Three good strategies

I told you a few days ago about the little book I picked up at Barnes and Noble called, Stress Control for Peace of Mind. In it there's an essay on spirituality that includes the following suggestions for nurturing yourself in this regard:

* Hold an inner dialogue. Choose someone to act as your imaginary spiritual guide. This can be someone real or imaginary, alive or dead, famous or ordinary. Then imagine talking to that person, asking him or her for advice on how to handle a stressful situation in your life.

* Find beauty in the mundane. When you're feeling dispirited and drained, take a few moments to meditate intently on something beautiful in your surroundings. No matter where you are or what you're doing, there's bound to be something worth appreciating, whether it's the sight of sunlight dancing across the floor, the sound of children playing, the feel of air conditioning softly brushing your skin, or the smell of dinner cooking.

* Cultivate your gratitude. This approach was suggested by Krista Kurth, PhD, an executive coach who writes and consults about spiritual renewal in the workplace: Start a journal in which you record the things you're grateful for each day. Make a special effort to find things that inspire your gratitude even in tough situations or involving difficult people. Then whenever you start feeling stressed, look back through the journal to remind yourself of all the positive things in your life.

I've used each of these methods. They are very practical; they work.