Last Hurrah

Review your unit 3 personal assessment of your psychological, physical, and spiritual well-being. Reflect on these areas. How did you score yourself on a scale from 1 to 10 in unit 3? How do you score yourself now? Has the score changed? Why or why not? Review the goals and activities you set for yourself in each area. Have you made progress toward the goals? Explain. Have you implemented the activities you chose for your well-being in each of the three areas? Summarize your personal experience throughout this course. Have you developed improved well-being? What has been rewarding? What has been difficult? How will this experience improve your ability to assist others?

In unit three I rated myself with a "C" which numerically I would put at a 6, today I would score myself at about a 8.5. Before this class I did not consciously take time to address any aspects of my well-being. While I exercised, I did it because I had to and I poorly attempted to control my attitude and quick responses to experiences I cannot control I feel much more comfortable going to the gym more frequently and taking deep breaths when something happens that is out of my control. The exercises in this course have greatly helped me gain more confidence in both my psychological and spiritual aspects.I actively spend time either meditating, reflecting or visualizing aspects of my life daily to improve my everyday well-being. While some of the exercises we practiced in this course were difficult, I understood why we did each of them and with practice each of them became easier and more beneficial. I have found the visualization exercise the most rewarding since that is how my mind works and by imagining myself reaching certain results, it better helps me achieve them. While I found the loving kindness exercise difficult initially I also found it beneficial; I think most exercises need to be done more than once to be truly appreciated and effective. I think this class will help me overall in my career by helping me connect with my inner-self as well as others at a much better level. Also, using these techniques will better by abilities in my career since I will be helping others achieve just the same after an accident, surgery or chronic problem. 

Final Project: tying it all together

   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 in all aspects-psychologically, spiritually and physically to be a role model for their patients of sorts. If we are recommending our patients to adapt these beliefs and practices, we have to have a true knowledge of what we are expecting of our patients. We cannot talk the talk if we do not walk the walk. To develop psychologically we must be able to open our mind and be able to assess things differently. On a spiritual level for health and wellness developing means that you have to be able to free your mind, body and spirit into a of a more spiritual state of thinking. You have to be able to let all of the negative energies leave your body. For the physical part of health and wellness part you have to be healthy to teach your clients to be healthy. All three concepts tie into one another in Health and Wellness because your body has to be free of impurities first and then you are able to pass this training onto your clients and be able to show them the best techniques in doing so. I feel I still need to work on the psychological aspect in my life since I too frequently allow negativity to affect my life. Being able to push those energies out and allow only positivity to protrude will allow me to truly reach all of my goals.

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

Being on a path to physical therapy, I consider the physical aspect the most developed with both the spiritual and psychological aspects needing more assistance. I would rate my health physically an 8, psychologically a 6 and spiritually a 5 since those areas are newly developed and need the most work.

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

In the physical aspect I would like to lose a little more weight by incorporating a slightly healthier lifestyle. I think by eliminating some foods consumed that are not the best for me will help me do so. Psychologically I want to live a much more positive life and not allow myself to sweat the little things as much. Instead of succumbing to negative thoughts or energies, I want to live a happier lifestyle that comes more naturally. Spiritually, even though I went to 16 years of Catholic school, I am not a very religious person and instead use religion as a basis for morality. Spiritually though, I would like to become more connected as a whole and include more meditation and visualization into my everyday.

  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.

In order to truly foster growth in any area of our life, we must continuously assess and make changes to accommodate those that we have already made. Physically I will make myself go to the gym more by either adding another day or staying longer on the days that I am there. In addition to exercise, I will better my food and water consumption to eat a better well-balanced and organic diet. Psychologically I want to give myself some more “me” time. Especially after graduating in July, I would like to give myself the ability to unwind and concentrate on what it is really important in life to deplete the aspects that are pulling me away from achieving goals. Spiritually I want to participate voluntarily in more exercises. I want to designate specific time to self meditate to reflect on my life and where I can improve. I also want to designate time to use visualization to achieve my goals and become more connected. I think by using all of these examples of how I can implement growth in my life I can become a much better health care professional as well as simply a better human being.

   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?

