It Has Been a Beautiful Journey!

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?

“On a scale of 1-10 I would rate my physical wellbeing as a 7, my spiritual wellbeing as an 8, and my psychological wellbeing as a 6.” ~Taken from my week three assessment.

How do you score yourself now? Has the score changed? Why or why not?

     I would score myself spiritually at an 8, physically at a 6, and psychologically at a 7. My scores have changed. My spiritual wellness score has increased a bit as well as my psychological wellness score. On the other hand, my physical wellness score has declined. I have been to a couple conventions and done some work in my twelve step program, which has likely lead to the increase in the two areas. Physically, I have made poor choices in my eating habits and have not been consistently making it to the gym, I am certain that this is exactly why this score has suffered.

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

     “Physically I would like to exercise at least five times a week, with three days of strength training incorporated. I would like to complete 30 minutes or more of cardio on days with strength training and 60 minutes or more on days without. Stretching is extremely important and whenever possible I would love to take it a step further by going to a yoga class. My goal weight is 135 pounds and I am confident that I will reach this. I also would like to increase muscle tone and improve my cardio respiratory endurance. 

     Spiritually I would like to meditate every day. I often forget to do this. Quieting the mind is so vital in remembering what is truly important in life and letting go of the unnecessary clutter of our minds. I would like to practice one of the recordings from this class each day and be able to instruct myself through memory without the guiding words of the recordings. 

     Psychologically, I would like to continue with my exercise routine, create a normal sleep/wake cycle and eat healthfully. I believe the two previous areas we have discussed will largely affect my wellbeing in this area. Once I have completed my regimen of B-12 to correct my deficit, I would like to assess my psychological wellbeing again, to see if I have lingering feelings of depression. If I do, I may need to consider taking medication to correct any possible imbalance.” ~ Taken from my week three assessment.

     I made some progress in these areas and then took a few steps backwards as I will explain in-depth in the next section.

3. Have you implemented the activities you chose for your well-being in each of the three areas? Explain.

     I began returning to the gym on October 8, 2011. I had been struggling in this area for a while and was very excited to return to it. Despite the knowledge I have about over doing exercise when first getting into the swing of things I went full-force. I went everyday for eleven days, took a day off, went for three days in a row, took a day off and then went for four days out of the next seven before becoming exhausted. I also had my wisdom teeth removed a few weeks after overdoing things at the gym and have yet to get back into a routine. Despite the fact that I would like to work out five days a week, three days a week is a better starting point, with two days of strength training if I actually want to succeed in continuing with an exercise regimen.

     Spiritually, I read a daily meditation every day. This only takes a short amount of time, but it is a form of meditation. I also reflect on my day considering what choices and behaviors were positive forces in my life and would like to repeat tomorrow. I have not been practicing the recordings from class as I would like to. This is something that I would certainly enjoy making time for. I am not sure why I have not begun doing so.

     Psychologically, I have been forgetting to take care of myself in the ways that I had hoped. Maybe I am not forgetting, but just making poor choices. I recently began a new relationship and have been staying up late watching movies and have failed to create any patterned sleep/wake cycles. I have not been exercising recently and have been eating extremely unhealthy. I am not sure why I am making such poor choices for self. There was a few weeks there after completing the self-assessment blog in week three of this course that I actually was making great choices with exercise and eating habits. I have even been forgetting to take my B-12 supplement to correct my deficit.

     I am somewhat discouraged by the lack of progress I have made in all of these areas. I allow life changes and events to throw me off balance. Having my wisdom teeth removed, starting a new relationship, Halloween and Thanksgiving, coupled with the two weekend getaways I have partaken have turned my life upside down, because I chose to allow it to. I need to recommit to taking care of myself and believe that reviewing this information will give me the motivation to do so.

