Selected Podcast
How Spirituality Affects Our Health
Your spirituality can influence your health and well-being. Ken Papenhagen, BCC, MDiv., talks about the mental and physical benefits, and how you can reconnect with your spirituality.
Featured Speaker:
Kenneth Papenhagen, M.Div., BCC
Kenneth Papenhagen, M.Div., BCC, is the senior manager of System Mission Services at ProMedica. He is responsible for the direction of the department and the day-to-day service of the hospital chaplains and volunteers who provide support to patients, families and staff in their time of need. Ken is a board-certified chaplain with the Association of Professional Chaplains. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from Eastern Michigan University and a Master of Divinity from Nazarene Theological Seminary. Transcription:
How Spirituality Affects Our Health
Joey Wahler(Host): Welcome to Happily Ever After 40, a podcast brought to you by ProMedica, where we discuss midlife health and wellbeing. In this episode, we're talking about how spirituality affects our health. Thanks for listening. I'm Joey Wahler. Our guest, Ken Papenhagen, Senior Manager of ProMedica System Mission Services. Ken, thanks so much for joining us.
Ken Papenhagen: Hi, thank you for having me.
Joey Wahler(Host): So first, let's just quickly clarify that this discussion of course is completely non-denominational. So it's aimed at everyone, really, regardless of their religious or spiritual beliefs, right?
Ken Papenhagen: Absolutely.
Joey Wahler(Host): And so when we say faith or spirituality, for the purposes of this conversation concerning health, what do we mean by that?
Ken Papenhagen: When we talk about spirituality, we're talking about the way individuals seek that ultimate meaning, the ultimate purpose, what connection is important to us, how we value that transcendence and what is significant or sacred. So when we talk about religion, What we're talking about is the meanings have already been answered. There's already a belief system in place and the answers are already offered.
Joey Wahler(Host): Now, particularly for those 40 and above, midlife so to speak, why is it specifically in that age group that spirituality can be so beneficial?
Ken Papenhagen: When we look at the research that has been done, Harvard University just published a study that they've reviewed some other studies in journals and they published it in the Journal of American Medical Association. They identified that healthy people have a spirituality that helps them engage in community. It exemplifies such as like a religious service attendance and all of this is associated with a healthier life. It includes greater longevity, less depression, less suicide, and less substance abuse for many people.
Joey Wahler(Host): And so what do you think it is about that spirituality that helps people in those various regards that you just touched on? I would think for one thing that people that have that spiritual belief about them on an ongoing basis probably have generally speaking a little less stress in their lives, right?
Ken Papenhagen: That is one of the benefits that we see. I would chalk that one up to the resilience that individuals with faith who engage in faith on a normal basis, who engage in those practices, really come to a point where their resilience, their ability to succeed in crisis situations, it's stronger. They have something to fall back on. They have things that build them up and prepare them for different things that we have to face in life. Another thing is the community. That community, if we know that we're social beings, we know that we have to rely on each other and a lot of faith groups come together on a normal basis and they have friends and they can interact in multiple ways and just have that support of friendship and real true meaning.
Joey Wahler(Host): And Ken, when we talk about trying to be happily ever after 40, we're talking about people that oftentimes of course have greater responsibilities, concerning family, kids, older parents, and a number of other things that you don't have when you're younger. So, that spirituality plays a particularly important role in that age group and beyond, doesn't it?
Ken Papenhagen: It does. When people have been asked how important religion is for them or their faith is, somewhere right around 89% of the people say that it helps them a lot through whatever struggles and stress that they're going through. It's something that they can really connect with and gives them that extra strength and extra meaning and just ways to find comfort and hope through whatever it is that they're going through, and their loved ones are going through as well.
Joey Wahler(Host): How about the fact that over the last two, three years now, we've been dealing with COVID and so many stresses, both medically, emotionally, and in so many other ways, financially, economically. The fact that all those things are going on and pulling at us in many different ways, how much more important has that made spirituality for us over these last few years?
Ken Papenhagen: A great deal. I think when we look at spirituality, we are looking at everything that we're going through during the COVID pandemic and all the other stresses that we have each and every day. How do we deal with those? Well, we know we have different methods to use, but when it gets down to it, what is the meaning of it? What is the purpose of it? And how can we overcome it? Being able to find that strength, find that direction in our lives that goes beyond just what we feel right here, right now, something more. What does that look like? And spirituality gives us an answer or at least points us in a direction to seek answers, whatever that looks like for each of us.
