Creating Wellness - Final Project

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 professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically. Most health professionals are in the business to teaching others how to develop in these ways. Therefore, it is important that these professionals set an example by being what they are teaching. Health practitioners must lead a life of integral health and evolve as the path changes. They must expand their knowledge and learn about the most recent research, new techniques, and emerging therapies (Dacher, 2006). Professionals must be developed psychologically to help their patients/clients deal with stressors and the change necessary for reaching their goals. Health and wellness professionals must have a spiritual understanding of both themselves and their patient/client in order to help them grow spiritually and prepare for the journey towards integral health, happiness and wholeness. Finally, health care professionals must practice what they preach when it comes to physical activity and development. It is much easier to learn and be coached from someone who is physically fit when they are expecting results from you. I need to develop myself psychologically, spiritually and physically. Life is ever changing and we need to change and adapt to these changes. Stress will always be a part of my life as a single, working mother. I must learn to deal with the stressors so that I can focus and live peacefully. Physically, I need to spend more time exercising. I want to set a good example for my children. Perhaps spending time playing outside with them would help to increase my physical activity and promote healthy habits in them.

Assessment:

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

Spiritually, I would rate myself at a 5. I have a lot to learn about spirituality and how it can improve my life and my inner peace.

Physically, I would rate myself at an 8. I am in good shape for my age, but need to spend more time exercising. Daily exercise needs to be improved.

Psychologically, I would rate myself at a 7. I have learned so much in this class about meditation and stress reduction and have implemented this into my daily life.

Goal development:

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

Daily exercise is a goal that I have set for myself. I would like to start walking for 30 minutes per day and adding strength training and toning 3 days a week for optimal health.

Meditation will be a part of my daily life. I believe that through meditation I can improve my mental health. This, in turn, will help me find outer peace and turn it inward to find inner peace. This inner peace will help to improve my spirituality.

Spiritually, I need to connect more with my inner self. This can be achieved by adding relaxation exercises to my daily/weekly routine.

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 all of the domains, I can foster growth through focus and dedication. I will dedicate more time to myself to help improve physically, psychologically and spiritually. I can set goals to walk daily and play outside with my children to improve my physical self. I can practice breathing exercises and meditation to help foster growth psychologically. I have been practicing taking deep breathes when stressors arise and found that I become relaxed and can deal better with the situation. Spiritually, I can foster growth through relaxation exercises and yoga practice. These exercises can improve my focus and inner development.

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 can assess my progress in the next six months by keeping a journal and using an activity tracker. My Fitness Pal is a great tracker to use for tracking physical activity. I can utilize this tool to print reports to check my progress. Spiritually and psychologically, I can keep track of my moods in relation to events or stress that is occurring at a specific time. My acknowledging my feelings in a situation, I can assess how I handle the situations and my growth in these domains.  

Reference:

Dacher, E. (2006). Integral Health: The Path to Human Flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications, Inc.