As I stated above, it is important to continuously monitor our progress and assess the goals we have set to determine if they are still desirable and achievable. By regularly using meditation and visualization I feel I can track my progress. Also the use of physically tracking certain goals like weight loss with pictures and transcribing weight will be beneficial. I feel the most important strategy to utilize in maintaining such practice is repetition. It only takes 21 days for an activity to become a habit; by pushing myself in those first 21 days, participating in certain activities to achieve my goals will no longer feel like a chore.

Reference:

Dacher, E. S. (2006). Integral health: the path to human flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA:           Basic Health Publications

Getting Centered

Review the exercises and practice sessions you have completed in this course. (Loving Kindness, Subtle mind, Visualization, meditation etc.) Choose two practices that you have determined to be most beneficial. How can you implement these practices in your personal life to foster “mental fitness”? Provide specific examples.

I found the Meeting Aesclepius and meditation exercises the most beneficial for me. I personally believe that to foster mental fitness we need to regularly self reflect on all aspects of our life. If we do not "check-in" on ourselves every now and then we can lose focus of what is important to us and the goals we want to achieve. Taking time each day to find my center is what I have found to be the most beneficial for me. Having danced for 19 years, I find that performing activities like dance, yoga and really any physical activity helps me clear my mind and become centered. I have found that this class has helped me become more aware of aspects of my life that I otherwise would not be as connected to.

Being MindFULL

Complete the Meeting Aesclepius mp3 (located in the Doc Sharing area). Describe your meditative practices for the week and discuss the experience. Explain how mindfulness or meditation has fostered an increase in your psychological or spiritual wellness. How can you continue to apply these practices in your life to foster greater health and wellness?

I try not to look at meditation in its cliché idea of sitting cross legged, thumb and middle finger touching, saying ohmm. That is what the cartoons made us think of meditation and I think this weeks meditation exercise helps us realize this; we do not have to act like a cartoon to meditate. We can use meditation as a self-reflective tool at any time of the day. Applying mindfulness to every part of our day will actually increase our psychological and spiritual wellness by creating a better internal unity. I find that while these areas still need some work in my life, these exercises are helping get there.

Describe the saying: "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself" (p.477). How does this apply to the health and wellness professional? Do you have an obligation to your clients to he developing your health psychologically, physically and spiritually? Why or why not? How can you implement psychological and spiritual growth in your personal life?

The saying listed above is one that I firmly agree with since we truly do not know how to assist another in an experience we know nothing about. I have heard a chiropractor friend of mine tell me about an experience she had with a headache that she never had prior and how it helped her connect with her patients better since she had a better idea how they felt. As healthcare professionals, the industry is constantly evolving so we must keep up with it with CEUs. In the future as a physical therapist it will be extremely important to implement these areas for growth since there are always new techniques to apply and I will not only have to keep up mentally but physically as well.

Using yoga to de-stress

1. Practice the universal Loving Kindness (meditation) exercise on p. 93

I found this exercise a little difficult since it required me to read what I was going to say and close my eyes. I felt as if I was concentrating more on the words and getting them correct rather than actually on how it effects me. However, after doing it a few times, the repetition of what I was saying became easier and I was able to relax better and internally and mentally open up. 

2. Complete the Integral Assessment discussed in chapter 11 (p.115).

3. Describe the exercise and assessment process. What did you discover about yourself? What area have you chosen to be a focus of growth and development? Why? What are some specific exercises or activities that you can implement to foster greater wellness in this area?

Of all the exercises we have done so far, I found this the most beneficial for me since it allowed me to look into my actions and evaluate my life. I frequently get caught up in my day to day activities and the stresses that come from it instead of being grateful for who and what I have in my life. From these exercises I decided to concentrate on my psychospiritual side since that is the area in my life I think i neglect the most. I find that I can be quick to judge people and almost selfishly separate myself from others when I should instead be embracing their differences so I can learn from them and grow. Some exercises I do to help with my overall greater wellness are yoga, dance and exercise. All of these exercises allow me to separate my everyday stresses and focus on the activity in front of me. Also, I feel that these exercises help improve my body which in turn assists my mind to be clearer and much more positive.

Subtle Mind Practice

1. Compare and contrast the Loving Kindness exercise and the Subtle mind exercise. Explain your experience including the benefits, frustrations etc. 

