unit 10 blog

1. Review your unit 3 personal assessment of your psychological, physical, and spiritual well-being. Reflect on these areas . How did you score yourself on a scale from 1 to 10 in unit 3? How do you score yourself now? Has the score changed? Why or why not?

          In unit 3 I rated myself at: 8/10 for physical well-being; 9/10 spiritually; and 8-9/10 psychologically. I feel that I have stayed consistent in these three aspects and that I have been at those levels for a long period of time. My father has always said that I knew exactly who I was the second I hit the air. I was never one who followed the crowd or really cared much for what people think. I am more of a free spirit who follows how I feel and pays little attention to what the majority is doing. I care for others greatly and keep those who are close to me very close, however if I do not care for you I simply act as if you do not exist as life is too short to waste it on people who do not deserve your time. I have a strong faith in God but am more spiritual then religious. I feel that going to church is not necessarily going to make you a better person and that God made me and therefore knows who I am.

    2. Review the goals and activities you set for yourself in each area. Have you made progress toward the goals? Explain.

          Physically I have not really implemented any of the goals I had to exercise more. I walk my dog with my boyfriend every evening still, but have not joined a gym or developed any type of work out routine. During this term I suffered a great loss in my family and have been very busy helping my cousin with my nieces and nephews, this has left me very little free time to myself. Spiritually I have kept my faith strong, even when it seemed like there were things happening which had no reason. My aunt passed away very suddenly leading my family to be quite distraught and sad for a period of time. I questioned for a time, why, however I feel that she had bigger things she needed to go on and do and I may not understand while of this earth but someday I feel that she will explain it to me. Psychologically it has been quite difficult, I have been dealing with great stress upon the passing of my aunt. I have been spending a lot of time with my cousin trying to help her with her kids and to deal with the loss of her mother while dealing with my own grief, so it has been difficult but I have tried to stay strong.

     3.Summarize your personal experience throughout this course. Have you developed improved well-being? What has been rewarding? What has been difficult? How will this experience improve your ability to assist others?

          I feel that this course was very involved and delved deeper into health and wellness then I have ever done so before in my studies. I had a very difficult past few months so I wish I had been more able to concentrate on this course then I was truly able to do. I feel that I have a better understanding of health and overall well-being then I did prior to this course, but that I will probably re-read all of the course info and perhaps take a further course to understand even more fully then this course could teach me. I feel that this course has given me a better understanding of perhaps why people act the way that they do. I am one who has little patience and this course has helped me to understand that perhaps the person yelling at you has a much bigger issue going on then you are aware of and therefore trying to be patient is exactly what that person may need.

holistic/integral health plan

I.                   Introduction:

a.       It is important for health and wellness professionals to themselves develop psychologically, spiritually, and physically as to treat others one must be in touch with their own needs and short comings. To be open to all aspects of health and wellness, one must be open to accepting their own fault and therefore the opportunity to constantly change and grow as a person. If one does not develop their own psychological, spiritual and physical health then they are closing themselves off from possibility and therefore the chance to evolve. For myself, I feel that the area which I need to work on the most is physical development. Although I am a healthy weight and size, I do not eat very healthy nor do I regularly exercise. I find myself always grabbing food on the go and constantly being busy with life, I do not take the time to care for myself in these aspects and feel that this is an area I greatly need to work on. Two simple ways I could start this change would be to pack my meals from home in advance, that way I would have control over the ingredients and therefore overall nutritional value I would consume; and taking my dog on a long walk at night.

