veteran and retired defence forces. It can hinder their ability to enjoy normal life. Finding forgiveness is the main way to heal themselves. This road is not easy but they can always find peace in achieving it.
Unloading your spiritual stress is not an easy road to take but it doesn’t mean that it is not achievable. Asking for assistance is one way to gain your spiritual abundance.
Our coaches here in DDDC will be more than willing to fight with you. Book a call with us now, and let’s talk about how we can help.