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?

It is important for health and wellness professional to develop psychologically, spiritually, and physically because ultimately they set an example as health care professionals. When these areas are developed by the health and wellness professional they are better able to relate with their client/patient. I don’t think that you can suggest things to others without having tried it for yourself and seeing the effectiveness of it. With that being said while helping others out they are able to fine tune themselves out because developing these takes time and practice and will obviously not happen overnight.

II Assessment:

How have you assessed your health in each domain? How do you score your wellness spiritually, physically, and psychologically?

When I assessed my health in each domain I know that I have some work to do and am not where I should be or want to be for my standards. I am stronger in some aspects than I am in others but I should be able to balance them all out equally because one affects the other which is what I have observed from my own experience.

Spiritually I think I am doing well. I am very spiritual because my dad taught me how to be as a teenager. My dad is a Native American Aztec and was a medicine man. He would hold sweats every weekend. Sweats are simply burning big rocks in a fire while a group of people were inside a teepee. This takes hours and lasted late into the night sometimes morning depending if they needed to pray extra for someone. The rocks are put in the center of them and they put water on them causing them to steam as they prayed. However, on the other spectrum I would really like to attend church more often. I was raised catholic and attended church every Sunday. I don’t attend because I work two jobs but I really should not use that as an excuse because services are given during the week as well. I think I have gotten closer to god as I have gotten older because of the situations I have been dealt with. It seems as though sometimes the only thing I have is my faith in god when things aren’t looking well and still somehow I manage to get through it.

Physically I think I am doing well but need improvement. I exercise six to seven days a week and sometimes two times a day depending on my work day. It took me a while to figure out that running has been the best stress medicine for me. I just can’t get enough of it and now feel like an adrenaline junkie. I do lift weights as well three to four days of the week. My diet has improved so much especially after taking a nutrition class. I was able to drop thirty pounds and learn that I can still eat and not starve myself to lose weight.

Psychologically I think this is the one that I have the hardest time with. I say this because I sometimes I can be my own worst enemy. My mind gets carried away with things and if I think of them as being negative it brings me down physically and spiritually. I say this because a few months ago I was doing very well in all these three aspects and then I slowly stopped exercising and eating foods that I knew would only make me feel worse. This in return brought my spirit down tremendously. I wasn’t feeling quite like myself and took me about two months to realize it. I did some research and based the signs and symptoms on what I read and was able to determine that depression had gotten the best of me. I couldn’t figure out why I felt like this or how to get myself out of it. This is why I say these all go hand in hand and must be balanced. With me, when I was affected psychologically it turned around and went downhill affecting me physically and my spirituality.

III Goal development:

List at least one goal you have for yourself in each area, Physical, Psychological (mental health) and Spiritual.

Physically I have set goals for myself. I am training myself to run half a marathon in mid April and in the fall attempt to run a whole one. I am doing this for myself because to me it will be a sense of accomplishment.

Psychologically I have started taking herbal supplements and I have noticed quite the difference in the month I have taken it. I am removing myself from negative people and things that cause that. Misery tends to love company. I can’t let myself be brought down like that anymore because it takes a toll on me as a whole. I also don’t want those people or things to interfere with the positive attitude I have.

Spiritually I plan on enrolling my son in classes with the church so that I have no choice but to be involved with him and we can do this as a family and help bring us closer together and make us stronger as one.

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.

Physically I would like to have my husband get involved in exercising with me so we can support systems for each other and keep one another focused and on track.

Psychologically I plan on tackling the problem when it bothers me or I feel that it needs to be addressed. I have had a tendency to hold things in and not talk to anyone about it and eventually end up blowing up at people that have not done anything to me or said something to me that sparked me off.

Spiritually I would like to see my son make his first confirmation in the Catholic Church. I would also like to involve myself in more church activities. I have started reading a bible verse daily or will look one up according to what I am feeling and it has seem to make me feel good inside.

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?

As I sit here writing this paper I have jotted down in a book that I lay next to my bed all the goals that I have stated in this paper. I am writing down all my thoughts and feelings. In the next six months I will come back to that page and check my progress. I will write down my thoughts and feelings and then compare the two. I will go through my list of goals and mark off each one that I have accomplished. I think this approach is better for me because I tend to remember more when I see it in black and white. That way I have no excuse and can only blame myself and no one else.