While I had a little bit of a difficult time with the loving kindness exercise, I found it beneficial so self reflect, especially at this point in my life. The subtle mind exercise was more difficult for me since I found the reflective time a bit long. I am also fighting a cold, so concentrating on my breathing is particularly difficult when you cannot breathe well LOL. From that and the congested feeling I have in my head, getting to the next level-deeper level of the mind was not easy. I do however, think that I will benefit much better at a time that I am feeling better so I am going to hold on to the exercise and try it again in the future.

2.     Discuss the connection of the spiritual wellness to mental and physical wellness.             Explain how the connection is manifested in your personal life.

The connection of our spiritual and mental wellness to our physical wellness is unbelievable and  I think many people underestimate it. This can be easily visualized or experienced when you feel stressed or overwhelmed. Physical mannerisms and facial expressions change according to our mental wellness. Personally, I know my physical wellness changes according when my mental wellness is not in check. Living in Chicago (especially with the winter we've had) the weather greatly affects my mood and mentality, and unfortunately that mentality usually affects me physically. For example, on days that it is snowing a lot causing cloudy and gloomy skies, I physically have a hard time engaging and staying positive vs days that are sunny and warm.

      

Mental Workout

-Describe your experience. Did you find it beneficial? Difficult? Why or why not? Would you recommend this to others? Why or why not?
This experience was difficult for me even though I enjoyed the idea it had of focusing on a loved one. I felt the time gaps when the speaker was talking were sometimes a little too long which led to me thinking of other unrelated thoughts. The loving kindness exercise was a little bit easier since it is typically easier for me to self-reflect, especially lately. I am torn between recommending this exercise to others or not simply because I had a difficult time but maybe others will connect easier than I do.

-What is the concept of "mental workout"? What does the research indicate are the proven benefits of a mental workout? How can you implement mental workouts to foster your psychological health?
A mental workout is to help expand your thoughts and mind to benefit yourself. In order for a mental workout to be truly beneficial, we need to do it regularly just as if we were physically working out. The biggest benefit of a mental workout is the ability to successfully train the brain to reduce negative emotions that can decrease productivity.

Oh boy..reflections

I will be the first to openly admit that I am awful at reflecting on my life no matter if it is the physical, psychological or spiritual aspect. With that being said, I had a very difficult time coming up with the conclusion that all three aspects are at an average level for me with a grade of 'C." I think all areas can use some work and have some room for improvement. My physical well-being could be better since I do not go to the gym as much as I would like to, and I have a goal to increase my weekly visits either by going another day or staying longer and performing more exercise. Psychologically, my boyfriend and I joke that I am a little on the crazy side-and its totally true-sometimes ;). I can definitely improve in this aspect by not allowing small things to affect me the way they do by causing inexplicable anxiety over something stupid. Lastly, my spiritual well-being can use some work as well since that is something I do not address regularly. Since I am not the most religious person, I look at spirituality as being connected with yourself and your beliefs not only mentally, but in how you act. While the relaxation exercise was-ehem-relaxing, I had a difficult time pushing outside thoughts from affecting me from fully engaging as well as being physically interrupted half way through making it quite frustrating. I think with some practice though, this could ultimately help me connect with my inner-self as well as others at a much better level. Also, using these techniques will better by abilities in my career since I will be helping others achieve just the same after an accident, surgery or chronic problem.  

Welcome!

Hello everyone and welcome!!  I am a pre-physical therapy student that is ready to embrace the challenge of properly educating the public on activities of daily living. A lot of us do not realize the little changes we can make to feel better about ourselves everyday. The first activity I want to discuss is glute walking. This a super easy tool to keep in your pocket to strengthen muscles and help posture while also preventing that troublesome low back pain!

To properly glute walk, you want to isolate the activation of each glute while you are walking. What this means, is to squeeze your butt cheek one at a time as you are walking. An example: if you are stepping onto your right foot, you want to activate, or squeeze your right glute until you place your left foot down where you would switch to activating your left glute then.

When I first started glute walking, I found myself incorporating it the most when I was in the grocery store for some reason, but maybe it will be different for you! No one will be able to notice what you are doing, but will simply see the newly found confidence you will have while walking since you will be standing up straighter. So, get yourself walking out there and give it a try! 

Deziree