Final 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?

A person who is not well themselves, cannot teach someone else how to be well. Just as if a math teacher doesn't know how to practice addition, they cannot teach that skill to a student. Part of effective teaching is experience. For someone to have 'been there and done that' helps the teacher and student communicate with a better understanding of each other. It almost seems hypocritical for someone to teach and preach about well-being...eating right, exercising, meditating, communicating...when they don't even practice those exercises for themselves. It also seems that the ideas a professional discusses might not be effective if the professional has depression issues or no stress management, etc.

I need to develop my spiritual and psychological areas of well-being. My 'score' in those areas are not very low but there is always room for improvement. I have always felt strong psychologically but I do have some anxiety issues and since the birth of my child and just realizing that I am adult with many responsibilities, I have has some issues with stress management. I'm not very spiritual because I feel a little 'cheesy' when I think about it too much...like its more fantasy than anything but I also have a side of me that is more in tune with spiritual oneness.

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 in previous exercises in class and on a scale from 1 – 10, I rate my spiritual health a 5, my physical health an 8, and my psychological health a 6. My spiritual health is where there could be some improvement but I'm not completely convinced that I actually need it. I just not sure that being spiritual is part of well-being even though there is research proving that people benefit from it. I feel connected with love and nature and some religion but I'm still learning what it is to be a 'spiritual' person.

My physical health is great but it's not quite where I want it. As I have stated, I would like to have better endurance and more muscle mass. I need to workout more frequently and harder which I'm on the path to doing so now that I have switched jobs and given myself more time. I eat well but I'd like some cooking ideas because I'm getting bored with foods. I sometimes run out of time and dont eat. I dont like not eating but it seems that it takes a backseat so many times. I know how absolutely horrible it is to miss a meal but time just gets away from me.

My psychological health is decent but there is much room for improvement. There are thing I wish to change and I hope to work toward those things. I've learned a lot about myself since becoming a new mom and being married and I hope that with job switch, I will better organize my life and have more time for fun times...not just cleaning house and running errands and keeping busy.

III Goal development & IV Practices for personal health:

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

A goal I have for my physical well-being is to exercise on a better routine. With the birth of my son, my schedule became much more hectic. I work full-time, go to school almost full-time, and need time to care for my son, family, and house. There isn't much time for myself and working out. I have switched jobs and work in a gym and less hours so now I have more time for myself and my workouts. So far, I have been working out much more and feeling much happier. I have goals to get in tip-top shape and I'm not far from it. I just need to lifts heavier weights and eat more protein and calories to gain the mass I want.

A goal for my psychological health is something I have actually accomplished recently. I was working for a government contractor which in my area is the type of job most people want because it is the best paying. Unfortunately, I hate the work. The duties and such are just of no interest to me and I was miserable in that position. I was waiting to graduate from Kaplan with my Health & Wellness degree before I took a different job but I had an opportunity at my gym come available. I have only been working at my gym for 3 days and I already love it and feel much happier and clear minded. I'm doing something I want to do verses just going to a job to get a paycheck. Even with less pay, my mental clarity and mental happiness is worth so much more than any amount of money. I want to be a happy mom and wife so I can be the best mom and wife. The reorganization of my life is now beginning and it feels wonderful. Meditation will probably come much easier now so I will continue to try the exercises such as Meeting Asclepius and the Subtle Mind.

A goal for spiritual well-being is to possibly study a few different religions or even dive into more time with nature. With my old work schedule, I was hardly able to get outside and I love being outdoors. With Fall approaching and my new job that gives me more time off and flexible hours, I will be able to be outside with my son more often and connect with nature. After I graduate and get even more settled in my new job, I may start researching religions or even take cooking classes. Some people find a deep connection with cooking and since I don't cook often, I'd love to learn and see if I can be one of those people with a deep cooking connection.

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?

A great way to assess my progress over the next six months is to keep a journal or blog. As in class, we kept blogs to discuss our experiences with meditations and how we were progressing with them. A journal is a great way to reflect and look back at the progress made especially if I feel I haven't made any. Writing out what I have accomplished and giving it a 'score' will help it feel more real and allow me to see how far I have come and how far I need to go. For motivation to continue these goals longs term I need a few things; one being the support form my family. Sometimes I need a verbal reminder of what I'm doing. If I slip and my family lets me slip...then I'm not doing myself any good. I need my family to be able to see me slip and then remind me of what my goals are. I need to manage my time better and make sure I allow myself to have time to myself each day for exercise, meditation, relaxing, thinking and analyzing, whatever I feel I need.

2 Most Beneficial Practices

I really liked the subtle mind practice and the visualization one...the meeting Asclepius. I could and should incorporate these in my life more frequently than just a an assignment for class. It's hard. It feel that if I take the minutes to meditate, that I'm taking that time away from being productive. I need to view it as being productive for myself and mental health though. It is definitely difficult to be stressed and high strung and then try to sit in a quiet room and control my thoughts and clear my mind. I need to try to do it though and I know with practice, it will get easier.

