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?

Health and Wellness professionals need to develop psychologically, spiritually, and physically in order to be able to fully understand the process of achieving integral health. A health professional needs to be able to empathize with a patient in order to be able to successfully facilitate healing. Without achieving or personally striving for integral health, a health and wellness practitioner cannot successfully teach or guide someone else towards achieving integral health.

My goals listed earlier in the term included losing weight, developing a closer relationship with God, and taking steps to getting over post- partum depression. During this term I feel that I have taken critical steps to getting closer to my goals as well as changing the focus of my goals.

My physical goals will take a while as I am currently breast feeding my daughter and extreme exercise and dieting will affect my milk supply. I have come to the conclusion that losing weight is not going to happen as quickly as I wanted, but I can still eat healthy and be moderately physically active.

Spiritually, my goal is not to achieve an end state, but to grow closer to God each and every day by learning from experiences, deepening my faith and trusting Him to guide my steps every day. I can do this by continuing to learn more about Him, actively praying, and recognizing the many blessings that I receive every day.

Psychologically, my goals are to be happy. My life has undergone a huge change in the last two years including getting married, moving across the country, and having a baby. My life is everything I’ve ever wanted it to be so my unhappiness does not stem from my circumstances. I am trying to find a balance in my life that includes my wonderful family, but some me-time as well. I have begun to reach out socially and make plans with the new friends I’ve made here and we have also joined a new church. My family has been very supportive and helpful with this part of my health.

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

When I assess my spiritual, physical, and psychological health, I use the number scale 1 -10 as a visual for my progress with 1 being poor health and 10 being optimum health. Using the number scale helps me have a visual to keep in mind while I am working to achieving my goals.

            My spiritual health is always improving. I may stumble from time to time but the more I learn and experience life, the better my spiritual health becomes. However, with that being said, I realize that I am very far removed from God and that nothing I do can bridge that gap. I would rate my spiritual health at a 5/6 because I know that I have a long way to go to achieving optimum spiritual health.

            My physical health is slowing improving. I’ve been able to stop focusing on losing weight and redirect my focus on being healthy. In the beginning of the term I was more focused on my post baby weight and not as much on my health. As a result, my body had a negative effect that started to affect my daughter. I realized that the extra weight is important and when I started focusing more on being healthy for my daughter, the pounds started to slowly go down. I would currently rate my physical health at a 6 right now. Although I am healthy, I am not as strong and I tire easily. Over time I believe I will reach optimum health physically.

            My psychological health is also improving. I think that at this point in my life, I am happier and I feel more whole than I ever have. In the beginning of the term I was struggling with post-partum depression. I have since realized that post-partum depression does not define my whole psychological health. It is simply a part of the physical repercussions of bringing a new life into this world. I would rate my psychological health at an 8. Aside from momentary bouts of sadness or idleness, I am able to see the joy in my life, appreciate the little things that make my life meaningful, and enjoy my children to the fullest.

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

My physical goal is to become healthier. Like I stated before, it was to lose weight, almost to the point of becoming obsessed with the scale. I’ve since changed my mindset and I feel like I have a healthier approach to my physical well-being. My goal physically is to be more active. I understand that the weight I gained from having my baby will eventually go down and permanently stay down by making life changes that include eating healthy and continuing to learn about the best foods for my body, and through physical activity that includes playing more with my kids, going on walks with my baby, and jogging with my husband. The summer time is fast approaching and we will be doing more nature activities like hiking and sight-seeing.

My psychological goal is a combination of goals: to be more social and most importantly, pay more attention to the here and now and not worry so much about our future. While I want to be proactive in reaching my goals, I do not want to lose myself in working so hard to attain those goals that I fail to make time to cherish the present. As my children grow up, they are also growing farther away. I know this is a natural process, but I’m having a hard time “letting go”. So, for my peace of mind I have set a goal of doing more social activities with other moms of new babies during the day while my older children are at school, and to be ready and available to spend time with or help my older kids when they come home from school.

My spiritual goal is an on-going goal. It isn’t necessarily a goal towards a final destination, but more to become more spiritually connected to my everyday life. This is being done by daily prayer with my children, by actively putting more faith in God and what His plan for me is, to continually learn about Jesus and His time here on earth so that I can try to live my life by His example. He was compassionate, empathetic, encouraging, accepting, forgiving, etc. I could go on and on. It is my goal to try and be like Him in every way, as well as be a living example for my children so they can learn to grow up and be loving, responsible adults. I guess you could say that my goal is the journey towards living a life of servitude and love. When I leave this place, I want people to know how much I loved them and how much I loved life.

