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 that we, as health and wellness professionals, develop ourselves psychologically, spiritually and physically. As I stated in a previous exercise, this is a reflection of accountability and best practice in action. The healthcare professionals are called upon to practice with respect and without deference to cultural or ethnic differences. Therefore, they must become knowledgeable about all nuances that have been introduced and to share it with their patience. It keeps the relationships in balance that are forged between patient and doctor. It is appropriately stated here: "Providers of health care must work on their own spiritual evolution to actually experience what the model represents." In my opinion, the general idea of theory has its merit, but to actually practice what a health professional learns enhances the lesson being shared.
For my personal development I must continue to grow more in the psychological and physical aspects of my life. I am not asserting here that I have mastered all aspects of my life, but my spiritual goals are being achieved with a lot more dedication than the aforementioned two To know how to best prescribe to my clients, I must practice what I preach. For me this flows right into describing what is meant by: "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself." I cannot appropriately make applicable to anyone else's life these practices if I have not fully experienced the affects of practicing them in my own life.
II. Assessment:
How have you assessed your health in each domain? How do you score your wellness spiritually, physically, and psychologically?
Since beginning this class, I have assessed and reassessed the many domains that affect my spiritual, psychological and physical wellness. Before this class I rationalized away from procuring better health by watching my nutritional intake. I have not been as consistent as I should be in my exercise regimen. In the beginning of the class, my psychological status was unstable--easily frustrated, stressed and angered.
Physical wellness = 5
I recognize that I tend to slow down in this area of my wellness because I succumb to the stressor that are associated with work and personal matters in my life. I make excuses as to why I do not have sufficient time to exercise. I have now decided that this is one of the keys to my being more proficient in achieving wellness. I am going back to a regular exercise regimen and will be intentional in my achieving it.
Spiritual wellness = 8
I begin everyday with prayer and an affirmation of gratitude toward God who I believe to be the supplier of everything that affects my day-to-day existence. Even though I put a score of 8 here, I know that this is a "one-day-at-a-time" achievement.
Psychological wellness = 6
Even though a six is not at the top step of the stairway, my points have risen in this area. I have put into practice being intentional in my thoughts, so that fear and anger do not rule my behavior. I practice more positive thoughts so that I can eliminate the negativity that tries to pervade my mind.
III. Goal development:
List at least one goal you have for yourself in each area, Physical, Psychological (mental health) and Spiritual.
The goals to improve myself physically will incorporate better nutritional intake--more whole foods. I will purpose to have more fresh fruits and vegetables at my disposable. This improvement will also include more grains and legumes. Exercise is key to this process and getting the proper amount of rest at night. My goal for spiritual wellness has been set and will stay the same as I discussed in the previous section. I must stay on course and dedicated to what I have set in motion.
My goal for my psychological wellness hinges upon me remembering what has been learned in this class and practicing what I have learned. I going to be more intentional in my conscious thoughts. I am learning to operate outside of myself so that I do not become self-centered and focused on what concerns me. The practice of the subtle mind is an absolute necessity, because it has improved my life so much.
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.
My strategic implementation would begin with enhancing my physical self so I am not distracted by the onset of disease. As expressed already, I will change my eating habits, start to exercise with frequency and get proper rest. To practice better psychological health, I will have to create a calm mind that has been trained to be intentional in the thoughts that flow through it. I will utilize witnessing consciousness, until I have acquired calm-abiding and then the ultimate, unity consciousness. To do so, I must engage the practices of loving-kindness--enhanced care and compassion of others, and subtle mind--taming and training the ceaseless movement of the mind. I have really embraced "respond and react." This has been immeasurable to my success of lessening my stressors.
Spiritual growth will stay on course with the practices I have already implemented--daily prayer early in the morning and throughout the day, being forgiving and not holding offenses in my heart and daily affirmations of gratitude instead of complaining.
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?
To be effective in knowing if I am progressing, I will start charting in a journal. I will log where I am at present, and make daily entries of my day-to-day progress. I will log the things that I have begun to recognize that are not in keeping with what I have learned in this course and alter my behavior accordingly. Reading the textbook and finding other resources that relate can be a great assess, but will not replace putting into practice what we have learned.
In Chapter 10 of our Integral Health textbook, Beginning with Small Steps (p. 98), there are practices there that will serve as a measurement for me in my progress or lack thereof as it relates to me and working on my present job and future career endeavors.
References
Dacher, E. S. (2006). Integral Health--The Path to Human Flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications.
Schlitz, M., Amorok, T. and Micozzi, M. S. (2005). Consciousness and Healing--Integral Approaches to Mind-Body Medicine. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.
Pamela, it is very important to take everything we learned and practice it for then we are less prone to forget it. As you stated healthy nutrition, meditation, calm mind are all things we learn through practice. I hate fruit but know that my body needs it, as times goes by and I practice eating fruit, my tolerance to eat fruit has grown a little. Life is a bowl of fruit that needs to be eaten. Once we taste the fruit it will slowly become sweeter and sweeter until we desire the sweet taste of what life has to offer.
ReplyDeleteHi Pamela,
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed your final project and really hope you accomplish all that you set out to. Remember, that relapses are normal if not opportunities to learn, grow, and strive for human flourishing. Good luck! Nice chatting with you!