The subtle mind and Asclepius exercises helped me to clear my mind the most. To block out unwanted thoughts or mental chatter. The Asclepius exercise helped me focus on the things that really matter. I pictured my grandmother and it helped me to feel wiser and more focused. Sometimes the little things really get to me, mainly when they start to pile up into a big thing but this exercise really helped keep me grounded.

Meeting Asclepius meditation

1. This exercise was really nice. I envisioned my grandmother who passed about 3 years ago. She was a very wise, spiritual person with a soft, caring voice. It was nice to concentrate on her face and voice and to feel her presence. Toward the end of the meditation it was nice to take her in as the bright light and become the wise person she was. I havent been able to fully give myself to the meditations because of time limitations. Once I can do these without worrying about getting all the other assignments done, Im sure Ill reap greater benefits. I try to incorporate time for myself but I usually end up letting my thoughts run wild and really...that can be therapeutic too. I will continue to use these exercises though to improve my mental wellness.

2. The saying "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself," does apply to the health and wellness professional. I believe there is an obligation to my clients to develop my psychological, physical, and spiritual health so I can therefore teach my experiences to them. What kind of professional am I if I havent been through it myself? Plus, how can I 'preach' about something that I know nothing about? I'd be a phony salesman trying to sell something to someone without fully knowing how it works.

2nd Loving-Kindness/Integral Assessment

Ok, so I did the Loving Kindness meditation again and I still dont like it. The other meditations I like better. I still have issues when the part comes up for me to take in everyone's pain, including strangers, and breathe our well-being to them. Over time and experience with people, I have found that more times than not, whether Im kind or not, other people are still cruel. I feel sorry for them but I have no desire to help them anymore...so many people dont have the desire to help themselves.

The aspect of my life that is suffering or difficult now is interpersonal. At this point, Im not really sure what my line, level, and aspect of development is yet. Im still trying to analyze the situation and decide how to approach it. Its a friendship that is suffering and Im trying to determine whether it is worth salvaging or letting fade. Maybe some meditation and focusing on the issue at hand will help me have unbiased thoughts and clear my mind to approach a logical solution.

Jess

Power Point

Hi class - I had issues going to the google docs page so my .ppt is in the doc sharing section.

:)

Subtle Mind Exercise & Comparison to Loving-Kindness

1. I liked the Subtle Mind exercise much more than the Loving-Kindness one. Even though I fell asleep (again!), I feel this one was easier to to do. Focusing on one thing and keeping my focus there was more simple than trying to incorporate the pain of others and exhale health and well-being. There seemed to be a lot more to think about in the Loving-Kindness exercise verses the Subtle Mind exercise which I would think having to redirect my thoughts numerous time would be a more advanced exercise for a better trained mind. I wouldn't mind do the Subtle Mind exercise many times but the Loving-Kindness...I guess Im just not that kind (kidding). I dont mind taking on my stresses and my loved ones stresses but to incorporate strangers, I have a hard time doing that. I guess I have some serious judgements about people that I have a hard time letting go.

2. I think Im having a hard time differentiating between the mental and spiritual. I know that spiritual doesnt not mean religion but I dont know how else to feel spiritual if it isnt that. I feel that meditations and such are more for mental health which can be spiritual, I guess. I am incorporating deeper thinking and responding rather than reacting to things. I am also starting to listen to more calming music or nature sounds before bed so I can relax and sleep better. My workout routine is suffering. I used to workout all the time but with school and work and my infant son, it is very difficult to make the time to workout the way I want to (which is time consuming and pushing myself very close to the max). Now my workouts need to be quick and not quite as intense as before. Im trying to work around it but to be honest, school is simply too demanding and time is just not there. I feel that there are too many things on my plate and I would love to cut some of them so I could focus on my well-being even more but at the current moment that would be quitting school and its simply not going to happen. I do a lot of self-talk to keep going and make all A's. This situation is my biggest hurdle right now so I feel that my mind-body-spirit connection cannot manifest the best.

Loving-Kindness/"Mental Workout" Exercise

Ok, so I had a hard time with the Loving-Kindness exercise. Picturing that loved one was easy as well as allowing myself to become overwhelmed with love thinking about that person but I wasnt sure what 'sensations' my body was feeling or how to give them my 'love'. I mean, are they talking about hunger pangs? I was hungry during this exercise. I dont think I was prepared to calm my mind and do this exercise. I guess I was being too practical and the requests of the exercise to shift thinking to encompass all people's suffering and bring it into my heart and then breathe out health and joy...that was difficult because in my mind, I dont want everyone elses suffering. To take on on everyone elses problems is stressful. Granted it was supposed to 'dissolve' in our hearts and then we breathe out the good health but it felt as though I was suppose to take on everyones stresses and then fix it for them. Maybe that's the whole point of loving-kindness and really, that makes me feel cruel. Many people bring on their own suffering so it's hard fro me to be sympathetic and want to help them. I guess this is where my mind was analyzing it too much so I couldnt actually participate in the exercise with an open mind and relax. How do I get over that hump? If I am to do this exercise twice a day, I think Id feel frustrated twice a day.



The concept of a "Mental Workout" is much the same as a physical workout. We train our mind and with practice, we get better. Consistency is key in order to achieve the results we want. Implementing mental exercises, we learn to focus and control our thoughts instead of our thoughts controlling us.