Joey Wahler(Host): And so really, Ken, for many people, it seems like what you are kind of punctuating there is that regardless of what formal religious beliefs they may or may not have, the general idea of believing in something that's a higher power, so to speak is very comforting to a lot of people, especially as they get older and as stresses become more prevalent in their lives, right?
Ken Papenhagen: Yes, there was a study completed of 325 Latin American advanced cancer patients. And 97 of them identified spirituality as being important to them as they dealt with their cancer. But going even out of the academic side, we look at who are we and how do we deal with our stresses and how do we understand where our strength comes from and our meaning comes from. For many people, it is God, it is a diety. Other people, it's about the human will and the human spirit, how do we get over things, it's who we are and how we work out and how we can overcome whatever it is. But being able to articulate at least to yourself as what is important, where does meaning come from and when everything seems to be going awry, where do I get my strength? Many people will answer their faith is very important. Others will answer that the faith in themselves or the faith in their family, that connection and so forth, all that is important to understand when we're going through our journey here in life. And that's what I identify as spirituality.
Joey Wahler(Host): And what about the aspect of spirituality that is as simple as something that's consistent, something that's reliable? When we talk about something like COVID, that's so unpredictable and heter skelter, for a lot of people, the draw of spirituality, isn't it, Ken, is the mere fact that it's something they feel is always there for them if they need it.
Ken Papenhagen: Absolutely. It is about that perceived experience of the sacred. And it's a fact that it has on each and every one of us, regardless of what we identify as being sacred, and being able to fall back on people who are like-minded.
Joey Wahler(Host): And speaking of people that are like-minded, you led me beautifully into my next question, which is if you're a spiritual person and, again, emphasizing whatever shape that takes, so to speak, how important is it that that enables you if you so choose to be around those other like-minded people, whether it's that you all believe in the same God or believe in the same whatever? The fact that you share that and it's, again, something that you can feel from a communal standpoint is always there for you through thick or thin.
Ken Papenhagen: When we look at spirituality and how it informs us as well as molds us into understanding who we are, it gives us a world vision. It gives us our lenses, so to speak, in which we can see the rest of the world. And so when we're with like-minded people, we know that we see the world at least in similar ways. Regardless of what group it is, there's always going to be some variation as to exactly how we see things. But being able to come together, see the world in similar ways and be able to share how to overcome life struggles and strifes and tragedies and everything else, and as well as celebrate the wonderful things that happen in life as well. I think that's important because when we look at spirituality, we get into those spirituality groups and we start talking about things and we can share things, it's as if we're on a larger boat instead of a bunch of small boats and we can take on whatever storms life has for us that way.
Joey Wahler(Host): Very nice analogy. Couple of other things before we wrap up. So because we're talking here largely again about people that are 40 and above and where they're at in that range of their life, I want to ask you two things. One, if you're trying to reconnect with spirituality in your life in that age group, having perhaps been more connected in the past, and maybe you've strayed in some way, and now you want to get back to it in a more focused way, what do you suggest?
Ken Papenhagen: What I would suggest is taking a moment and start looking at your life and ask yourself what is important to you? During whatever crisis you've been through, whatever strife you've been through, whatever bad times you've experienced, what has held true to you through it all? And then identify that as the direction you need to step. Then, if it's a faith group, go and start talking to leaders of faith groups and see if you can connect with one and being able to find that spiritual family that you're looking for.
And always remember that forgiveness and compassion are two qualities that are taught by many faith groups out there. And so being able to forgive yourself if you need to, and to be able to go back and reconnect, I think is an important thing. But being able to sit down first of all and get your bearings and figure out what is important to you and in your spiritual walk, I think that's the best place to start.
Joey Wahler(Host): And then, finally, how about things like meditation or yoga that are also very spiritually beneficial for people? How about those two options?
Ken Papenhagen: Those are both very good options. There are a lot of options. I mean, we talk about what is spiritual and spiritual practices. Beyond meditation and yoga, you can get into prayer. You can get into, honestly, for myself, I really like nature hikes. And there's a lot of conversation about how nature communes with us in a different way than just walking down the street here in Toledo or wherever. And so being able to get out in nature for me is a very spiritual time.
So there are a lot of other spiritual practice out there. I know a lot of people have articulated that music brings a lot of spirituality to their lives as well, but being able to connect with whatever it is that helps feed you, I think, that's what's important.
Joey Wahler(Host): Yes, music, of course, so beneficial in so many aspects of people's lives, both health-wise and otherwise. So great point there. Folks, we trust you're now more familiar with how spirituality does indeed affect our health. Ken Papenhagen, thanks so much again.