4. 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 have very much enjoyed this course. I believe that everyone would benefit from such a class, unless they are too closed-minded to accept these concepts. Awareness is vital in creating change. By assessing myself and reassessing, I have become aware of my very real state of health. I have always struggled in the fall and winter, so I am not surprised that my commitment to my personal health has been somewhat lacking. In many ways I have improved greater well-being, physically; however I am decreasing in wellness, which will lead to a decrease in the other areas as well if I do not correct it. I have had trouble with consistency all of my life. If I could remain consistent the results would be phenomenal as they have been in times of extended commitment to improving my health. This class raises my awareness and creates a motivating force inside myself to make better choices for self. By being humble in my process and evaluating my wellness from time to time, I will be best able to implement the appropriate routines in my life. By taking my own journey towards increased health and wellness and am better able to assist others on their own paths as well.

Cultivating Health and Wellness

 Cultivating Health and Wellness

     It is important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually, and physically so that they are best able to assist their patients in achieving wellness in these areas for themselves. I believe that it would be difficult to guide someone in a journey that has not been undertaken previously by self. If I were a patient in search of improving wellness in one of these areas, I would need to believe that my caregiver’s suggestions were a valid solution to my ailment in order to faithfully follow directions. Without compliance from the patient the treatment is not going to be successful. In order to have faith in my healthcare providers, I would need to see that they have achieved wellness in the area of their lives that I am seeking to better in my own and then I would believe that they are capable of supplying me with direction in attaining such a state of health for self.

     There are indeed areas that I need to develop to achieve the goals I have for myself. I would say that I need to develop all of these areas, psychologically, spiritually, and physically, in order to achieve my goals. My professional goal is to achieve a degree in which I can help others to cultivate health within themselves. After completing my Bachelor’s of Science in Health and Wellness I plan to continue on to get my Master’s either in Psychology or Social Work as they seem to be the best choices to find employment in the field of mental health in the state of Maryland where I reside. It has always been a passion of mine to help people with their psychological and spiritual ailments. I believe that the patients themselves are the ones that cultivate the development of better health in these are and that by listening to their concerns, I will be able to help open their minds to better thought patterns of self and others. In order to appropriately provide services I will need to constantly develop my own wellness in these areas as well. I also have come to believe that the physical aspect of wellness crosses over to other areas just as those other areas cross over to physical wellness. I have been vigorously working towards better health psychologically, spiritually, and physically for self for quite some time now. In order to gain the trust and faith of those I work with I will need to continue this pattern, so that they can believe that I can provide them with valid guidance in their quests for personal wellness.

     In my personal life I will never be done this journey of achieving wellness. There will always be work to be done and I hope to never believe that I 00
have arrived at a state of perfection as I do not believe it is possible. It is a journey and I have faith that my God will show me the way through my dealings with others and my inward reflections as to what steps to take next. The process itself is where I find joy and fulfillment. I am a mother of four as well as a daughter, granddaughter, and friend among other things. By developing all of these areas I am better able to love and be supportive of the people in my life. I have so many goals that to try and list them would make this paper unnecessarily long. I want to be loving and kind in my dealings with others. I want to those I come into contact with create wellness in their lives in all areas in whatever way possible without neglecting my own needs.

     Many factors have gone into assessing my personal health in each of the domains of wellness, spiritually, psychologically, and physically. I took into account my previous states of wellness in each of these areas, where I would like to be with each of them, and I have used the work I have completed during my courses here at Kaplan University. I believe that all of the states of wellness are fluid and constantly fluctuating rather than being a solidified state of exactness. I used a scale of 0-10 to give a value to my current state in each of these areas.

     I score my spiritual wellness at the highest of all of my personal scores with an 8. I believe that I have taken great steps in developing this particular domain of wellness in my life. I am involved in a Twelve Step fellowship where the basis of my recovery is in the realm of spirituality. Without the connection that I have cultivated with my higher power I would not be able to achieve all of the dreams that I have been working towards, including the continuation of my education. I seek out a constant connection to this source of power in my life. This brings me courage to live my life to the fullest despite any fears I may have. There is always room for improvement and at times I forget the strength that I have available to me through God, and allow life to swallow me, reverting to my old hopeless feelings of being overwhelmed temporarily.

