Unit 10

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 my scores were as follows; physically a 6, psychological a 5, and spiritual a 3. I have grown in the spiritual aspect my life the most and would rate myself a 5. My physical aspect I would now rate a 7 and my psychological aspect a 6. I believe there is room for growth in all aspects and I will continue to grow even outside of this class! While I only improved my psychological and physical aspects only a little, and more with my spiritual aspect; it goes to show where I needed much improvement.

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

I have made progress in my goals, even though there have been a few bumps in the road along way. I have found that it is quite easy to revert back to my old way of thinking and just simply reacting. Even though it may be easy to revert back, I have more drive not to, so it does help quite a bit.

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

I have implemented the activities I chose, with a few exceptions. For my physical well-being I chose to walk/run on the treadmill. I have changed this to running with the dog since I have recently moved and my treadmill is in pieces =). For my psychological well-being I was going to sit down and talk to my fiancé; I am recently single so I started keeping a journal of all my thoughts and this has helped tremendously! My goal for my spiritual well-being was to meditate every day. This is something I have continued to do and it has been a god send!

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?

This course has changed everything in my life! I perceive things in a different way and view things from a more pleasant perspective. I think the most rewarding part is how I treat myself and others. I’ve always considered myself to be a kind person, but there is a different kindness in which I possess that is hard to put into words. The most difficult part is not reverting back and simply reacting to situations. It is so easy to just react but I’m learning to think before I act. I have grown and learned so much and this is beneficial as I prepare to work with others. I will be able to listen to them and help improve their lives like this class has done for me!

Unit 9

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?

Health and wellness professionals are in the job of trying to help others. Psychology, spirituality, and physical wellbeing are interconnected; each aspect affects the other. If health and wellness professionals are going to help others, they must continue to grow in each of the aspects. If we do not know or understand the exceptionality that each of these aspects holds we cannot begin to describe or teach this to others. Professionals in essence must practice what they preach in order to ‘hear’ the individual who is suffering. They are able to expand their own life to new realizations which gives them a new vision that can be shared with others. Dacher wrote, “To become agents of a more expansive health, we must begin with our own life,” (2006, p. 167). This I believe to be a profound statement.

Throughout these last nine weeks I’ve come to realize the area in my life which needs to the most work is spirituality. Growing up it was never really discussed nor was I really introduced to the different spiritual aspects of life. Throughout my short life I have been introduced to some different religions and spirituality, yet none ever seemed that important. I always liked the words from the Buddha and I’ve come to realize that this is what I need to learn more of in order to expand on my life. It is something that resonates with what I believe and who I want to be. I also believe that the physical aspect of my life also needs much work. I used to be a physically active person and within the last few years I’ve let my mental chatter of things to do control my time. I need good nutrition and physical exercise in order to obtain the health that I want. My psychological aspect I believe to be the most developed of all areas, however there is always progress to be made. I’ve recently been tested on my psychological ability through life’s challenges and while this area may be most developed; there is room for much improvement.
II Assessment:
How have you assessed your health in each domain? How do you score your wellness spiritually, physically, and psychologically?

I have assessed my health in each of the domains by my feelings, actions, and ability to be still. When we change and grow our actions change and grow too. When we face events in our life, we can choose to simply react or we can choose how we wish to respond. I feel as though in the last nine weeks I have grown tremendously. When faced with a very troubling time, I instantly reacted, forgetting all that I have learned and then instead of having pity on myself, chose what is morally right, at least for my beliefs. I took the time to think and be still and really listened to what it was that I needed for me. If I had to rate myself on a scale of 1 to 10 in each of the three areas my scores would be as follows. My spiritual growth is a 5, my physical growth is a 7, and my psychological is a 6.
III Goal development:
List at least one goal you have for yourself in each area, Physical, Psychological (mental health) and Spiritual.

In each, physical, psychological, and spiritual, of the areas, I have a goal in which I would like to achieve. When it comes to my physical wellbeing I would like to try and eat a little healthier and exercise more. I have recently had life altering changes and while I’ve been active I had not followed through on practicing a healthier lifestyle. Spirituality is something I’ve grown more and more with and I wish to continue to expand on, I want to learn the teaching of Buddha and meditation. I would also like to engage in a Yoga class which will benefit my physical, spiritual and mental state.

