Why is it important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically?
It is important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually, and physically so that they will operate in total balance of the mind, body, and spirit while encouraging their patients to achieve the same level of wholeness. It is necessary for patients to be able to relate to those they seek treatment from. This will increase the level of confidence between each patient and their chosen wellness specialist.
What areas do you need to develop to achieve the goals you have for yourself?
In order to achieve the goals that I have for myself, I have to continue to develop both psychologically and spiritually. By focusing on clearing my mind, training my thought process, and meditating daily, I can reach my desired goals within a reasonable timeframe?
II. Assessment
How have you assessed your health in each domain?
I have assessed my health in each domain by analyzing the suggestions and exercises provided by Dacher throughout the course text. By recognizing my strengths and improving my weaknesses, I can redirect my energy to the appropriate domains to create a balanced mind, body, and spirit connection.
How do you score your wellness spiritually, physically, and psychologically?
Upon completion of this class, I can score my wellness as follows:
Spirituality: 7; My relationship with God was instilled in me as I was exiting my mother’s womb and reinforced throughout my childhood. My adult life has been filled with faith based instruction, regular church visits, and constant communication with God. There is always room for improvement in this area as I seek to deepen my relationship with Christ.
Physically: 8; There is always room for improvement and I am sure that I will never be completely satisfied, but I am the most physically fit I have ever been in my entire life. By using the gym as my outlet for stress, I have been able to lose a substantial amount of weight and have been able to maintain that weight loss through implementing necessary lifestyle changes.
Psychologically: 7; I had a floating mind with random thoughts that wander. Through the exercises taught throughout this course, I have been able to focus more, control my wander thoughts, and concentrate on one activity at a time, which has increased my multi-tasking ability. Although there is room for improvement, I have progressed a lot in this area and am very proud of my score.
III. Goal development
List at least one goal you have for yourself in each area, Physical, Psychological (mental health) and Spiritual.
The goals that I have for myself are as follows:
Physical: To continue to live a healthy lifestyle in an attempt to lose my last 20 pounds.
Psychological: Continue to utilize the meditation practices that Dacher presented in an attempt to improve my mental health.
Spiritual: Focus on growing closer to God through prayer, daily Bible reading, and deep meditation
IV. Practices for personal health
What strategies can you implement to foster growth in each of the following domains; Physical, Psychological, and Spiritual.
In an attempt to foster growth in each domain, I can implement the following strategies:
Physical: engage in some form of physical activity on a daily basis. By using a variety of exercises, the monotony of exercising daily will be non- existent. Workout DVD’s, skiing, tennis, swimming, gym machines, and basketball are just a few forms of physical activity that I can do on a daily basis.
Psychological: meditate daily both with a guide and on my own. In addition, purchasing a cd or electronic device that has relaxing sounds such as waves crashing or sounds resembling a silent country evening. I can use the CD’s to help calm any stressful thoughts and help to enter into a state of relaxation.
Spiritual: Apply the same strategy as mentioned in the psychological domain and use worship cd’s to start my day. Use my prayer and Bible reading time as my quiet sanctuary moments that are left undisturbed. By doing this on a daily basis, I can foster growth in this area of my life.
V. Commitment
How will you assess your progress or lack of progress in the next six months?
In an attempt to reassess my progress at a later time, I will use the same strategies that I used for the original assessment in addition to scoring myself on a scale of 1-10. By reading over my blog entries from the past, I will be able to track my progress as well.
What strategies can you use to assist in maintaining your long-term practices for health and wellness?
In order to assist in maintaining my long-term practices for health and wellness, I can begin to create a routine that will later transform into a habit so that performing tasks that are in line with my reaching my long term health and wellness goals will be second nature. I can also utilize a health and wellness journal to write down my goals and the path that I need to following in an attempt to reach each one. In addition, I can use my Blackberry as a way to create reminders and calendar entries regarding both my long and short term goals for health and wellness.