     Physically, I have also made great improvements, but have a ways to go to achieve optimal health when using my Body Mass Index as a measurement of my current state of wellness. I am still overweight by about 30 pounds, which is impressive compared to the 75 pounds overweight I was at the beginning of this journey for health and wellness. I would give this domain the lowest score of all of these areas coming in at a 6. My score would be higher but my consistency with making healthy choices for self with nutrition and exercise is shaky. For a long time I was extremely committed, but came to a place of contentment with the progress I made and lost my drive. While I am much happier with the way I feel physically and look, I still want to achieve my original goal of 135 pounds. Eating healthful foods to fuel my body, and regularly exercising to improve my cardiovascular health and gain the benefits of releasing endorphins.

     The realm of psychological wellness may be the hardest for me to evaluate. I have not been medicated in years now and have done fairly well. The turn of the seasons that has been taking place is a time of uncertainty for me. I struggle with negative thought patterns and generally lower energy levels during the colder and darker part of the year. I do have a light therapy box, which I have only pulled out once this year. I have a high number of stressors in my life. I am a single mother of four, a full-time student, a recovering addict, and have struggled with bouts of depressions throughout the years. Despite these challenges I would score my psychological wellness at a 7. I would prefer not to take medication, but rather use exercise, healthful eating choices, and fellowshipping with friends, along with prayer and meditation. So far these implications have been working in my life. I still find myself struggling with my mood and energy levels on some days and hope to have more improvements throughout my journey of wellness in this area.

     When reflecting on my personal goals for each area of wellness I am certain that they will constantly grow and change. I believe that starting with small achievable goals on the way to accomplishing larger goals is vital in order to gain success. This fosters a sense of wellbeing and personal efficacy. This belief in our own capabilities allows us to propel further on the path towards health and wellness.

     A spiritual goal of mine is to begin and end my day with meditation and prayer, even if this is only five minutes at a time. By strengthening my connection with God and reflecting on the person I want to be, my day will run much more smoothly. Returning to this process at night and reflecting on my day to see what worked and what I could improve on will provide the opportunity for optimal personal growth in all areas of my life. This will also increase my gratitude and improve my overall attitude and perspective on life.

     As stated previously a physical goal of mine is to reach 135 pounds in order to reach a healthy weight range for my height. I would also like to do at least 30 minutes of cardio three to five days a week and strength train two to three days a week, consistently. I recently joined Weight Watchers again and their new points system is based on healthful eating habits supporting fresh fruits and vegetables as a good source of nutrients as well as whole grains, low fat milk products, lean meats, and healthy oils.  I would like to stay on plan and worked towards my weight goal.

     Psychologically, I would say that I want to keep an open mind to taking medication if I appear to become depressed during the winter season. My goal would be not to take medication but to be willing to change my view if necessary. Another goal would be to use positive affirmations in improving my outlook. A more stable mood with less highs and lows would be excellent.

     There are many strategies I can implement to foster growth in each of the following domains; physical, psychological, and spiritual. Physically I can go to the local YMCA, where I am a member, look to the outdoors or even exercise in my own home as I have a weight bench and weights, among other exercise equipment. I can partake in cardio respiratory exercises such as running and using the elliptical machine as well as lift free weights or use the strength training equipment. I will begin by doing 30 minutes of cardio a week and two days of a strength training routine. I will also follow my Weight Watchers plan in order to get proper nutrition while cutting calories to aid in my weight loss efforts. I would like to incorporate yoga once weekly into this exercise regimen as well.

     Psychologically I will use positive affirmations to improve my thought processes and perspective. By saying aloud positive statements about self, I will believe them more and the negative thoughts will become more distant. I will continue to participate in my Twelve Step program, fellowshipping with friends and honestly sharing with others where I am at and listening to how they are doing as well. This type of sharing does wanders for feeling interconnected and supports and develops psychological wellness.