II.                Assessment:

a.       In the domains spirituality, physical health and psychological health I score very differently in each category. I feel that spiritually I am very healthy. Although I do not consider myself to be religious, and therefore do not follow any kind of organized spiritual advancement; I do have a complete faith in a higher power and therefore a calmness which I feel regarding life and what comes afterwards. I feel that bad things can happen in life and though I may not understand the reason, I also accept that it is not my place to understand everything. I have accepted that I am in control of my life but powerless regarding my destiny. I therefore try to take what happens as it comes and remember that although things can always be better, they can always be much worse. My physical health is an aspect in which I need to work on, as I mentioned above. I need to start eating a healthier and more balanced diet. I always say that I eat like a five year old; I am very picky and have quite a sweet tooth. I need to remember that what I do now will affect me when I am older and therefore learning a balanced way of eating now will help me later in life. Psychologically I feel that I have overall balance. I feel that my spirituality greatly impacts how I deal with stress and difficulties which arise in life. I have a clear understanding that life is not an easy task, but is a gift and I try to appreciate each day and try to always see the positive and not the negative. I know that some may be more fortunate then I, but that I am much more fortunate than others; therefore I try to appreciate what I have and not dwell on what I do not.

III.             Goal Development:

a.       In my physical domain, I have the goal of a healthier diet as well as regular exercise. In my spiritual domain I think perhaps it would be beneficial to have a clearer understanding of the beliefs of others. I feel that having an understanding of other’s religions leads to tolerance and prevents misunderstandings which can arise if you are not knowledgeable regarding what another group of individuals may deem to be their truth. Psychologically I feel it may be beneficial to come to better terms with my family and the issues which past and present generations have. I do not have any kind of relationship with my parents, for a long time I have taken that personally and looked for blame in myself. I think that if I came to terms with their short comings and accepted that my parents are who they are and I will never change them I would be in an even better psychological state of health.

IV.             Practices for personal health:

a.       As I mentioned above physically I could start packing my meals ahead of time for when I will be away from home to improve my diet intake as well as trying to take my dog for a long walk at night at least a few nights a week will increase my exercise. Spiritually perhaps I could read up on other religions and try to appreciate the similarities as well as the differences to my own beliefs. Psychologically perhaps I could talk to a professional who could help me cope better with the issues I have with my family, or visit a book store and find a book which I feel would help me better understand my family issues.

V.                Commitment:

a.       I feel that starting off with packing my lunches for work is a good start and over the next six months I can increase those pre-packaged meals to include those which I would need when leaving the house during non-working hours. I feel that starting off trying to take long walks with my dog two nights a week at first would not overwhelm me and therefore lead me to quit. Over time, I can increase the number of days as I get into a regular routine of exercise. Psychologically I feel that perhaps finding a book at the book store would be more practical and affordable in my present circumstances and therefore I would make a goal for myself of buying one book every two months and making sure I actually take the time for myself and read it. Spiritually I feel that trying to attend other religious services then what I have experienced previously would also be something which would be beneficial. I think that loosely trying to keep track of my progress is what is best, as when I get discouraged I tend to feel like doing something is not worth the time and effort.

References:

1.      Schlitz, M., Amorok, T., & Micozzi, M. S. (2005). Consciousness and healing. St Louis, MO: Churchill Livingstone.

2.      Dacher, E. S. (2008). Integral health: The path to human flourishing. Laguna Beach: Basic Health Publications Inc.

unit 4 post :)

Upon completion of reading chapter 6, review the section ‘Getting Started’ (p.66). Begin practice 1: Listen to the Introduction mp3 and Loving Kindness mp3 (both located in Doc Sharing). Practice the Loving Kindness exercise this week. In your journal (blog), record your reaction to the exercise.

 

Describe your experience. Did you find it beneficial? Difficult? Why or why not? Would you           recommend this to others? Why or why not?

     I found this exercise to be very relaxing but difficult to attain the state of relaxation and self-consciousness needed. I live in an apartment with my boyfriend, two kitties and a 6mo old puppy; quiet and peace are not easy to come by. At first I tried performing the exercise when my boyfriend was home, however this doesn't work because he is going about with what he needs to do, I can hear him and am aware of his presence. My second attempt was early in the morning, after my boyfriend leaves for work and I put the kitties and puppy outside of the bedroom so that I could be alone. I put a pillow on my bedroom floor with the lights out and very little outside light due to the time of day and started my relaxation exercise. I think that this is a great thing to make a part of your routine because it gets you in touch of every aspect of your life; those you love, things that make you happy, things that bother you and also with people around you that you may not know but allow yourself to be open to.

