When people think about their spiritual wellbeing — whether in the strictly religious sense of the word “spiritual”, or in the sense that it relates to emotional or aesthetic matters — they often don’t think of what could strictly be referred to as “direct” or “physical” actions.

Generally, the kind of topics that fall under the banner of “spiritual activities” will be things like prayer, meditation, contemplation on a given topic, or maybe enjoying poetry or literature.

There is certainly nothing wrong with those activities, but there’s a good argument to be made that, often, some of the best things you can do for your “spiritual” wellbeing will, in fact, be direct actions of various sorts. After all, whether you believe in the spirit as a distinct aspect of the self, independent from the body, or use the term to refer to your emotional life — it’d be hard to deny that the “ordinary” things you do in your everyday life have no impact on this domain.

So without further ado, here are some direct, physical actions you can take to improve your spiritual wellbeing.

Redesign and declutter your home

A cluttered and chaotic-seeming home just makes you feel bad, doesn’t it?

This seems to be a constant fact of the human condition, no matter who you’re talking to. There is, after all, a reason why minimalism has taken off as such a big trend in the United States in recent years, and also simultaneously in Japan (and then globally) through Marie Kondo “Konmari” decluttering methodology.

When all is said and done, getting rid of clutter is synonymous with getting rid of emotional baggage, and opening up the space for a new and fresh start in life.

Maybe it’s time for a redesign job, too? A new bathroom style might be just what your home needs to feel revitalised.

Get actively involved in a creative, artistic pursuit

Art is a great thing to appreciate, but actually getting involved in the process of creating it comes with enormous benefits, too.

You don’t have to become a great master artist to feel the benefits of emotional expression and regulation that come with getting actively involved in a creative, artistic pursuit. Simply getting a sketch pad, a pencil, and a book on basic drawing exercises can have a tremendous impact.

Likewise, writing some fiction — even if you never show anyone — can be a powerful experience, not just for the sake of engaging in a creative endeavour per se, but also because it helps you to explore your own thoughts and moods.

Take steps to structure your day more

Now, this one will really throw some people for a loop.

Some people are naturally very rigid, and for these people, finding ways to loosen up will generally be extremely beneficial. Other people, however, are too “easygoing”, and far from finding that this benefits them on a spiritual level, they are often deeply weighed down by negative emotion and guilt as a result of their chaotic lifestyle.

The feeling of wasting potential is a common consequence of an overly unstructured lifestyle.

So, if this sounds like you, work on taking incremental steps to structure your day more. Start with something simple like waking up at the same time every day. Then go from there.