Unit 9 Final 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 be balanced in their psychological, spiritual, and physical lives.  When one area is out of balance it would be very difficult to complete an effective patient teaching.  Health and wellness professionals need to have their own lives in balance so that they can teach others from their experience.  They can’t teach what they do not know or what they have not experienced.  They need to practice what they teach.  They need to walk the walk and talk the talk.  They can’t give what they don’t have.  Client/patients are more likely to follow suggestions and instructions if they trust their health and wellness professional.  A professional who does not do what they are suggesting their client or patient to do is not likely to be trusted.

There is always room for improvement.  I need to develop and progress in all three areas to be in balance.  Spiritually is my strongest area.  My faith is strong.  I am very involved in my local church and my prayer life is very strong.  Psychologically I believe that I am much better than when this term began.  Meditation has become a major routine in my daily life.  I begin and end my day with meditation.  Before this term began I had never done any meditation.  I also listen to quiet worship music daily.  My email address is staying focused and that is what I strive to do.  I strive to stay focused on the positive and let the negative go.  I am not saying that I do that each and every time.  I am saying I have made a great deal of progress in this area.  I would have to say that physically is my biggest challenge.  Losing weight has been a huge difficulty.  My goal is to continue to go for walks and incorporate more exercise as my limits get better. 

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

I have my health in each area.  As stated above I am strongest in the spiritual area.  I lean very hard on my spiritual life to get me through each and every situation.  I would score this area an 8.5 on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being optimal.  Psychologically I have made a great deal of progress with the help of meditation.  Incorporating a daily routine of meditation has really made a huge difference in my moods, emotions, and outlook on life.  I would score this area a 7 on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being optimal.  The physical area is my weakest.  Having high blood pressure, asthma, and being obese continues to be big issues.  I have finally begun to make some progress in this area.  I have begun walking a minimum of 30 minutes daily.  I would score this area a 6 on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being optimal.  There is certainly room for improvement in all three areas.

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

My goal for my physical area is to see my primary physician to see what exercises I can do safely since I had a total knee replacement two years ago.  I will not make excuses to not get exercise or be physically active.  I will increase my walking to a minimum of 45 minutes daily. 

My goal for my psychological area is to journal.  I plan to journal my feeling, emotions, and what I eat and drink daily.  I will also journal my weight so that I can see the progress.  I will continue with meditation daily and incorporate maybe some yoga or other methods to help with my moods and irritability. 

My goal for my spiritual area is to grow in my faith and prayer life, continue to be involved in my local church and church choir, and to go to prayer meetings and Bible studies.  I will also seek out friends from church to spend time with.

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:  I will lose weight so that it will improve my blood pressure, breathing, perseverance, and endurance.  I will exercise 45 minutes daily.  I will seek the help of a nutritionist to help with my diet and learn more about what I eat and why. 

Psychological:  I will meditate every day for at least 15 minutes when I get up and before I go to bed.  I will journal daily so that I can see the progress I am making.  I will also journal positive things in my life so that I am not focusing on the negative. 

Spiritual:  I will spend time with friends from church doing fun things such as going to lunch, a movie, or a concert.  I will also find a female friend at church to be a prayer partner to come along side me to gain spiritual growth.

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 think that journaling will assess my progress very well.  Each day I will journal what I eat and drink.  My weight will be included weekly.  I will also journal every day to include feelings, emotions, meditation experiences, and any situations that arise and how I handled them.  I will seek out a nutritionist to help with diet, what I eat and why and I will journal the progress.  In the short term, I will see progress right away.  In the long term, I will see the progress and the weight loss.  I will see a reduction in stress and blood pressure.  I will also learn how to eat healthier for me and my family.  My asthma will get better as will my endurance. 

References

Dacher, Elliott S. M.D. (2006) Integral Health the Path to Human Flourishing

Schlitz, M., Amorok, T., and Micozzi, M.S. (2005) Consciousness & Healing:         Integral Approaches to Mind-Body Medicine