unit ten I can see the finish line!

In unit 3 I scored my physical wellbeing as a 4. I think it is still the same because it is winter and I have made no attempt to change it. I rated my psychological and spiritual well-being as a 1. My spiritual side has not changed but my psychological one has. I would now rate it as a 6. The more time that passes since I quit smoking the less paranoid I get and the easier the anxiety is to deal with.  I have not worked towards any of my goals. After I complete my degree (next term) I plan to really focus on me until I either get into an internship or find a job.

This class has been very rewarding for me. It has shown me that I want to better myself and if one of the three areas is lacking then they all are. I will use this in the future to continue bettering myself! I wish everyone the best of luck! Thanks for a great term!

Final Project Unit 9

 It is important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically because this allows them to be taken more seriously as a provider. If they are unsure of what they are talking about then they will lose their clientele. I believe I need to develop all areas to achieve necessary goals. I have let my physical appearance go since I had my children and my psychological heath is lacking. I was also raised in a nonreligious home so my understanding of spirituality is limited. 

I have assessed my health in each area on a scale of one to ten. I would rank my physical wellness as a six because I have let myself go a little bit. With two children and taking eighteen credit hours in school I have very little time to focus on myself physically. I am capable of running and playing with my oldest son so whereas I know I could be in better shape I also know I could be in worse as well.  My psychological health would be a six as well because I have severe anxiety attacks and have not learned how to control them yet. I am in the process of working with someone to get them under control and take total control of my life. When I have accomplished this I would change my ranking from a six to an eight.  Lastly, my spirituality would be a two. As a child I was raised that we do not talk about religion it is rude. I am thirty years old and to this day I have no idea what my parents view on religion and spirituality is. I went to church as a small child and was even baptized because my grandmother wanted me to be. As soon as I was old enough to make my own choice I decided I did not want to go to church and never looked back.  Now due to my lack of understanding and lack of being able to discuss religion and spirituality that side of me is very underdeveloped. I have been talking to my in-laws about going to church. Even if I do not believe what they believe I would like to have a better understanding of religion.

One goal I would like to have for myself physically is next April when my youngest son turns one I would like to be able to run a mile without getting winded. My goal for myself psychologically is to be able to go one week without an anxiety attack. I know this is going to be very difficult but I do believe it is an attainable goal even if it takes a year to achieve. Lastly, I would like to attend different churches and read the bible over the course of a year. I would like to be able to relate to clients spiritual side instead of looking at them blankly.

For my physical health I can simply ride my bike or go hiking in the woods with my family. I really enjoy activities that involve the whole family. It is very rare for me to actually get out of my house but when I do I enjoy going to the gym and spending thirty minutes or so on the elliptical and then using free weights for another thirty. For my psychological health I can do exercises such as the ones we used for class or others I find on my own. I can also continue talking to a professional. For my spiritual health I can attend church and set up meetings with a pastor to answer my questions since I was raised in such a sheltered manner. I could also read books to learn more about spirituality.

            I can assess my progress physically by using a scale and tape measure. I can also assess it simply by putting on a pair of sneakers and taking a job. If I am making progress the running should get easier. For my psychological assessment I can gauge that on how much time passes between anxiety attacks and how my normal triggers make me feel. If the feelings are greater or the same then I know I making no progress at all. As for spirituality, I do not think my religious beliefs are going to change but my understanding will. If I am able to feel less awkward around people discussing religion and also go to a church service and understand it then I will know I am making progress.

Unit 8 No dice!

 

I have again reviewed the exercises. I still cannot get them to work for me. I have too much running through my mind at all times. I cannot sit still long enough to pay attention. Of course I do not have the peace and quiet to be able to complete them. I have two children, a husband and a family friend in my tiny house. My youngest has been extremely sick so it has been weighing on my mind. If these exercises were more effective I would use them daily. I would love to sit in a quiet room and clear my mind and use these practices. I think they could take the weight of the world off my shoulders if I would allow it. I have just had not success with them. It is very unfortunate. I would love to use them especially at night. They may be helpful while trying to sleep. Ever since I quit smoking I have become an insomniac. A relaxation technique would be great. I may have to try them again when I am very tired and my house is quiet! Wish me luck!

Unit 7 "It takes one to know one."

I attempted this meditation but my mind was filled with other things. I was unable to truly concentrate. Today is the one year anniversary of the death of a woman that was like a mother to me as a child. She died very unexpectedly and has been in my thoughts often. When it asked to think of someone living or deceased I automatically thought of her. It does now and will always bring tears to my eyes when I think of the loss her family had to endure when she passed. I think this exercise released raw emotion. Sometimes this is a good thing. It reminds us that we are still alive.

                The saying “One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself” is basically saying “it takes one to know one.”  As a health and wellness professional they need to have experienced things before they can teach them. You cannot teach or practice something you know nothing about.

Unit 6

 

I am currently in VA visiting my mother and step-father. I attempted to go out today. People around here are rude and drive very differently than I am used to, much more aggressively. It is intimidating to say the least. The worst part is I had my wallet stolen out of my diaper bag right in front of me. I am a little flustered to say the least. I layed back in my step-dad’s recliner and closed my eyes and repeated the phrase “May all individuals gain freedom from suffering, may all individuals find sustained health, happiness and wholeness, May I assist all individuals in gaining freedom from suffering, may I assist all individuals in finding health, happiness and wholeness.” I discovered it does not matter how awful I think this place is I can still relax and let the frustration melt away. I have chosen to focus on my school work for the last 2 terms until I graduate. I am going to read more articles and learn as much nutrition based information as I can so I can get into a great intership and start an awesome career. I am really looking forward to it. I think repeating this exercise daily will help keep me focused and on track.

Unit 5

Neither the loving kindness exercise nor the subtle mind exercise worked for me. I tried them both several times. The Subtle mind exercise was too drawn out. It may have worked if my mind were not able to wander so much. I do not think any exercise like these will work for me. I just have too much racing through my mind at all times to be able to clear it and focus. It is a shame too. I would love to experience the relaxation that I have read about in some of the blogs.

I believe that if we do not have a balance of spiritual mental and physical well- being then the negative aspects can manifest in different ways such as if you are extremely stressed you may have anxiety attacks and have a rapid heartbeat loss of breath and perspire. It may also present itself as a common cold. I try to keep a balance of the three because my life is so busy and hectic I cannot afford to slow down.

Unit 4- mental workout

I usually have a very difficult time with these exercises because my mind wanders and I have too much other stuff on my mind. However, I have been extremely sick for the past 48 hours. My husband, our 4 year old and me all got a nasty stomach bug so I have been focusing even less. I was laying on my couch with my eyes shut and almost fell asleep a few times. There were long periods of silence where my mind wandered and this made it even more difficult. I gave it a couple tries. I figured the illness was making me les cooperative but I think I got through it because of the illness. I would rather sit here and listen to the rain falling outside and clear my mind that way.

A mental workout is to help improve psychological health. This can help a person excel when it comes to integral health. I would have to do a mental workout late at night when bot my kids are asleep. My household is way too chaotic to have any time alone to do mental workouts even if they would be beneficial in the long run.