Monday, July 19, 2010
Unit 10 My Progress to Integral Health
When I first started this class, I scored myself low on psychological, spiritual, and physical aspects of my beginning learning of integral health. Even though I still feel that I have a long ways to go, I do feel that I have learned quite a bit the past ten weeks. I have always had the most trouble with the physical and psychological aspects. I have struggled with body image my whole life. And as far as my psychological, I have really struggled with depression the past few years. I lost 3 of my brothers three years in a row, then lost my mother. It has been difficult for me to come to terms with this. However, I can say the my spiritual growth has helped a lot during these times. I still have a little ways to go with the spiritual health, because I think we all need to continually work on our spiritual outlook. This class has given me some of the tools I can use to help me with the process of the search for integral health. I know that if I continue to use the exercises and continue to follow what we have studied, I will only continue to get better, feel better, and maybe again, start to be a little bit happier.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Kaplan University
HN 420 – 03: Creating Wellness
Psychological and Spiritual Aspects of Healing
Instructor: Dr. Susan Stewart
Deborah Sunblade
July 9, 2010
Project Unit 9
Introduction
Why is it important for health and wellness professionals to develop?
1. Psychologically: To help them understand the levels between the biological, behavioral, and social factors that influence health and wellness. It will help them to find out that they are and how do they see themselves.
2. Spiritually: When treating a patient, it is important to know how their spiritual or religious beliefs may be affecting their feelings about their illness and treatment. Patient’s spiritual beliefs may affect their health care decisions and their ability to follow treatment recommendations.
3. Physically: Patients look to health and wellness professionals for advice and counseling. They need to provide a good example for others to follow.
What areas do you need to develop to achieve the goals you have for yourself?
I need to develop in all three; psychologically, spiritually, and physically.
Assessment
How have you assessed your health in each domain?
By taking a look at me and my circumstances, identifying the areas in my life that need attention, decide on the changes I wish to make and start a program that will help me make those changes.
How do you score your wellness spiritually, physically, and psychologically?
1. Spiritually: I continue to need help in developing spiritually, so I score myself poor.
2. Physically: I again have to score myself as poor.
3. Psychologically: And again, my score would be poor.
Goal Development
List at least one goal you have for yourself in each area, physically, psychologically (mental health), and spiritual.
1. Physically: My goal is to get my physical self more healthy. Right now, the most exercise I get is while I’m at work.
2. Psychologically: My goal is to be more stress free, feel happier, and tries to get off the antidepressant medication I am on.
3. Spiritually: My final goal is to be more spiritual. I can do this by looking more closely and reflect on my thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and motivation.
Practices for Personal Health
What strategies can you implement to foster growth in each of the following domains?
Provide at least two examples of exercises or practices in each domain. Explain how you will implement each example.
Physically: Right now the most exercise I get is at work. After a 3 year illness, it has been difficult for me to start exercising again. However, it has been a year now since I was able to go back to work, so I think it is about time to get myself in better shape. One practice I plan to start is taking a brisk walk for at least 30 minutes every day. My doctor told me this is the best exercise for me to start out on. I can do it early in the morning or in the evening with my husband along for the company. The second thing I plan to do is to start cutting sugar from my diet. I know this will be difficult for me, but I have been thinking about it for awhile. I know others who have done this and they tell me they feel so much better.
Psychologically: I plan to start training my mind. I can do this with some of the exercises we have learned during the past nine weeks. One is the Silence and Stillness exercise and the other is the Visualization exercise. I plan to alternate nights so I can concentrate on just one each night. I can go to my room at night and ask not to be disturbed for at least one hour. I have a really comfortable chair in my room, where it is peaceful and quiet. I will do the exercises as we have done them during our readings.
Spiritually: By looking at my own experiences, the decisions I make, the relationships I have, will help to provide insights on my life’s goals, on the good traits I need to keep and the bad traits I need to get rid of. I plan to use two exercises that we have also used in our readings.
Loving-Kindness and the Subtle mind. Again, I plan to use these exercises on alternate nights. I know I said I would need at least one hour of quiet time, but I will actually need 2 hours. I can do two exercises per night. I will follow them like we did in our readings.
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?
To assess my progress, I plan to keep a journal. By journaling, I can keep track of my progress, how well I am sticking to my goals, and maybe start some new goals. Strategies I can use are getting my family involved. My daughter is already talking with me about my diet and lack of exercise. If I told them my goals, they would help me achieve them. Also, I would get my husband to start with the goals that I have. He is a great support system, and I think we would both be great in supporting each other and monitoring our success in attaining our goals.