Ken Papenhagen: Thank you for having me.
Joey Wahler(Host): And for more information, please do visit promedica.org. Again, that's ProMedica, P R O M E D I P-R-O-M-E-D-I-C-A.org. Until next time, stay happily ever after 40. Thanks for listening. I'm Joey Wahler.
How Spirituality Affects Our Health
Joey Wahler(Host): Welcome to Happily Ever After 40, a podcast brought to you by ProMedica, where we discuss midlife health and wellbeing. In this episode, we're talking about how spirituality affects our health. Thanks for listening. I'm Joey Wahler. Our guest, Ken Papenhagen, Senior Manager of ProMedica System Mission Services. Ken, thanks so much for joining us.
Ken Papenhagen: Hi, thank you for having me.
Joey Wahler(Host): So first, let's just quickly clarify that this discussion of course is completely non-denominational. So it's aimed at everyone, really, regardless of their religious or spiritual beliefs, right?
Ken Papenhagen: Absolutely.
Joey Wahler(Host): And so when we say faith or spirituality, for the purposes of this conversation concerning health, what do we mean by that?
Ken Papenhagen: When we talk about spirituality, we're talking about the way individuals seek that ultimate meaning, the ultimate purpose, what connection is important to us, how we value that transcendence and what is significant or sacred. So when we talk about religion, What we're talking about is the meanings have already been answered. There's already a belief system in place and the answers are already offered.
Joey Wahler(Host): Now, particularly for those 40 and above, midlife so to speak, why is it specifically in that age group that spirituality can be so beneficial?
Ken Papenhagen: When we look at the research that has been done, Harvard University just published a study that they've reviewed some other studies in journals and they published it in the Journal of American Medical Association. They identified that healthy people have a spirituality that helps them engage in community. It exemplifies such as like a religious service attendance and all of this is associated with a healthier life. It includes greater longevity, less depression, less suicide, and less substance abuse for many people.
Joey Wahler(Host): And so what do you think it is about that spirituality that helps people in those various regards that you just touched on? I would think for one thing that people that have that spiritual belief about them on an ongoing basis probably have generally speaking a little less stress in their lives, right?
Ken Papenhagen: That is one of the benefits that we see. I would chalk that one up to the resilience that individuals with faith who engage in faith on a normal basis, who engage in those practices, really come to a point where their resilience, their ability to succeed in crisis situations, it's stronger. They have something to fall back on. They have things that build them up and prepare them for different things that we have to face in life. Another thing is the community. That community, if we know that we're social beings, we know that we have to rely on each other and a lot of faith groups come together on a normal basis and they have friends and they can interact in multiple ways and just have that support of friendship and real true meaning.
Joey Wahler(Host): And Ken, when we talk about trying to be happily ever after 40, we're talking about people that oftentimes of course have greater responsibilities, concerning family, kids, older parents, and a number of other things that you don't have when you're younger. So, that spirituality plays a particularly important role in that age group and beyond, doesn't it?
Ken Papenhagen: It does. When people have been asked how important religion is for them or their faith is, somewhere right around 89% of the people say that it helps them a lot through whatever struggles and stress that they're going through. It's something that they can really connect with and gives them that extra strength and extra meaning and just ways to find comfort and hope through whatever it is that they're going through, and their loved ones are going through as well.
Joey Wahler(Host): How about the fact that over the last two, three years now, we've been dealing with COVID and so many stresses, both medically, emotionally, and in so many other ways, financially, economically. The fact that all those things are going on and pulling at us in many different ways, how much more important has that made spirituality for us over these last few years?
Ken Papenhagen: A great deal. I think when we look at spirituality, we are looking at everything that we're going through during the COVID pandemic and all the other stresses that we have each and every day. How do we deal with those? Well, we know we have different methods to use, but when it gets down to it, what is the meaning of it? What is the purpose of it? And how can we overcome it? Being able to find that strength, find that direction in our lives that goes beyond just what we feel right here, right now, something more. What does that look like? And spirituality gives us an answer or at least points us in a direction to seek answers, whatever that looks like for each of us.
Joey Wahler(Host): And so really, Ken, for many people, it seems like what you are kind of punctuating there is that regardless of what formal religious beliefs they may or may not have, the general idea of believing in something that's a higher power, so to speak is very comforting to a lot of people, especially as they get older and as stresses become more prevalent in their lives, right?
