Hello everyone! First off, I want to say how much I have enjoyed this course and getting to know each and every one of you. This class has been so different than any class that I have taken, and I have loved it! Everything that we have learned can be applied to everyday life! With that being said, onto the questions!
In Unit 3, we assessed ourselves and where we felt we were in all three areas of integral health. I scored myself as follows: physical wellbeing – 4; spiritual wellbeing – 6; and psychological wellbeing – 7. Out of these three areas, sadly I am going to have to say that most of them are still at the same level, all except for spiritual wellbeing that is. I have, through this course and assignments, made myself focus more inward and therefore I have been listening to myself more than I have in a very long time. For this reason, I would grade myself as a 7 for spiritual wellbeing. There is still room to improve on all aspects! One is never done when it comes to self improvement.
Through this course I have immensely enjoyed the experiences. I like trying new things and this course was full of new and exciting experiences! What I am taking away the most from this course, however, is the knowledge that I must listen to myself, listen to my body, and listen to my mind. It is the way of America to always go with the hustle and bustle of everyday life, but this course has taught me the importance and the advantage to stopping and breathing. So much happiness and peace can come from those silent moments!
Being balanced by having integral health is very important in my goal of becoming a psychologist. In order to help others, I have to be able to help myself and understand myself. I have to practice what I preach. Also, learning meditation and relaxation exercises helps everyone and being able to give alternative options to future patients will make my practice that much better and well rounded. Looking at the individual as an individual and creating an intervention plan from their unique starting point will help not only my practice, but my future patients!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Final Project
Introduction
Throughout this course, we have been taught the importance of integral health. Western culture focuses on the outside or physical ailments. However, there is more to an individual than outer ailments. By taking an integral approach to health, one looks at the physical along with psychological and spiritual aspects of self.
It is important for a health care professional to look at all three aspects of health as well as to develop them. One cannot adequately help another when they are deficient also. A health care professional who is dedicated to helping others needs to be able to help themselves first by being well developed physically as well as psychologically and spiritually. As the saying goes, “one cannot lead another where one has not gone him or herself” (Schlitz, Amorok, & Micozzi, 2005, p.477). This is why it is important for one who is wishing to pursue a career in health care needs to assess themselves in all three areas and make goals in order to achieve optimal wellness.
Assessment
Integral health does not require one to develop fully in every category, but is there to help with changing needs throughout one’s life (Dacher, 2006). Every person is unique and have different needs that need to be fulfilled. One way of assessing one’s integral health is by plotting the different categories on a bar graph. The graph can be used to plot the individual’s current levels of health in all three categories which are physical, psychological, and spiritual. Once the current levels are graphed, the individual can make goals and then after the goals have been completed the graph can be repeated. Comparing the two graphs will help one see the dramatic difference in their health not only in their real life and how they feel, but also in black and white as something tangible.
Earlier in the term, we were asked to rate our personal health in all three categories. Out of the three categories of physical, psychological, and spiritual I rated highest in psychological with 7 out of 10. Physically I rated myself the lowest with 4 out of 10, and spiritually was rated 6 out of 10. When I originally scored my integral health, I used the numbers like a grading scale, with 7 being average and 10 being perfect. Spiritually I felt that I need to spend more time concentrating inward instead of always flying from one thing to the next without taking a break to ‘smell the roses’. Physically I need to spend more time focusing on healthy alternatives in all aspects including eating and exercise. Finally psychologically I need to learn to face problems, work through them, and let them go. The letting them go part is where most of my problems lie.
Goal Development
The next step after assessment is goal development. In order to improve on something, a point of focus or goal is needed. For all three areas of health, I have created a goal. These goals are: 1). physical wellbeing - Incorporate more physical activity into my daily life; 2). spiritual wellbeing - Make more time to spend with my horses; 3). psychological wellbeing - Believe in myself and my ability to achieve what I want in life.