What is the concept of "mental workout"? What does the research indicate are the proven benefits of a mental workout? How can you implement mental workouts to foster your psychological health?

     The concept of a mental workout is that you must practice to build your psychospirtuality just as you would your physical being and your mental capacity. The point of "contemplative practice is not rest and relaxation but rather progressive development of expanded consciousness and its healing capacities" (Dacher, 2006). There are two types of contemplative practice, the first is loving kindness; the second is the subtle mind. Loving kindness focuses our thoughts to concern and compassion from others and away from our own needs and concerns. When we attain loving kindness the mind is calmer and more open to contemplative practices. The subtle mind addresses three levels: witnessing, calm-abiding, and unity consciousness; this opens the mind to penetrating wisdom and the truth of life and existence. These two elements heal us at the source and promote human flourishing. I think that having a daily mental work out is a positive exercise and one which can improve your overall health by opening your mind and unclouding it from the distractions and petty concerns which can distract you from what is truly important.

 

Reference:

Dacher, E. S. (2006). Integral health: The path to human flourishing. Laguna Beach: Basic Health Publications Inc.

unit 3 journal post

1. Based on your reflections, and on a scale of 1 to 10 (ten being optimal well being), where do you rate your A-physical well being, B-spiritual well-being, C-psychological well-being? Why? 

           My physical well being is probably an 8, I stopped smoking a few months ago and have never drank alcohol on a regular basis, so I feel that I am better off in that aspect. I am not one who enjoys exercise but I live an active lifestyle and walk my dog often. Spiritually I feel that I am at a 9-10, this may sound high but I have no doubt that God exists and I feel very comfortable with whatever happens being meant to be a for a greater purpose which even if I do not understand, I am comfortable with the unknown. Psychologically I feel I am most often an 9, but most often an 8 because I have had a lot of stress but things are calming down so I have faith that I will go back to my normal easy going self.

2. Develop a goal for yourself in each area (physical, spiritual, psychological).
          Physically, I would like to be motivated to exercise more; not to lose weight but just for an overall healthier way of life and perhaps to attain better muscle tone. Spiritually I think I just need to keep my faith where it is and stay strong in that there are things I may not understand but there are reasons for everything and perhaps I am not meant to understand and that is where a strong faith comes from. Psychologically I think I need to work on how I handle stress, I think I sometimes break down and let things get to me where I should just pick myself up and move forward with the mindset that it will get better.

3. What activities or exercise can you implement in your life to assist in moving toward each goal?

         To exercise more I think that my boyfriend and I should start taking out dog on a longer walk every night, eventually turning the walk into a job and the job into a run. I think that is way to keep my family involved and keep my motivated. Spiritually I think has to come from within, I am not one who is religious and do not feel that church or organization makes you closer to God. Psychologically I think I need to practice what we have been learning in this course and perhaps try breathing and visualization exercises to center myself better.

 

4. Complete the relaxation exercise The Crime of the Century. To hear this exercise, click here. Describe your experience. (What it beneficial? Frustrating? etc.)

         I enjoyed the relaxation exercise, it made me really want to take a yoga class so that I could participate in something like that in a controlled setting, I found it very relaxing, however I live in an apartment with my boyfriend and three furry babies so it is not really conducive to relaxing quiet time to myself.

Wow, this is not easy. I am so not one who is technically savvy and I found even setting this blog up to be quite difficult, let alone figuring out how to add everyone. I live in New Jersey with my boyfriend and our 3 little furry babies. I should be graduating with my bachelors in public health from Kaplan in April (if my capstone course isn't moved again) and then I plan to either finish my nursing degree or continue on here at Kaplan for my masters degree. I look forward to blogging with all of you, especialy because I never thought I would even have a blog so this should be interesting :)