Final Project: Personal Application of the Psychological and Spiritual Aspects of Healing

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?

             “To become the agents of a more expansive health, we must begin with our own life” (Dacher, 2006, p. 167).

 

            I think it is important to lead by example. It is essential for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically, this allows them to promote, educate and guide their clients onto the path they have already traveled on.

            I am a work in progress as I try to achieve my goals. My main goal is to continue to develop my mind, body and spiritual connection. By continuing to meditate, I will calm my mind and eliminate the chatter and clutter that fills my mind. I also need to concentrate on my physical well-being by integrating exercise into my daily routine. I also need to strength my spiritual well-being. God is a very important part of my life, I just need to trust and have more faith in him and in myself. I am going to start a “gratitude” blog to express and share daily what I am  grateful for in my life. This will help further my spiritual and psychological connection as well.

II. Assessment:

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

            Based on a scale of 1 to 10 (“10” being the highest and “1” being the lowest), I would rate my wellness physically, spiritually and psychologically as follows:

            Physical well-being: I would rate myself a 5. For the past 4 years, I have been suffering with an auto immune deficiency disorder. I was so interested in taking this class; I want to heal from the inside out, mind, body and spirit. Although I am still physically struggling, I am feeling better about my situation and fell a lot happier and healthier inside. I believe I am on the road to recovery. My goals in this area are to get physically healthy inside and outside and finally overcome this disorder. This class has reiterated the importance of daily exercise, meditation and prayer in order to attain integral health.

            Spiritual well-being: I would rate my spiritual well-being as an 8; however, it increases on a daily basis. I feel much stronger in my beliefs, in my faith, and with my connection with God. I know that God exists and I have made it this far and I’m continuing to make it through every day because of his presence in my life.

            Psychological well-being: I would rate my psychological well-being as an 8, also increasing on a daily basis. I feel very positive in this aspect. As I continue to grown, learn and study, my classes are really helping me deal, cope and overcome my own issues. I know I have grown in this area of my life in the past 4 years. I am not the person I was 4 years ago, I can proudly say I am a stronger woman.

III. Goal Development:

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

            My goal is to get physically, spiritually and psychologically healthy. I want to achieve a balance within all these areas. I want to alleviate my inner being of stress, anxiety and negative thoughts, emotions and feelings.

            Physical: My goal is to continue to eat healthy by cutting down on carbohydrates (my weakness). I want to lose a minimum of twenty pounds by May, 2013 (graduation in Chicago!). I am going to exercise a minimum of 30 minutes per day. I will alternate stretching exercises, strength training, yoga, pilates and walking into my schedule. I know that losing this weight will also help in my psychological and spiritual areas as well.

            Psychological: My goal is to continue practicing meditation in order to de-stress and calm my mind. Therefore, I will continue with the exercises we practiced in class such as Loving-Kindness, Subtle Mind, and Meeting Aesclepius. I am also very interested in meeting with a guide to assist me with my meditation practice. I am going to continue to research additional meditation practices to integrate into my daily routine.

            Spiritual: My goal is to continue to focus and develop my connection with my beliefs, my faith and with God. I will continue to pray, meditate and reflect. I was raised in the Catholic religion; however, I do not currently attend church services. I do believe in the Angels, Saints, the Holy Spirit and Baby Jesus and I will continue to light my candles and pray to them daily. This class has opened my mind and made me aware of other spiritual healing traditions that I am interested in exploring such as Buddhist, Chinese and the Navajo principles.

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 continue to eat healthy and monitor my daily caloric intake. I have given up sodas and caffeine and have increased my water consumption to approximately sixty-four plus ounces per day. I will integrate at least thirty minutes of stretching, yoga, pilates and/or walking into my daily routine as well.

            Psychological: I will continue to mediate on a daily basis. For now, I will continue with the exercises we practiced in class such as Loving-Kindness, Subtle Mind, and Meeting Aesclepius. I will read more books, articles, publications, etc. regarding psychological health and wellness to better further my development in this area.

            Spiritual: I will, on a daily basis, continue to pray, meditate and reflect to help improve my spirituality. I also am going to start to read the bible each day in order to further my beliefs, faith and connection with God.

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? 

            I am going to get more organized and create a daily schedule so that I have time to exercise and practice meditation on a daily basis. If I write a list of my “things to do” down on paper, I will do them. I will start with “baby steps” and create a daily goals list, gradually adding goals to it. This will help me track my daily accomplishments. I have enjoyed blogging; therefore, I will continue to blog and journal my thoughts, feelings, emotions and accomplishments. At the end of the six months, I will have my sister, niece, and co-workers, (people I interact with on a daily basis) assess me to see if they have noticed a change in me. At the end of the six months I will also assess myself. It will be close to graduation so it will be a perfect time to start another self-assessment program.

Thanks for reading!