Unit 9 Project

Introduction: 

In the field of health and wellness it is extremely important to have qualified well connected individuals to serve the profession. As we have learned, all aspects of health are interconnected and reaching a state of human flourishing cannot be achieved without practice. By developing an understanding in the psychological, spiritual and physical aspects of one’s life it will help to create health and wellness professionals that can lead and teach from personal experience.

In my life I believe that I need to develop in all areas. Continued education and discovery is important to help me achieve the goals I have set for myself. I cannot coach and help those around me if I am unable to do the same in my own life. Throughout my life I have not always been attentive to my needs as an individual. I have spent much of my time trying to please others, often neglecting to focus on my own inner development. I have set many goals in order to reinvent my life around what makes me happy. To do this I will have to focus on all three aspects, psychological, spiritual, and physical. By doing so is will better equip me to work towards helping others.


Assessment:
Overall my spiritual, physical and psychological health needs a little work. Physically I would give myself a B+. I often put effort forth but sometimes fall short of my goals. Psychologically I think I fall somewhere in the B- category. I often know what is best for me and how to change how I feel, but just lack the motivation involving making difficult changes. For my spiritual health I would have to say a C. I have never put much thought or effort in to discovering my spirituality. By comparing where I am versus where I would like to be it is evident that I need to provide myself with some time and energy to reach better wellness in all areas.


Goal development:

Physical goal: To incorporate physical activity in to my life on a daily basis. To
boost my health status and feel good about my body. In order to reach this goal
I will have to practice self-discipline. I have always wanted to be in better shape
but have always used time as a barrier. Recently with the warmer weather I have
been able to incorporate more fitness time into my day. The best way to continue this is to make it a habit and a priority in my life. I need to schedule a set time
each day and have a workout preplanned. I also will incorporate others in to my
goals, by sharing them with family and friends it will help me be more
accountable. Over the next six months I would like to lose 3 inches off of my
waist and develop more core strength in order to counter act back pain caused
by poor posture and muscle weakness. I think that both goals are reasonable
and can be sustained long term.


Psychological: To practice meditation as a stress reducer and to develop into a more connected individual that does not allow anxiety and fear to have control. I
choose this goal because I have spent too much time in my life focusing on the
negative and missing out on experiences. My goal includes meditation; this is a
huge challenge for me. I struggle with meditation. Turning my concentration
inward and focusing, for me, is an extremely difficult task but I feel like if I can
master this then my life will be open to so many more positive things. Another
aspect of my goal is positivity and being open minded, not allowing anxiety and
fear to control my happiness. I don’t want to doubt myself and I want to develop
courage to face my fears. I think that my psychological goals are going to be the
most difficult to achieve. In order to reach them I need to rewire the way I view
situations in my life. I need to practice meditations and visualizations that
promote positivity and inner strength. I also am going to need to incorporate
those around me to support my goal and set a time each day to practice my
meditation as well as creating a plan for each day, ahead of time. This will help to
keep me on track and focused. I also think that writing down positive things about
each day will help to me see how wonderful my life truly is. I believe that I can
achieve this.

Spiritual: To explore and develop a relationship with a higher power. I would like
to discover what true spiritually is. To learn and participate in a group setting in
order to develop in to a more spiritual person over all. I have never been one to
participate much in religion practices. Nor before this class had I put much
thought in to my spirituality. My goal for this aspect of my life would be over all
exploration.

Practices for personal health:
There are many practices that I can implement to foster growth in the spiritual, physical and psychological aspects of my life. For all the areas I can include outside support from family and friends. By keeping loved ones involved will help to keep me on track and working towards my goals. This is especially important for my physical goals. In order to reach my goals for better psychological health I need to focus on seeing the bright side of things and not allowing myself to become pessimistic when my expectations do not line up with reality. For my spiritual goals I need to put an effort toward discovering my beliefs. This can be done through independent research or with the support of other who are well established within their spirituality.

Commitment:
Over the next six months I will assess my progress based on how I feel and how close I have come to achieving the goals I have set in regards to my physical, spiritual, and psychological wellness. Currently I know that I need a lot of work, but with time and dedication I think that in six months my life can be very different. By then I plan to have a much more positive outlook. All of my goals are designed to become long term. By consistent practice and determination my goals can become a natural part of each day.



References

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

Schlitz, M. Amorok, T. Micozzi, M.S. (2005). Consciousness and healing: integral approaches to mind-body medicine. St. Louis, Missouri. Elsevier.