Unit 9 Final

Introduction

1. Why is it important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually, and physically?

The importance of being well-rounded or developed in these three key fields (psychological, spiritual, physical) is experience and knowledge. Knowledge in any given field is of great advantage to anyone hoping to pass on information to others, but this can only go so far. Experience is the key that can make a teaching experience like no other. When a professional is able to fully experience these three aspects of wellness he/she not only has the information of how these aspects benefit us, but also how they work.

Knowledge to me is great in understanding how something works but not the operation. Experience is how we understand the operation and if any faults. Experience will also guide us with its past experiences and show us what modifications or directions may change due to complications.  You cannot fully understand this with knowledge alone.  Therefore it is of the utmost importance any professional practices what they teach, as it connects them to the experience and material and allows them to help clients on a scale unreachable to those who do not.

2. What areas do you need to develop to achieve the goals you have for yourself?

The area I must concentrate on to fully envelop the complete spectrum of wellness is that of spirituality and psychological wellness. I believe that the in my spiritual path I will find what is right for me when the time is ready and that this is not something I can force myself into. The psychological side is something I can correct with daily mental practices and routine.

Assessment

1. How have you assessed your health in each domain?

In the physical side of wellness I have regularly utilized many fitness tests and monitored my physical health through annual check-ups with a physician. Some of the fitness tests I utilize are a comparison of a 3 mile run time every 6 months (cardiovascular), a one rep max (strength), and a non-distance set bike path routine (endurance). I unfortunately at this time do not submit to a regular flexibility test.

Since the beginning of this class I have never had a method in place for measuring the wellness of my mental state. However, I have recently been looking at my life as a whole and how my mind-set throughout the day’s activities can affect my overall health. I have created a routine were every night whilst in bed I run through the experiences I had and think about my action/reaction to the events. This has proved helpful in both understanding why I acted/reacted in these ways and allowed me to create methods of repeating unhealthy decisions in similar scenarios. I believe I have a journey ahead of me to complete mental enlightenment but I am on the right track and light years ahead of where I was.

The spiritual aspect of life for me has always been different than most would consider “Spiritual”. For myself I do not have faith in any divine being or religion, I however look at the earth as a whole. My spiritual side is alive when I am getting back to the basics and surrounding myself with nature. This is difficult to maintain at times as I cannot spend my entire life in these settings and therefore I am not “Spiritually” whole always.  The assessments I have had in place are a simple matter of listening to my feelings and how I feel overall in all aspects of my day.

2. How did you score your wellness spiritually, physically, and psychologically?

The highest scoring aspect of these three areas in my life would have to be the physical side of life. I routinely involve myself in activities that will help improve this aspect of my life and allow me to flourish in the results. My mental state is a close second as it has been something of great importance lately. The beauty of the psychological aspect of life is it is always accessible. You may not always be able to exercise, play, or partake in an act of faith, but you can always enjoy the sanctity of your mind. Finally, the spiritual aspect is one that is still growing with me and thus ranked last. I believe as I find new avenues into this world I will enjoy the full bodied wellness that accompanies all three aspects.

Goal Development

1. List at least one goal you have for yourself in each area?

The goal I have set for myself just recently is that of maintain proper nutrition. This is an important goal and the emphasis is on maintaining. I believe that all of the other aspects mentioned can be greatly affected by what we ingest on a daily basis. This goal is to not only prohibit “junk food” from my diet but also the mass produced chemical foods that are everywhere. My goal is to eat only foods with ingredients I understand and those that have less than 5 ingredients total.

In the psychological aspect in life I have been maintaining the goal of replaying the day’s events and selecting at least one scenario I could have done something different in. I then ensure I correct this action the next time it arises, or make amends if it had a negative effect one someone else. My goal is to maintain this practice as it will only allow me to grow as a person.

My spiritual goal has been one of great strides. I currently have in place a goal for feeling connected with people and the community I live in. My goal is to partake in community events throughout the year and volunteer time with local charities.

Practices for Personal Health

What strategies can you implement to foster growth in each of the following domains?

In the physical domain I will implement a flexibility routine such as yoga (this can act two-fold, physical & mental). The flexibility routine will help balance out my physical exercise routine as well as my capabilities. Second, I will utilize group training (spiritual & physical) as up until now I have trained predominately solo. I believe that by group training 1-2 times a week I might open myself up to learning new exercise routines and beginning new friendships socially.

Psychological strategies would be implementing a yoga routine to help me better control not only the flexibility of my body but also my mind body connection. I believe that by implementing this routine 2-3 a week can greatly improve my mental health and mind-body connection. Second, I would like to research other styles of meditation and find one that best suites me. I believe that by finding the form most enjoyable to me I can more thoroughly envelope myself in the practices.

Finally the spiritual practices I would enjoy involving in my daily life would be those of reflection upon the positives of the day and trying to decipher how the universe helped assist in making them possible. I would also like to participate in more charitable organizations such as the local Red Cross or helping in local soup kitchens (especially at the holidays) as this has always been a dream that my wife and I have.

Commitment

1. 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 of health and wellness?

My assessments will be simple, in the few practices I have put in place success is determined by attendance. If I am able to ensure participation in these activities regularly I can expect to see improvements in these areas of my life. The three fields can only grow with routine work and that is a positive step I have put into place. However after the 6 month period is up I believe a stringer focus will be needed to help in mastering these parts of my life and can be assessed by a series of personal questions. These questions will all be ones that I can answer no too in my current state and upon meeting my 6 month assessment and positive yes’s can be accepted as progress.

Some examples can be: Are you truly happy with your day to day routine? Do you feel stressed multiple times throughout the day? Do you experience complete happiness all day long? Do you wish to change anything about your life?