Practices for Personal Health
Each of these goals is attainable. By implementing a plan to foster growth in each of the three areas of integral health, I will be able to achieve the above listed goals if I stick to the plan. The physical wellbeing goal can be achieved by doing little things that add up, like parking farther away from the grocery store entrance or going for a short walk in the evenings. Another practice that I can implement is to join a gym with a friend. I know myself enough to know that if I do not have someone there with me to hold me accountable to actually go to the gym that I will not follow through. In regards to my spiritual wellbeing goal, it can be achieved by simply spending more time on things that calm me, like my horses. I find that when I spend time with animals I can physically feel myself relaxing as my worries flow away in the presence of unconditional love that animals have towards their keepers. Also going for walks in nature, or better yet a horseback ride through the forest, helps strip away the chaotic feelings of everyday hustle and bustle allowing for one to turn their thoughts inward and listen to what they have to say instead of what everyone around them has to say. Finally, in regards to psychological wellbeing the goal can be achieved by putting notes around the house and in my car reminding me to think positive and that anything is possible if I believe in myself and my power to succeed. I can also dedicate 15 to 30 minutes a day to reading inspirational texts whether they be self improvement books or motivational. All of these practices can be implemented by simply setting time aside during the day. Health is a person’s most important factor and therefore should be one of the highest if not the highest priority. By raising the priority of the above goals, I will set aside time every day or a few times a week as necessary so I can achieve my goals and improve my optimal health.
Commitment
How will I assess my progress or lack of progress in the next six months? I will use the assessment tool of the bar graph. Graphing my progress every two months will give me something to gage my progress. I have always been a literal person and I like to be able to visualize things. Also, at the beginning of my journey, I will write down a check list of what I am planning on doing. This check list will include time and frequency that I am planning on dedicating time to achieving my goals. Every week, on Sunday, I will sit down and grade myself and my progress. With however many activities I completed, I will get a checkmark. After I have completed the check list, I will average the results into a percentage. This percentage will help with my bar graphs that will be completed every two months. Also, by assessing my progress or lack of progress every week, I will be able to keep my goals fresh in my mind as well as my progress.
What strategies can you use to assist in maintaining your long-term practices for health and wellness? Long-term is a bit trickier. Personally I find myself getting lost in the daily grind and good intentions fly out the window. If I make a conscious effort to dedicate time consistently to my wellness goals, then I will be creating healthy habits. Habits are harder to break. Also, once the goals I have created have been achieved, it is good to have a reward or something to look forward to, possibly a spa day or a day trip. Once a goal has been achieved, another goal needs to take its place. It is when a person stops aiming for something that they begin to fall into old habits. Always striving to better one’s self is the key. Always growing, always learning, always trying to be a better person today then yesterday. These are all goals that help keep life fresh. By living in the moment and looking forward into all the possibilities of tomorrow while listening to your inner self, true happiness and health can be achieved!
References
Dacher, E.S. (2006). Integral Health: the path to human flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications.
Schlitz, M., Amorok, T., & Micozzi, M. (2005). Consciousness & healing: integral approaches to mind-body medicine. St. Louis, MO: Churchill Livingstone.
Throughout this course, we have been taught the importance of integral health. Western culture focuses on the outside or physical ailments. However, there is more to an individual than outer ailments. By taking an integral approach to health, one looks at the physical along with psychological and spiritual aspects of self.
It is important for a health care professional to look at all three aspects of health as well as to develop them. One cannot adequately help another when they are deficient also. A health care professional who is dedicated to helping others needs to be able to help themselves first by being well developed physically as well as psychologically and spiritually. As the saying goes, “one cannot lead another where one has not gone him or herself” (Schlitz, Amorok, & Micozzi, 2005, p.477). This is why it is important for one who is wishing to pursue a career in health care needs to assess themselves in all three areas and make goals in order to achieve optimal wellness.
Assessment
Integral health does not require one to develop fully in every category, but is there to help with changing needs throughout one’s life (Dacher, 2006). Every person is unique and have different needs that need to be fulfilled. One way of assessing one’s integral health is by plotting the different categories on a bar graph. The graph can be used to plot the individual’s current levels of health in all three categories which are physical, psychological, and spiritual. Once the current levels are graphed, the individual can make goals and then after the goals have been completed the graph can be repeated. Comparing the two graphs will help one see the dramatic difference in their health not only in their real life and how they feel, but also in black and white as something tangible.
