Spiritual fitness means living in a way that reflects your beliefs and values, and doing things that connect you to what gives your life hope, meaning, and purpose 

It is no secret that the job of first responders is one of the toughest around. The hours are crazy; the work is dangerous, demanding, and stressful. Healthy eating, physical exercise, and getting plenty of sleep are essential for maximum job performance. Being physically fit is important, but it is not the only thing that matters, however. It is also important to cultivate spiritual fitness. 

But what is spiritual fitness? The easiest way to describe it is by saying spiritual fitness is aligning your beliefs and values with practices that strengthen your connection to your sources of hope, meaning, and purpose. In pursuit of spiritual fitness, it is important to understand your core beliefs and how they inform the way you interact with the world. 

Spiritual Fitness is Not Religion

From the onset, it is important to state that spiritual fitness is not about any particular religion. To be spiritually fit does not require a belief in a deity or membership in a faith community. There are no specific rituals or prescribed liturgies for cultivating spiritual fitness. 

The path to spiritual fitness is highly personal. It starts with identifying the most compatible ways to reflect on your core beliefs and values. Some people find that quiet meditation is helpful. Others examine their thoughts by keeping a journal. Running, cycling, walking in the woods, playing a musical instrument, playing with pets, gardening, cooking, yoga, or riding a motorcycle are some of the many ways to connect with core beliefs and values. 

Some firefighters turn truck checks at the beginning of their shift into a part of their spiritual fitness routine. Of course, a spiritual practice can also include participating in a particular religious tradition. The main point here is that there are infinite ways to cultivate spiritual fitness. You only have to find what resonates with you.

A Personal Example

There are several different elements in my spiritual fitness routine now. Remember, what works for me may not work for you. Physical exercise is very important to me. Now that I’m semi-retired and no longer responding to calls, I spend more time sitting in front of a computer screen than I used to. Consequently, my daily workouts have taken on even greater importance. They are how I focus my energy and thoughts for the day ahead. 

I also know it will be a good day if I get my early morning workout in. Those 30 to 45 minutes in the gym every morning center me for the rest of the day. In addition to my workouts, I do yoga three times a week with Yoga for First Responders. 

Another important part of my spiritual fitness routine involves volunteering. I serve on a council on aging board and the Green Mountain Crisis Incident Stress Management team, and I volunteer with Africa Fire Mission. In addition, there are other elements of my spiritual fitness routine that I do less regularly. I am sharing my spiritual fitness routine only as an example. Remember, what works for me may not work for you. 

The Importance of Alignment

Ultimately, spiritual fitness is a byproduct of aligning your life with your values. The more aligned with your purpose and values, the greater your spiritual fitness. The Consortium for Health and Military Performance (CHAMP) developed a tool for tracking spiritual fitness. It’s free and worth checking out. Click here to check your spiritual fitness.

Whatever approach you take, it helps to have some BIG questions to ask yourself. BIG questions do not have right or wrong answers. They are intended to stimulate deep thinking about what is important to you. Here are 10 examples of BIG questions you can ask yourself:

1. How will what you do today matter five years from now?
2. If you knew you were going to die two days from now, what would you do tomorrow? 
3. If you could go back in time and tell a younger version of yourself one thing, what would you tell yourself?
4. What do you believe is the difference between living and existing? 
5. How do you find a sense of belonging and identity in a rapidly changing world?  
6. Is it more important to love or be loved? 
7. What is the most important thing you could do right now in your life? 
8. What’s the biggest lie you once believed was true? 
9. What does it mean to live a good life? 
10. If you could change one thing about how you live your life, what would it be and why?

Remember, there are no right or wrong answers to self-reflection questions. The main thing is to be as honest as possible as you strive to align your core values and beliefs with your life.

The Impact of Misalignment

Your spiritual fitness suffers when you are misaligned with your core values and beliefs. This can negatively impact your physical well-being, mental health, job performance, social interactions, and family relationships. As a first responder, misaligned spiritual fitness can also impact your commitment to service and sacrifice, and make your colleagues and the people you strive to help less safe. 

In addition, lacking spiritual fitness puts you at greater risk for emotional and psychological issues that arise from frequent exposure to the victims of accidents and fires. This is why spiritual fitness is critical to developing resiliency for dealing with the many traumatic encounters you encounter as a first responder.

Spiritual fitness, like physical fitness, requires ongoing work. Just as you are more likely to maintain an enjoyable physical fitness routine, you are also more likely to stick with a spiritual fitness routine if what you are doing resonates with you. 

Finally, it is important to reiterate that spiritual fitness isn’t about any one belief or particular faith tradition. It is about finding the best way for you to align your beliefs and values with practices that strengthen your connection to your sources of hope, meaning, and purpose.

Howard A Cohen is a semi-retired rabbi and a retired deputy fire chief. He serves on the Southern Vermont Council on Aging and Green Mountain Crisis Incident Stress Management Team boards. Additionally, he co-ordinates online programs for Africa Fire Mission and operates a small life coaching practice.