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?

It is important for them to develop in the aspects in order to be able to take on each patient with an understanding. They need to realize that not every patient will have the same beliefs or backgrounds, and each must be treated as an individual. I think that one needs to develop a sense of autonomy.

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

I think that I would rate my physical well-being at about a 6. While I am healthy, there are still things that I need to change about myself to achieve optimal health. Eating habits are my biggest crutch. I stay on the go a lot, so there is a lot of eating out involved in my routine. My spiritual well-being is at about an 8. I consider myself a fairly religious person, but there is always room for improvement. I will say that my faith is everything to me though. I would put my psychological well-being at about a 7. I tend to let the smallest things ruin my day, and I am really trying to change that. I also worry a lot about things I know I shouldn't at times. I guess that is where my spiritual and psychological well being ties together! As far as my goals in the physical well-being, I would like to lose about 25-30 pounds to make myself healthier. I would also like to become more active, it is just hard sometimes with my schedule. As far as a spiritual well-being, I would like to find an inner peace within myself to surround my faith. I would also like to become more involved in my church, if I can find the time. As far as a psychological goal goes, I would like to worry less and not let small things get to me. I think that has a lot to do with inner peace and spirituality. The relaxation exercise wasn't all that helpful unfortunately, because my mind was on too much: meeting deadlines, tomorrow’s workload, and other things.

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

Physical – getting in shape and eating better

Psychological – becoming less stressed with a clearer mind

Spiritual – strengthening my relationship with God.

          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: taking the time to work out and eat better

1.   Walking after work and eating out less

Psychological: worrying less

2.   Stop letting the small things stress me out, find a “happy place”

Spiritual: attend church more

3.   Trying not to be lazy on Sundays and attending bible study on Wednesdays

            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 assess my progress by posting this guideline on my refrigerator at home and on my desk at work, that way I can see it every day and work on my goals. I think having a partner do this with me will help, so I will ask my fiancé to create one as well. 

Loving Kindness v. The Subtle Mind

The Loving Kindness experience was a bit more difficult for me, I think because it was first. When I performed the Subtle mind exercise, I found my mind wandering again, but this time I found myself focusing on my breathing. I found it more helpful to focus my attention on chest breathing as opposed to my nostril breathing, simply because I could feel it more. When I let my mind “float free,” I found myself immediately reverting back to my usual thoughts. The images are real, and they seem temporary I guess because I am thinking of my current life and situations. Spiritual wellness is very much tied to mental and physical wellness. I think that when you are spiritually intact, it keeps your brain alert and working. 

Clear Mind? Maybe one day...

I found this experience to be extremely difficult to be honest. I have a hard time focusing on things like this. It is hard for me to clear my head to concentrate on one thing, because I am always thinking of something or someone else. I would only recommend this to someone who can concentrate with a clear mind. This is going to take some practice, but I am going to do my best to try to clear my head. I'm sure this is going help bring my stress level down once I get it down. A mental workout can help to reduce stress, help you get better sleep, and even help your memory. Mental workouts can help to keep my brain healthy, and hopefully one day, clear. 

The Mind-Body Connection

I think that I would rate my physical well-being at about a 6. While I am healthy, there are still things that I need to change about myself to achieve optimal health. Eating habits are my biggest crutch. I stay on the go a lot, so there is a lot of eating out involved in my routine. My spiritual well-being is at about an 8. I consider myself a fairly religious person, but there is always room for improvement. I will say that my faith is everything to me though. I would put my psychological well-being at about a 7. I tend to let the smallest things ruin my day, and I am really trying to change that. I also worry a lot about things I know I shouldn't at times. I guess that is where my spiritual and psychological well being ties together! As far as my goals in the physical well-being, I would like to lose about 25-30 pounds to make myself healthier. I would also like to become more active, it is just hard sometimes with my schedule. As far as a spiritual well-being, I would like to find an inner peace within myself to surround my faith. I would also like to become more involved in my church, if I can find the time. As far as a psychological goal goes, I would like to worry less and not let small things get to me. I think that has a lot to do with inner peace and spirituality. The relaxation exercise wasn't all that helpful unfortunately, because my mind was on too much: meeting deadlines, tomorrow’s workload, and other things.