Monday, November 22, 2010

IMPORTANCE OF HEALTH & WELLNESS


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?


 It is crucial for professionals in the health and wellness field to incorporate integral health practices into their own lives before offering treatment to others. The reason for this is because it will help these professionals offer more expansive health care to each and every patient.
According to (Elliot S. Dacher, 2006. p.167), when professionals implement integral health in to their own lives, they “will come to know that the alleviation of suffering and the ascent to human flourishing are more than ideas.” These professionals will than want to end needless suffering to the best of their ability and therefore, “the soul of medicine returns.”  
  
Two areas that I need to develop in order to achieve optimal psychological, spiritual and physical wellness are the implementation of regular meditation and daily exercise. I’m confident that if I do develop these two strategies then my overall psychological, spiritual and physical health will improve drastically because these three factors will become more balanced as one.
    
II - Assessment:


How have you assessed your health in each domain? How do you score your wellness spiritually, physically, and psychologically?
There are several exercises and/or processes which will successfully assess an individual’s need for psychological, spiritual and physical improvement. According to (Elliot S. Dacher, 2006), a mini meditation exercise “can be quite powerful in expanding your mind and heart. It can serve as an antidote to anger and hatred. It can help to shift your focus from personal love to universal loving-kindness.” (p.93) According to (Elliot S. Dacher, 2006. p.115), an assessment process can also be completed by asking a series of questions. Five questions which may focus on healing and promoting integral development are:
1. “What aspect of my life-psychospiritual, biological, interpersonal, or worldly- is the source of difficulty and suffering?” (HEALING)
2. “What line of development is most essential for me at this time?” (HEALING)
3. “What is my current level of development and what can I aim for.” (HEALING)
4. “What area of my life is ready for growth and development?” (PROMOTING)
5. “What would the next level of development look like?” (PROMOTING)
Currently, my physical, spiritual and psychological wellbeing are scored as a 5 to 7. This is because I don’t get enough physical exercise, my spirituality is tested with negative drama and due to moments of anxiety and depression my psychological state is sometimes in turmoil.

III - Goal development:
List at least one goal you have for yourself in each area, Physical, Psychological (mental health) and Spiritual.
Three goals that could be set to improve these elements in my own life are to start jogging regularly (physical), believe in others and look for their positive qualities (spiritual), and learn to pick my battles by alleviating factors that cause undue stress (psychological).   
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.
I can implement positive psychological growth and development within my personal life. I currently feel that my personal life needs work because there are times when my psychological state is in complete turmoil due to moments of anxiety and depression. Two ways that I can foster my psychological health are by practicing mini meditations and yoga exercises.
For many years my spirituality has also been tested due to the negative actions of others. Two ways that I can foster my spirituality are by believing in others for their good qualities and in me for being a beautiful human being. I can also improve my physical wellness by developing strategies to decrease periodic fatigue. Two ways that I can accomplish this task is to implement regular daily exercise and eat healthy foods.

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 successfully achieve my goals to acquire optimal health and experience human flourishing, I will need to evaluate my progress on a regular basis. One strategy that I can use to accomplish this task is to keep a daily diary of progress levels. If certain levels appear to be lower than others, I can implement new processes which foster further growth in these areas. 
After a few months of monitoring these levels of progress, I’m confident that I will be able to experience a balance between my psychological, spiritual and physical health. Once this balance is obtained, I will then try to ensure that this evaluation process remains a regular part of my daily life.
Reference:
Elliot S. Dacher (2006). INTEGRAL HEALTH. The Path To Human Flourishing

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