Balance is an integral part of being the best version of yourself. When you feel out of balance, whether it is in your physical body, your mind, or your soul, no part of you can be completely healthy. We focus much of our attention on physical ailments and mental health, but sometimes it can be easy to forget that there is a third deeper part of ourselves that needs attention too.
One of the easiest ways to heal your soul is to feed it with good input instead of the constant bombardment of stress that normal life sends your way. This can be different for every person. The important thing is to do it often and with purpose.
For example, some people feel the most alive when they are deep in the forest or surrounded by nature. For those kinds of people, they need to spend time in nature to rejuvenate and heal their soul. There are other people that feel invigorated by being around other people in order to feel their best. For them they need to make time to be out and around others in order to get energy for their soul.
Music, art or dance is the medicine for many people. It doesn’t really matter what the food is that your soul thrives on, it only matters that you do it regularly to recharge your battery.
The specific ingredients that feed your soul may be different but the way to heal it is the same for everyone and that is doing the things that are best for you and your well being as often and as much as possible, being fully present and not distracted while doing so.
If it is so easy to heal your soul, why don’t people do it? The answer is that in many societies, taking time for yourself and focusing totally on your own needs is viewed as selfish. If this is done in a meaningless or thoughtless with complete disregard for others, I can completely understand that attitude, because if everyone is only doing what is right for themselves then we would be in a very chaotic, dangerous world. It makes sense that we give back to others and look out for our neighbors and aren’t just selfishly living our lives without thought of what it might do to society as a whole. That isn’t what I am talking about.
Taking time for soul healing is more akin to when you are told at the beginning of a flight, that in case of emergency, put your oxygen mask on yourself first before trying to do so for others. If you burn your candle at both ends, and never feed your own soul what it specifically needs, then eventually you will burn out and won’t be any good for anyone.
By taking time out of your schedule, especially when you are at your busiest, to give back to yourself and do things that reinvigorate you and heal your soul, then you can be twice as efficient with the rest of your time and have plenty of energy to spare for those who are depending on you. It isn’t selfish to spend time doing things that heal you, it is extremely good for yourself, for your family and for the world if you are functioning at your highest level.