Unit 9 Project

Introduction
I feel that it is important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically in order for them to be well rounded both individually and professionally. One must always lead by example; one of my favorite sayings is “Do unto others as you want done to you.” You have to first take care of yourself in order to take care of someone else.
I feel as if I can always develop further in each area, however, the one area I could use the most improvement is the physical. I use to be very fit and loved to exercise, but since the birth of my children I feel as if I have just settled. I need to start to add exercising back into my daily routine not only to look better, but to feel better as well. I feel that this will also give me the confidence that I need to become a more rounded individual as well as to help my confidence in my professional life.

Assessment
On a scale of 1-10 I rate my physical well-being at a 5 right now. I say this because I feel as if I have fallen into a depression with eating unhealthy and not taking the time to get back in shape. I have a 2 and 4 year old and I have been feeling so run down that I never have time to focus on me and get back in shape.
When it comes to my spiritual well-being I would rate it at a 4. This is something I would like to change and really get back to practicing my religious beliefs. I would like for my children to grow up knowing their religion and having their faith to help guide them through life. I have strayed away from my church and I think that it is time to find my way back.
 I would rate my psychological well-being an 8. I have an amazing support system around me and I have so much help that when I feel overwhelmed that I have someone to ease my mind. It is not easy being a full time mother and student, but I feel so excited to think about our future once I am finished with school.

Goal Development
Physical: I love to listen to soft music when I have free time, it allows me to just relax my mind and escape from my everyday craziness. I would however like to devote more time to exercising, I feel as if I need to get out of “mommy mode” and get back in shape for myself.
Psychological: I would like to open myself up to others more. It’s just very hard for me because of the negative things that have happened in my past. Opening your heart will allow you to let others know how you are feeling and be open to their feelings as well. This is something that I try to do on an everyday basis with my children and family, you have to have unconditional love even in those moments of trial.
Spiritual: I would like to open my mind up to my religious beliefs more. I have not been to church on a regular basis in about 3 years. I would really like to get back to church on a weekly basis and even join a church group, maybe one for parents. This would allow me the opportunity to make new friends and to connect with other individuals that share my religious beliefs. I would also like my kids to get involved in the children activities there as well.

Practices for Personal Health
An example of an exercise an individual can implement in his/her life to foster greater physical wellness is to walk. Walking is a great way to get exercise while not being too demanding on the body. I can implement this in my daily life by walking in the evening with my children, even if it is just around the block. Another example of physical wellness would be to implement healthier eating habits. Healthier eating habits will allow for an individual to not only feel better but to actually help their body. I can do this by trying to reduce my sugar intake and to eat more fruits and vegetables.
An activity one can do to foster greater psychological wellness is to journal. Journaling can provide an outlet for an individual to express his/her thoughts and feelings so that they are not just kept and bottled up inside. I have started to journal my thoughts about what I have been through as an outlet because of the lack of trust I have for someone else’s confidentiality.
An example of an activity one can do to foster greater spiritual wellness is meditation. Meditation allows for an individual to relax and clear his/her mind of all their thoughts and problems in a calming, peaceful environment. I have really enjoyed all the meditation activities that I have learned in this class and try to find some quiet time at the end of the night when the kids go to sleep to practice meditation.
All these things are beneficial to holistic wellness because they all work together to keep an individual at ease and keep their mind and body healthy so that if they were to have an illness they could focus on the illness rather than all the other aspects in their life.

Commitment
I will assess my improvement or their lack of in the next six months by journaling my progress. I will journal my daily experiences and how these things have helped me throughout my days and what I feel I could do differently in the future. Therefore, by journaling I can look back and assess either my progress or lack of progress and which areas I need to make improvements in.
The strategies that I can use to assist in maintaining my long-term practices for health and wellness are to make a goal list and to check off things on it as I complete them. I think that this will give me a great sense of what I have accomplished and what I have to work toward. I also think that I can have my husband participate in some of the activities with me, which will motivate me further knowing that we are on this journey together.






References

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