Maintaining your faith while dealing with mental health difficulties

For those who belong to a faith, spiritual practice or similar, it can set a strong foundation for our identity, thought processes and how we deal with mental health difficulties. When the going gets tough, it’s easy to lose faith, which can further impact our sense of identify and consequently our mental wellbeing. How can we maintain faith during times of struggle, share concerns and open up the conversation between institution and student?

What is religion?

Religion is the belief in a specific set of practices, as well as higher being(s) (depending on the religion you practice). There are an estimated 10,000 distinct religions all over the world, with the most common being Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. People who consider themselves religious will live by teachings and may partake in ritual observances such as prayer or pilgrimages.

Are spirituality and religion the same?

Whether spirituality and religion are the same has been debated for a long time. Whilst they share many attributes and are often related, spirituality and religion are not always the same.

Generally speaking, religion is often rooted in some form of structure – be it rituals, texts, practices – and may have hubs (such as churches) for members of a religion to commune together or individually.

Spirituality is a little more complicated as it’s often very personal. Overall, spirituality is often about our personal connection to something, such as a person, place, texts or other kind of purpose. Compared to religion, there are no set rules for how someone can practice their spirituality.

The perceived crossover between spirituality and religion lies in how an individual may find meaning in their lives. Some may have their own interpretation of a religion and share a “spiritual connection” due to a personal experience, or some may identify as spiritual in nature, but not follow any religious structures.

7 ways to maintain to your faith while dealing with mental health difficulties

If you find yourself in a position where you’re struggling with your faith whilst trying to deal with mental health difficulties, it can feel isolating. Here are some ways you can ensure you can still practice your faith whilst improving your mental wellbeing.

1. Engage in praise and worship

Whether it’s playing hymns or worship music in the background whilst you study or taking as much or as little time in a day to express praise, you can still ensure you’re engaging in your religious practice. At this stage, it’s all about building momentum to get you back into a state where you can engage in praise and worship at the level you were before experiencing mental health difficulties.

2. Find ways to serve or volunteer

Whether that’s volunteering for a cause rooted in your religion or for a charity – serving others can help us find a renewed sense of purpose. Plus, it’s a great way to healthy boost your mental wellbeing. If you’re a teacher or lecturer, be sure to signpost groups and societies for students who may be interested.

3. Seek support from within your community

If you feel comfortable doing so, reach out to those close to you who follow your faith to express your struggles. You’d be surprised just how many people will empathise and offer words of encouragement or simply be there to listen. We understand that this may not always be possible. If you feel like you don’t have a support system, our student assistant programme gives you access to mental health support from your device. HA | Wisdom Wellbeing is a 24/7, 365 days a year service, where you can reach out in confidence to discuss your issues through our live chat service or by phone.

4. Join a group/ ministry

Having a community you can confide in, particularly if it’s one centred around your faith can make a world of a difference. If you’re not part of one already, see if your campus can signpost you to one, or use public forums to join virtual groups or find local meetups.

5. Embrace self-compassion

It can be easy to succumb to negative thinking cycles, particularly if you feel you aren’t practicing your faith how you usually would. Self-compassion is key in these moments, because without it, it can be hard to work towards building resilience and getting you back to your usual self. This can look like accepting you aren’t feeling yourself, but limiting negative self-talk and understanding that it’s completely normal to experience struggles with one’s faith from time to time. By being kind to yourself through self-care acts and positive self-talk.

6. Express your gratitude

Whether you do or don’t practice a religion, gratitude can shift your focus from what’s going wrong to how you can be grateful for what you have. If you are religious, most of this gratitude may be towards God or other deity that your faith worships. We’d recommend keeping a log of what you’re grateful for – be it through your phone’s notes app, journal or sticky notes. 7. Use Scripture to affirm your identity Scriptures contain a moral or message that may relate heavily to a trial or tribulation going through your mind. By reading and really understanding these scriptures, you can refocus on maintaining your faith whilst deepening your understanding. Plus, it can help combat negative thoughts and help you understand your feelings.

How can I talk about my spiritual or religious needs?

Talking about your spiritual or religious needs can be challenging, particularly if you’re conversing with someone who isn’t religious or is very open about atheism.

It’s important that institutions approach and respond to questions concerning religion in a sensitive way. After all, not all of us share the same views, but it’s important not to show this bias towards others, especially those experiencing poor mental health.

Here are some questions you can ask students who are coming forward to ensure they feel accommodated: • How can I best accommodate your religious practices in sessions and deadlines?

• What religious practices are likely to affect your wellbeing (e.g. low energy during Ramadan)?

• Do you have a support system?

• Are you aware of resources you can use to feel more supported in your religious or spiritual practice?

Although 1 in 2 people who use mental health services find religion and spirituality helpful to manage their mental health, they often find it difficult to open up to healthcare professionals.

At HA | Wisdom Wellbeing, our fully qualified and accredited counsellors are trained to handle religion and spirituality both seriously and sensitively. All our counsellors are completely impartial and will support students with a solution-focused approach to ensure they can get the support systems they need to practice their religion and manage their mental health.

How the student assistance programme can help students

Our student assistance programme (SAP) can help support students with exam stress and deadlines. It also serves as a solution-focused, early intervention tool for times of distress. The latter may be incredibly stressful for students to manage, what with exam and coursework deadlines.

With expert counsellors on the line and a 50% drop in rates of anxiousness and nervousness, our SAP is proven to lessen worries and ease concerns among students.

To empower autonomy in managing one’s religious practice, the Wisdom app can be used as a wellbeing tracker to keep on top of your health, as well as gain access to articles, podcasts and videos to help students manage their mental health.

Conclusion

Experiencing poor mental health can affect many aspects of our lives – including religious practice. It’s important to know that many have moments where they struggle with faith. After all, life’s stresses can get on top of us – particularly if you have exams and coursework.

By showing compassion towards yourself and seeking a support system through your religious domain or otherwise, you can get back on track with practicing your religion and spirituality.