Unit 10 Final Blog, and Personal Assessment

Unit 10

In the Unit 3 assessment, I rated myself as:

Physical well-being: 4

Spiritual well-being: 6

Psychological well-being: 4

At this time, I would say that physically, I am at a 6.  I have been exercising almost every day (6 out of 7).  My endurance is good, and I have gotten stronger (increased my weights in strength training).  I have managed to control my portions and eat better, and have lost 5 pounds.  I think my initial goal of losing 10 pounds in a month was maybe too much for me, at this time.  If I never gain back the 5 pounds I’ve lost, then I’m happy.  I still plan to reach my goal weight in March, which gives me a little over 6 months to get there (was a 40 lb loss, initially).  I did follow my goals of exercising 30-45 minutes each day, keeping a log of food and exercise, minimizing eating out and sleeping 8 hrs each night.

Spiritually, I would say that I’m at a 7, which is a small improvement.  The reason that I feel this way, is that I am spending quiet time every day, and working on controlling my reactions to things.  In my relationship, we have gotten through a rough patch (about a month ago), and managed to get back to where we have been at our most happiest.  For once, I don’t feel like I had to compromise anything about how I feel, to be able to coexist in harmony with my husband.   I am getting better at focusing on other people, and being a good listener, genuinely caring about others.  My goal for meditation was 15-20 minutes each day, but I haven’t gotten to that point, yet.  I am spending quiet time, but maybe 10 minutes a day. 

Psychologically, I feel that I’m at a 7, which is a big change.   When I said, in the unit 3 assessment, that I was at a 4, things were very difficult for me.   I was running thin on coping skills, and having a hard time keeping up with responsibilities.   Since then, I have reached out for help, made some changes, and just kept going in spite of myself.   I am far from perfect, but I have learned how to set aside fears (however temporarily) so I can do what is important in the moment.   I did follow my plan to talk with others more, go to counseling, and take time for myself.   I have also been using a journal, which I had planned to do.

This class has been very beneficial to me, in many ways.  In some areas, I felt that I already had the common knowledge about the mind/body connection, etc.  I had not, however, read about studies that have brought the scientific community into the realm of integral health.  I am grateful, because I now have new resources to use, in my own journey.   My overall wellness has improved, in all areas, because of my new awareness.  I can help others, by being a better partner, mother, employee, daughter, and sister.  I don’t feel that this is an overstatement, because I can now handle all of these roles, better than I was.  It has been rewarding to see this kind of change in just a few short weeks.  The difficult part has been making time for new routines and activities.  As I am entering the field of accounting, this course will not be for my skills as a practitioner.  It has, however, assisted me in my own path of development (psychospiritual, physical, and emotional), and opened new doors for me.  I will continue to work with contemplative practices, as part of my ongoing program of self-care.  

Unit 9 Project

Unit 9 PROJECT

I.                Introduction:
Why is it important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically? What areas do you need to develop to achieve the goals you have for yourself?

It is important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually, and physically because that is what they are prescribing for their own patients.  They need to be able to show that they believe in the importance of health on all of these levels, in their own lives and for others.  I need to work on all of these aspects, in my own life, to achieve any goals that I have for myself.  It is a “package deal”, meaning, that all of these parts affect the others, and vice-versa.

II.                Assessment:
How have you assessed your health in each domain? How do you score your wellness spiritually, physically, and psychologically?

At this time, I would score myself at these levels (using a 1-10 scale):

Spiritually, I would score myself at a 6.  I have strong spiritual beliefs, that I try to apply to my day-to-day life.  I do recognize the need, however, to meditate on a more regular basis, to further my growth.

Physically, I would say that I am at a 5.  I don’t have any major problems, physically, except weight and the risks that this represents.

Psychologically, I would score myself at a 7.  I suffer from depression, which I am treating in a number of ways.  I still have things I would like to change, though.

III.                Goal development:
List at least one goal you have for yourself in each area, Physical, Psychological (mental health) and Spiritual. 

The physical goals I am working on at this time, is to lose 40 pounds by March 2014.  I have laid out a plan for my activities, and am controlling my food portions, and keeping a food and exercise log.  Most of all, I am being completely honest with myself about what I’m doing, and where I’m at, every day.

Psychologically, I am working on controlling stress in my life (at home, relationships, work, etc.).  I am developing boundaries that will help me to minimize negativity in my life.  I am also nurturing  my health, psychologically, with regular exercise, and incorporating meditation with this, as well.  Journaling (separate from the food and exercise log) is helping with this process.

Spiritually, my goals are to pray every day, and meditate.  I am also using spiritual principles so that I can improve my understanding about my life, and others.  I am working on letting go of things that I cannot change, and forgiving others (and myself, too).

IV.                Practices for personal health:
What strategies can you implement to foster growth in each of the following domains; Physical, Psychological, and Spiritual. Provide at least two examples of exercises or practices in each domain. Explain how you will implement each example.

Physical:  trying new kinds of exercise, and pushing my limits gradually, to improve my performance.  I have been working on endurance, with my daily activities.  Yoga and stretching are beneficial, as well.

Psychological: I am stopping myself before I react to things, and taking the time to assess what’s going on first.  When things become overwhelming for me, I take a break, or find someone to talk to.  I have read about, and make efforts towards being in the “now”, rather than worry about the past or future.  This sounds simple, but it is a challenge.  I have learned to deal with what is in front of me, right now.  This helps me not get too overwhelmed or upset about life. 

Spiritual:  Meditation is key, as well as mindfulness.  Sometimes I will use a guided audio meditation, and other times none at all.  If it is difficult to concentrate, the audio helps me.  Spending time outdoors is very beneficial for me, on all levels.  I live in a rural area with lots of trees, near a river.  If I make the time to just “be”, and watch the river, it does help me relax and achieve a higher level of consciousness.

V.                Commitment:
How will you assess your progress or lack of progress in the next six months? What strategies can you use to assist in maintaining your long-term practices for health and wellness?

I will write down where I want these things to be in 6 months’ time, and a plan for each month up until then.  Rather than wait for 6 months to assess my progress, I can break up the time into weeks, and work on achieving those weekly goals. 

As for my long-term practices for health and wellness, I do not have an “end date” in sight.   I have come to realize that this is for a lifetime, not for a quick fix.  Although the coping tools we use can create relief for us, in the moment, there is not one day that we won’t need to use integral practices in our life.  I will continue to look back at the work we've done in this class, and to read about these practices, and try new things.