Ken Papenhagen: Yes, there was a study completed of 325 Latin American advanced cancer patients. And 97 of them identified spirituality as being important to them as they dealt with their cancer. But going even out of the academic side, we look at who are we and how do we deal with our stresses and how do we understand where our strength comes from and our meaning comes from. For many people, it is God, it is a diety. Other people, it's about the human will and the human spirit, how do we get over things, it's who we are and how we work out and how we can overcome whatever it is. But being able to articulate at least to yourself as what is important, where does meaning come from and when everything seems to be going awry, where do I get my strength? Many people will answer their faith is very important. Others will answer that the faith in themselves or the faith in their family, that connection and so forth, all that is important to understand when we're going through our journey here in life. And that's what I identify as spirituality.
Joey Wahler(Host): And what about the aspect of spirituality that is as simple as something that's consistent, something that's reliable? When we talk about something like COVID, that's so unpredictable and heter skelter, for a lot of people, the draw of spirituality, isn't it, Ken, is the mere fact that it's something they feel is always there for them if they need it.
Ken Papenhagen: Absolutely. It is about that perceived experience of the sacred. And it's a fact that it has on each and every one of us, regardless of what we identify as being sacred, and being able to fall back on people who are like-minded.
Joey Wahler(Host): And speaking of people that are like-minded, you led me beautifully into my next question, which is if you're a spiritual person and, again, emphasizing whatever shape that takes, so to speak, how important is it that that enables you if you so choose to be around those other like-minded people, whether it's that you all believe in the same God or believe in the same whatever? The fact that you share that and it's, again, something that you can feel from a communal standpoint is always there for you through thick or thin.
Ken Papenhagen: When we look at spirituality and how it informs us as well as molds us into understanding who we are, it gives us a world vision. It gives us our lenses, so to speak, in which we can see the rest of the world. And so when we're with like-minded people, we know that we see the world at least in similar ways. Regardless of what group it is, there's always going to be some variation as to exactly how we see things. But being able to come together, see the world in similar ways and be able to share how to overcome life struggles and strifes and tragedies and everything else, and as well as celebrate the wonderful things that happen in life as well. I think that's important because when we look at spirituality, we get into those spirituality groups and we start talking about things and we can share things, it's as if we're on a larger boat instead of a bunch of small boats and we can take on whatever storms life has for us that way.
Joey Wahler(Host): Very nice analogy. Couple of other things before we wrap up. So because we're talking here largely again about people that are 40 and above and where they're at in that range of their life, I want to ask you two things. One, if you're trying to reconnect with spirituality in your life in that age group, having perhaps been more connected in the past, and maybe you've strayed in some way, and now you want to get back to it in a more focused way, what do you suggest?
Ken Papenhagen: What I would suggest is taking a moment and start looking at your life and ask yourself what is important to you? During whatever crisis you've been through, whatever strife you've been through, whatever bad times you've experienced, what has held true to you through it all? And then identify that as the direction you need to step. Then, if it's a faith group, go and start talking to leaders of faith groups and see if you can connect with one and being able to find that spiritual family that you're looking for.
And always remember that forgiveness and compassion are two qualities that are taught by many faith groups out there. And so being able to forgive yourself if you need to, and to be able to go back and reconnect, I think is an important thing. But being able to sit down first of all and get your bearings and figure out what is important to you and in your spiritual walk, I think that's the best place to start.
Joey Wahler(Host): And then, finally, how about things like meditation or yoga that are also very spiritually beneficial for people? How about those two options?
Ken Papenhagen: Those are both very good options. There are a lot of options. I mean, we talk about what is spiritual and spiritual practices. Beyond meditation and yoga, you can get into prayer. You can get into, honestly, for myself, I really like nature hikes. And there's a lot of conversation about how nature communes with us in a different way than just walking down the street here in Toledo or wherever. And so being able to get out in nature for me is a very spiritual time.
So there are a lot of other spiritual practice out there. I know a lot of people have articulated that music brings a lot of spirituality to their lives as well, but being able to connect with whatever it is that helps feed you, I think, that's what's important.
Joey Wahler(Host): Yes, music, of course, so beneficial in so many aspects of people's lives, both health-wise and otherwise. So great point there. Folks, we trust you're now more familiar with how spirituality does indeed affect our health. Ken Papenhagen, thanks so much again.
Ken Papenhagen: Thank you for having me.
Joey Wahler(Host): And for more information, please do visit promedica.org. Again, that's ProMedica, P R O M E D I P-R-O-M-E-D-I-C-A.org. Until next time, stay happily ever after 40. Thanks for listening. I'm Joey Wahler.