     Spiritually I will pray and meditate in the morning when I rise and in the evening before I fall asleep. I will inventory my day and see where I could do things differently and appreciate what went well, choosing the behaviors that I wish to continue in my life that support growth. I will also read books to help open my mind further to the ideas of spiritual teachers. Whenever possible I will try implementing these teachings into my life. That is one of the reasons I enjoyed this course so much. The CD that went along with the Integral Health text, allows us to have guided practice with the teachings of the writer.
     I will assess my progress or lack of progress in the next six months in a few different ways. My physical assessments will be completed by tracking my exercise sessions on Mobilfit a program that is used in conjunction with my local YMCA. The nutritional portion of my plan will be tracked using the Weight Watchers points system by logging my food intake and using the charts for total points consumed and body weight change. By logging all of my daily efforts in these two areas, I believe that I will be best able to remain committed and have easy access to view my progress or lack of progress. I will increase the amount of exercise I partake in overtime as my physical wellness improves.

     Psychologically, I can use a daily journal and mood assessment to see what patterns I can analyze to get a handle on my wellness in this domain. I will use a scale of 1-10 to give a numerical value to my general psychological wellbeing. I can reflect daily on what thoughts I am having to see if they are negative or positive in nature. I will remember to use my positive affirmations to increase my sense of psychological wellness.

     Lastly, my spiritual wellness can be assessed by my ability to rely on my higher power, especially in times of stress or sorrow. He has always brought me through every one of life’s struggles and is not about to let me down now. If I am pessimistic or run by fear I will have a good indication that my spiritual wellness is not doing well. I can pray and remember how strong my God is and turn to meditative practices to clear my mind. Again I plan to use a scale of 1-10 to evaluate my wellness in this domain.

Exercises and Practices

Loving Kindness and Subtle Mind were my two favorite exercises and I believe them to be the most beneficial.  I can implement these practices in my personal life to foster “mental fitness”, by choosing days and times to schedule them. While practicing them I will become better at the practices. I will be providing myself the time to focus on my intention with Loving Kindness. I want to send out loving kindness in all of my interactions. This practice reminds me of that desire and brings about the positive feelings I associate with such intentional living. The Subtle Mind practice allows me to just be and I do not have to fight the thoughts that enter my mind during the practice, but rather acknowledge them and allow them to drift away just as they drifted in. I find this to be very relaxing in and of itself. I do not feel as though I am failing when my attention starts to wander, but instead understand that it will happen and with practice it will happen less often. 

Meeting Asciepius

1. My mindfulness and meditation has fostered an increase in my psychological and spiritual wellness. This exercise gives me a sense of well-being just by imagining the positive characteristics of another and honoring his or her wisdom. I pictured the person's wisdom being shared with me and this brought a sense of peace and gratitude with it.  I can  continue to apply these practices in my life to foster greater health and wellness, by appreciating the wisdom in others and taking the opportunity to learn from them and grow. I can honor the wisdom of others and believe that I too behold these wonderful gifts.

1. The saying: "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself” (P.477) is what I consider to be the importance of sharing our experience and not offering advice. Giving advice with the absence of experience is arrogant and dangerous. How would we truly know what is best for another. Yet we can share what has worked for ourselves or explain where someone can go to get the help they need from someone with that particular experience. This applies to the health and wellness professional, because how can we guide someone in achieving wellness if we ourselves have not achieved wellness as well? I do have an obligation to my clients to be developing my health psychologically, physically, and spiritually.  How can I expect another to follow my guidance on a journey I do not understand? I can implement my psychological and spiritual growth in my personal life by being mindful of my interactions with others, to respect myself and make loving choices that are good for self, I can give myself time to meditate and commune with my higher power, and I can take time to ask myself how I am feeling and why may I be feeling in a particular way.