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 important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically because they need to operate from a place of balance. All areas need to come together to have completeness which is what it means to strive to attain integral health. There are so many components and the health care professional needs to be able to lead by example and experience when working with clients when at all possible. This allows for there to be trust and understanding from the client as they understand that the heath care professional has knowledge and experience.
For myself I would say that the one area that I need to really develop would be the psychological side of integral health. This is in terms of consistency and not getting down when I miss either a workout or do not do so well with following proper food intake. Lately I have found myself in a bit of a depression when it comes to being positive in terms of maintaining my health and leading by example. I am looking at finding someone that I can be accountable to that will also offer encouragement as I strive for my goals.
II.
Assessment:
How have you assessed your health in each domain? How do you score your wellness spiritually, physically, and psychologically?
I would have to say that if I were to score myself on all parts of integral health that I would definitely have room for improvement. I am a health and fitness professional currently yet do not work in this field full-time. I plan on making the switch when I graduate. I believe that if I worked in a gym/fitness center setting I would be much more focused on my overall physical health. At this time I am only playing a sport (tennis), twice a week on a league and this will not allow me to reach my optimum. I have tried to only go three times a week to the gym to give me five days of activity and this has been somewhat of a struggle.
Spiritually I would have to say that I have more room for growth. I am currently between churches and still haven’t found the right one. This is starting to have an effect on me as I am not able to fully fellowship with other believers. I am still working on reading my bible and taking time to find quiet and to pray and this is having a positive impact on how I am with other people during the day.
Psychologically I know that I need to be stronger and to not get discouraged when I am not meeting or even giving enough effort to meet my goals. I am currently looking for a workout partner that will help me to be focused and to stay on track when I become discouraged. I find that it is too easy for me to say I will take care of this tomorrow. I find that this works in a lot of areas in my life. I am a great procrastinator. So this is an area for improvement. I also find that if I get out of rhythm or routine that I give up to easy instead of getting “back on the horse” as they say.
III.
Goal development:
List at least one goal you have for yourself in each area, Physical, Psychological (mental health) and Spiritual.
It is very important to have goals and to make sure that they are attainable and sustainable. For my physical goal I plan on getting active in the gym at least two times a week. This will then put my days at 4 with physical activity which is a good starting point. For my spiritual goal I plan on finding a home church by summer. This makes it more of a priority to visit other churches until I find the right one. This is something that I have been slacking in as of late. For my psychological goal I will find myself a workout partner that I can use for support since I am not seeing the full support at home. I will share my goals with this person and use their energy and interest to help stay focused. This leaning on each other will hopefully help each of us to reach specific goals.
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.
Physical – I will exercise two times a week on Tuesday and Thursday and play tennis in the league on Friday and Sunday. This will give me four days of exercise each week. These are two practices that I can do each week to help me to meet my physical goal with the possibility to add another gym day during the week.
Spiritual – I will make sure that I take 15 to 20 minutes each morning to pray and reflect on my own spiritual growth. I will also take time to read my Bible and to study and understand the principles within. Another exercise that I can do is to add deep breathing at the end of the night as I am getting ready for bed. This will allow me to de-stress from the day and bring fresh blood and oxygen to my body making it ready for rest.
Psychological – This one will be a bit more difficult yet I think that by adding writing in a journal to my weekly routine. This will help me to release those things that may be bothering me and allow me to find resolution once they are placed on paper. Staying motivated should increase through this as I can use the journal to track my progress and to set new goals. I can look for a workout partner that I can relate to in reaching goals together and helping each other with levels of motivation.
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 terms of how I will track my physical progress over the next six months will relate to the tennis that I am currently playing each week. There is a local tournament in September that I will start to train for to compete. I will gear my workouts to increase my stamina and strength to make sure that I compete fully at my optimum. The league that I belong to I plan on competing in while I live in Phoenix so this will help me with long term practice.
For my spiritual growth and wellbeing I plan on being in a home church that allows me to grow spiritually with my walk with God. This will hopefully allow for Bible study and other group activities that can foster growth. This will help with long term as I will be building friendships that hopefully will be long lasting.
For my psychological growth and wellness I have thought about keeping some type of fitness journal. This would include tracking progress through stats, photos and just comments made on how I feel each day in relation to my health and wellness. I will use this to help stay motivated or to get motivated that can help with long-term success.