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.

There are so many ways of fostering physical, psychological, and spiritual growth. The choices can be narrowed down depending on your lifestyle, cultural or spiritual preference, and geographical location.

One way of fostering physical growth can be done by healthy eating. Being mindful of the foods we put into our bodies can directly affect every other area of our life. Eating the right foods can reduce your risk of illness and disease and can have medicinal properties as well. For example, consuming a diet low in cholesterol can improve heart health and a diet high in fiber is good for gastrointestinal health. Making healthy choices can be done little by little to prevent an overwhelming sense of change. I started implementing healthier food choices by making one small change at a time. First, I paid attention to fats. I began to purchase foods with little to no transaturated or saturated fats and I began to cook with coconut oil instead of canola or vegetable oils. I also began to pay attention to the breads I was purchasing. I eliminated high fructose corn syrup from my purchases and now only eat breads made from whole grains. I plan on eventually making my own bread someday.

Another way of fostering physical growth is by increasing physical activity. Exercise can increase metabolism, clear your mind, increase energy levels and can have a positive effect on our mood among many other benefits. This can be done by joining a gym (and actually working out), joining a recreational league to play a sport, or even going for a daily walk or jog. At least 30 minutes of physical activity a day can have a drastic impact on your health. I have committed to at least a 30 minute walk with my daughter every day. On days that I have more time, in addition to my 30 minute walk, I have committed to doing a work-out video that I enjoy. Yes, I said enjoy. Not all work-out videos are created equal!

One way psychological health can be improved by becoming more social. When we are more social with other like-minded people, we are taking care of our mental health. Healthy amounts of human interaction can increase our endorphins which are the “feel good” hormones we need to be happy. This can be done by joining a group of other individuals with the same interests as you, joining a church and getting plugged into serving others, or planning after hour events with friends and co-workers. I have taken a step towards good psychological health by joining a new church and joining a “mommy and me” group to meet up chat with other mothers of new babies.

            Another way psychological health can be improved is by meditating. Meditation is a great way to become fully aware of our own thoughts and feelings as well as a way to recognize our own healing abilities. When we can learn to fully accept our own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, we can begin to heal mentally, physically, and emotionally. In addition to self-healing, contemplative practice can help us to understand others and show loving kindness to the outside world. Since beginning this term, I have begun to meditate at night before bed. I take about an hour of sitting in my rocker with my baby as she falls asleep to reflect on the wonderful blessings that I have been given. I take the time to think about the different people in my life, near and far, and to give a moment of thanks for them. As hard as it is, I even try to be thankful for the people who do not bring much joy to my life. It is these people that teach me the greatest lessons and push me to grow.

Fostering spiritual growth can be done in many ways. One way is by prayer. For me, prayer is a way of communicating with my Heavenly Father. In a way, prayer and meditation can be one in the same. Prayer can be done anytime and anywhere and does not require a special skill to do. I have found that the more I pray, the more connected I am and the less I need to worry. Prayer is a constant reminder that I am not in charge and that regardless of where my life takes me, I am never alone. This gives me a great sense of peace and feeling of belonging. In turn, I feel much more connected spiritually with those around me.

Another way to foster spiritual growth is by taking time to be out in nature. Nature walks can bring on a sense of inner calm. This calm is a good time to reflect on your life and to see that there is so much wonder and beauty in this world. Nature walks or hiking make me feel close to God. When I am in the mountains or exploring nature I am able to take my focus off of my everyday worries and focus on something that is much bigger than me. I find myself in awe of the beauty in this world and I am filled with gratefulness for being a part of this world.

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?

Assessing my progress physically can be done by noting the way I feel, how my energy levels are, and how my clothes fit. My goal is to be more energetic, become healthier, and eventually lose weight. I plan on limiting how many times I step on the scale and instead paying more attention to how I feel, physically and mentally. My psychological health is not something I am sure I can monitor. The only way I can possibly do that would be to keep a journal of my thoughts and feelings on a day to day basis. This way in six months I can reflect on how much I have or have not changed and make any necessary changes. I am not sure how I can measure my progress spiritually other than also keeping a journal. Keeping a journal can help me keep tabs on both my psychological health and my spiritual health. I think this can only work if I am truly honest and thorough in documenting my thoughts, feelings, and experiences.