My psychological or mental state is one that I’ve thought long and hard about. I once went a psychologist, she didn’t say much of anything, and rather she listened to my rambling that seemed to go on for a long time it seemed. I want to get back in touch with her. I think it would be quite beneficial in having someone there who will actively listen to what it is I’m saying and not try and impose on my thoughts. I think this is very important because while friends and family are great to talk to, they often impose their personal experiences on my situation. In a way, it’s like planting a bug in which makes me think how they think. I want to be able to think for myself and express myself in a manner that is not judged nor others thoughts imposed.

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.

In order to foster the growth in which I would like, I believe that making a routine that fits what I would like to do is essential. I want to take time out of each day, no matter what is going on, and make time for myself. I think that setting aside time right before I go to bed to meditate will be most beneficial for me. This is the time when my mind seems to race the most and simply going to bed turns into a 3 hour process. I am also going to set aside time, even if it’s 5 minutes during the day, and focus on my breathing. I think that by having a time set aside twice a day that I will be able to foster and grow in so many ways.

When it comes to my physical growth I believe that finding a friend who would like to take yoga classes would be beneficial in having support for growth. Until I am able to find a friend I am going to do yoga in my house when I wake up in the morning and aim for 3 or 4 times a week. I am also going to start taking my dog for longer walks; he is the one thing in my life that is consistent. He enjoys going for walks but it is much more for me, it is almost a bonding experience. I speak to my dog like he is my friend and he knows all of my secrets, so while it is therapeutic for me, it will be beneficial for the health of our little family.

My psychological growth is something that I’ve been struggling with recently. I have a tendency to get frustrated / angry quite easily. When I start to feel like this and am in the presence of others I need to take the 10 seconds and focus on my breathing before I respond. When I am by myself I will take even more time to focus on my breathing and calm myself down. I also need to address my anxiety issues, or at least that is what I call them. I have found myself to get very anxious when I am in a crowd of people or even meeting new people. I will slowly integrate myself into each of these while using meditation to help control the anxiety.
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 always keep a journal and at the end of every month (or when the time strikes me) I will go back and reflect on what has happened over that period of time. This will allow me the opportunity to keep track, while also making myself accountable. At the end of every month I will be able to reflect on what changes I should make and decide if something needs to be improved or changed. I’ve thought about having the people close to me know what it is that I’m doing and asking them to hold me accountable. This however will not work for me, how will they know if I’m making real progress? The best way I know how to track my progress is to pay attention and reflect on the decisions I make the actions I choose. If I am changing I will notice a change in how I handle situations, how my body will physically change, and how I view everything around me.

I would like to add that I believe that everything happens for a reason; there was a reason I took this class. The answer could not be any clearer right now. The information and techniques I learned through this class came at the exact moment I needed them most. Looking back through all of my classes, I can say with certainty that this class has changed the way I view everything. That gift is priceless and I am very thankful to have had to opportunity to hear my classmate’s stories and reflect on everyone’s progress.

Unit 8

1. Review the exercises and practice sessions you have completed in this course. (Loving Kindness, Subtle mind, Visualization, meditation etc.) Choose two practices that you have determined to be most beneficial. How can you implement these practices in your personal life to foster “mental fitness”? Provide specific examples.

The two exercises I have found to be most useful is the Loving Kindness and Meditation exercises. I chose these two because for me my life is about being busy and there never seems to be enough time in the day. Some days there are just so much that needs to be done that I get lost in it all. There are also days in which I make myself keep busy because it’s easier than taking the time to feel certain emotions or certain events. The loving kindness exercise has impacted my life because I finally became aware that I need to love myself so I can love others. It is a constant reminder and growth for me. Every time I do the exercise I feel as though I evolve. The same can be said for meditation. Meditation is my quiet time and it is kind of like a reflection period for me. It puts me at ease and I relax and live within myself. These practices can improve my mental fitness in so many ways. It’s like taking a step back and observing everything all the disturbing and happy thoughts. These practices have let me not take things too personally. When walking by someone who is grumpy, you learn to smile and let them feel a little bit of joy if only for a second.