Unit 9 Project

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?

Health and wellness professionals need to develop psychologically, physically, and spiritually because all three are necessary in the ‘whole person’ concept. We need to be able to do more than just instruct a patient on what tools they can use to develop themselves, we need to have an understanding of the process on a personal level for guidance purposes. I would describe it along the same lines as believing in the product you are selling, but on a much grander scale. I definitely need to develop all three areas in order to achieve the goals I have set. I think the one that could use the most attention is my psychological growth since I feel like it could serve as a catalyst for the other two.

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

I have assessed my health in each domain mentioned above and found myself lacking in all three. I would say that my physical health is probably the strongest of the three, but even that needs improvement. I think my psychological and spiritual health are about even and whenever I feel growth in either one of them, I recognize it in the other as well.

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

I prefer to set short term goal for myself and reach them so that I get some satisfaction in my measure of progress. For my physical health, my most recent goal was to quit smoking. I’ve never been a heavy smoker, but there have been times when I’ve gone through a pack in a day or two. I felt the physical effects of this a few weeks ago after I smoked 4 cigarettes throughout the course of a work day and then went to my jiujitsu class that night. After one 5 minute drill, I was ‘gassed’ and couldn’t catch my breath. I decided to quit for good right at that moment and I’ve felt better ever since. For my mental health, I set the goal to meditate once a week. I usually do this in the sauna at our house with no lights on. The lack of visual stimulation keeps me from being distracted. The heat gives staying mentally calm a sense of urgency; otherwise if I lose my focus I immediately return to the discomfort of the situation and need to regain my composure as quickly as possible. I have thus far been unable to set a spiritual goal for myself that is realistic to me. It feels unnatural to try to force something like this on myself and, as a result, is counterproductive. I do try to recognize a ‘good spirit’ in other people when I see and, for now, that feels like the correct way to go about with my own spiritual progress. 

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.

For my both my physical and mental health, the importance of exercise cannot be understated. I rely on it heavily to keep me centered and have some measure of order in my life. I attend jujitsu classes at least twice per week and either go running or lift weights and additional 2-3 hours. I prefer to exercise in the morning because of the endorphins that that course through my body throughout the day. Additionally, I will change my diet so that it doesn’t counteract my physical activity. To do this I will avoid too many processed foods but, at the same time, will indulge myself in whatever I want at least once a week so that I don’t give in too often and allow my diet to completely fall apart. For my mental health I will continue meditating and plan on gradually allowing myself to do it in different places while weaning myself back into distractions that would have otherwise thrown me off. For my spiritual growth, I think my meditation will play a big role since a quieter mind that is free from distractions is better able to recognize true goodness in others. I will take a minute every morning to leave my distractions outside and remind myself of the goodness and kindness in the world and that it would be a shame to not try to see this on a daily basis.

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?

In order to assess my progress, I will take the time at least once a month to ask myself if I truly believe that I am growing in these areas. If I can honestly answer yes, then it is so. I feel that this is an honest way of doing things since we all hold the ability to realize when and if we are lying to ourselves. Monitoring my physical progress is relatively easy. I will go for checkups every 6 months (especially as I get older) and keep track of my body fat percentage and vitals. For both my mental and spiritual health, I think the best thing for me to do is to go on meditative retreats and to continue asking myself the tough questions that are pertinent to this area. I am actually planning on doing an Oso meditation retreat in Kerala, India this winter as a type of unorthodox vacation.