Earlier in the term, we were asked to rate our personal health in all three categories. Out of the three categories of physical, psychological, and spiritual I rated highest in psychological with 7 out of 10. Physically I rated myself the lowest with 4 out of 10, and spiritually was rated 6 out of 10. When I originally scored my integral health, I used the numbers like a grading scale, with 7 being average and 10 being perfect. Spiritually I felt that I need to spend more time concentrating inward instead of always flying from one thing to the next without taking a break to ‘smell the roses’. Physically I need to spend more time focusing on healthy alternatives in all aspects including eating and exercise. Finally psychologically I need to learn to face problems, work through them, and let them go. The letting them go part is where most of my problems lie.
Goal Development
The next step after assessment is goal development. In order to improve on something, a point of focus or goal is needed. For all three areas of health, I have created a goal. These goals are: 1). physical wellbeing - Incorporate more physical activity into my daily life; 2). spiritual wellbeing - Make more time to spend with my horses; 3). psychological wellbeing - Believe in myself and my ability to achieve what I want in life.
Practices for Personal Health
Each of these goals is attainable. By implementing a plan to foster growth in each of the three areas of integral health, I will be able to achieve the above listed goals if I stick to the plan. The physical wellbeing goal can be achieved by doing little things that add up, like parking farther away from the grocery store entrance or going for a short walk in the evenings. Another practice that I can implement is to join a gym with a friend. I know myself enough to know that if I do not have someone there with me to hold me accountable to actually go to the gym that I will not follow through. In regards to my spiritual wellbeing goal, it can be achieved by simply spending more time on things that calm me, like my horses. I find that when I spend time with animals I can physically feel myself relaxing as my worries flow away in the presence of unconditional love that animals have towards their keepers. Also going for walks in nature, or better yet a horseback ride through the forest, helps strip away the chaotic feelings of everyday hustle and bustle allowing for one to turn their thoughts inward and listen to what they have to say instead of what everyone around them has to say. Finally, in regards to psychological wellbeing the goal can be achieved by putting notes around the house and in my car reminding me to think positive and that anything is possible if I believe in myself and my power to succeed. I can also dedicate 15 to 30 minutes a day to reading inspirational texts whether they be self improvement books or motivational. All of these practices can be implemented by simply setting time aside during the day. Health is a person’s most important factor and therefore should be one of the highest if not the highest priority. By raising the priority of the above goals, I will set aside time every day or a few times a week as necessary so I can achieve my goals and improve my optimal health.
Commitment
How will I assess my progress or lack of progress in the next six months? I will use the assessment tool of the bar graph. Graphing my progress every two months will give me something to gage my progress. I have always been a literal person and I like to be able to visualize things. Also, at the beginning of my journey, I will write down a check list of what I am planning on doing. This check list will include time and frequency that I am planning on dedicating time to achieving my goals. Every week, on Sunday, I will sit down and grade myself and my progress. With however many activities I completed, I will get a checkmark. After I have completed the check list, I will average the results into a percentage. This percentage will help with my bar graphs that will be completed every two months. Also, by assessing my progress or lack of progress every week, I will be able to keep my goals fresh in my mind as well as my progress.
What strategies can you use to assist in maintaining your long-term practices for health and wellness? Long-term is a bit trickier. Personally I find myself getting lost in the daily grind and good intentions fly out the window. If I make a conscious effort to dedicate time consistently to my wellness goals, then I will be creating healthy habits. Habits are harder to break. Also, once the goals I have created have been achieved, it is good to have a reward or something to look forward to, possibly a spa day or a day trip. Once a goal has been achieved, another goal needs to take its place. It is when a person stops aiming for something that they begin to fall into old habits. Always striving to better one’s self is the key. Always growing, always learning, always trying to be a better person today then yesterday. These are all goals that help keep life fresh. By living in the moment and looking forward into all the possibilities of tomorrow while listening to your inner self, true happiness and health can be achieved!
References
Dacher, E.S. (2006). Integral Health: the path to human flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications.
Schlitz, M., Amorok, T., & Micozzi, M. (2005). Consciousness & healing: integral approaches to mind-body medicine. St. Louis, MO: Churchill Livingstone.
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