For the long term, I think that once I started to feel better, not only physically, but mentally and spiritually, I would have no trouble maintaining this commitment for the rest of my life. I want to feel better and be happier. I want to be off medication for depression and for sleep. I don’t like taking pills to make me feel better about myself. So, if I can do this and be happier, I won’t have any problems continuing it. Just these past nine weeks, I have started feeling so much better and less stressed about everything.
HN 420 – 03: Creating Wellness
Psychological and Spiritual Aspects of Healing
Instructor: Dr. Susan Stewart
Deborah Sunblade
July 9, 2010
Project Unit 9
Introduction
Why is it important for health and wellness professionals to develop?
1. Psychologically: To help them understand the levels between the biological, behavioral, and social factors that influence health and wellness. It will help them to find out that they are and how do they see themselves.
2. Spiritually: When treating a patient, it is important to know how their spiritual or religious beliefs may be affecting their feelings about their illness and treatment. Patient’s spiritual beliefs may affect their health care decisions and their ability to follow treatment recommendations.
3. Physically: Patients look to health and wellness professionals for advice and counseling. They need to provide a good example for others to follow.
What areas do you need to develop to achieve the goals you have for yourself?
I need to develop in all three; psychologically, spiritually, and physically.
Assessment
How have you assessed your health in each domain?
By taking a look at me and my circumstances, identifying the areas in my life that need attention, decide on the changes I wish to make and start a program that will help me make those changes.
How do you score your wellness spiritually, physically, and psychologically?
1. Spiritually: I continue to need help in developing spiritually, so I score myself poor.
2. Physically: I again have to score myself as poor.
3. Psychologically: And again, my score would be poor.
Goal Development
List at least one goal you have for yourself in each area, physically, psychologically (mental health), and spiritual.
1. Physically: My goal is to get my physical self more healthy. Right now, the most exercise I get is while I’m at work.
2. Psychologically: My goal is to be more stress free, feel happier, and tries to get off the antidepressant medication I am on.
3. Spiritually: My final goal is to be more spiritual. I can do this by looking more closely and reflect on my thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and motivation.
Practices for Personal Health
What strategies can you implement to foster growth in each of the following domains?
Provide at least two examples of exercises or practices in each domain. Explain how you will implement each example.
Physically: Right now the most exercise I get is at work. After a 3 year illness, it has been difficult for me to start exercising again. However, it has been a year now since I was able to go back to work, so I think it is about time to get myself in better shape. One practice I plan to start is taking a brisk walk for at least 30 minutes every day. My doctor told me this is the best exercise for me to start out on. I can do it early in the morning or in the evening with my husband along for the company. The second thing I plan to do is to start cutting sugar from my diet. I know this will be difficult for me, but I have been thinking about it for awhile. I know others who have done this and they tell me they feel so much better.
Psychologically: I plan to start training my mind. I can do this with some of the exercises we have learned during the past nine weeks. One is the Silence and Stillness exercise and the other is the Visualization exercise. I plan to alternate nights so I can concentrate on just one each night. I can go to my room at night and ask not to be disturbed for at least one hour. I have a really comfortable chair in my room, where it is peaceful and quiet. I will do the exercises as we have done them during our readings.
Spiritually: By looking at my own experiences, the decisions I make, the relationships I have, will help to provide insights on my life’s goals, on the good traits I need to keep and the bad traits I need to get rid of. I plan to use two exercises that we have also used in our readings.
Loving-Kindness and the Subtle mind. Again, I plan to use these exercises on alternate nights. I know I said I would need at least one hour of quiet time, but I will actually need 2 hours. I can do two exercises per night. I will follow them like we did in our readings.
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?
To assess my progress, I plan to keep a journal. By journaling, I can keep track of my progress, how well I am sticking to my goals, and maybe start some new goals. Strategies I can use are getting my family involved. My daughter is already talking with me about my diet and lack of exercise. If I told them my goals, they would help me achieve them. Also, I would get my husband to start with the goals that I have. He is a great support system, and I think we would both be great in supporting each other and monitoring our success in attaining our goals.
For the long term, I think that once I started to feel better, not only physically, but mentally and spiritually, I would have no trouble maintaining this commitment for the rest of my life. I want to feel better and be happier. I want to be off medication for depression and for sleep. I don’t like taking pills to make me feel better about myself. So, if I can do this and be happier, I won’t have any problems continuing it. Just these past nine weeks, I have started feeling so much better and less stressed about everything.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Unit 8
I have chosen the two exercises of meditation and visualization. The benefits of meditation and visualization is that it helps me to improve my mood. It helps me to calm down and keeps me from having so many negative thoughts. It helps get rid of physical and mental stress. Meditation helps me rid myself of thoughts and worries about the past and the future. It helps me concentrate on the now. Visualization can take me to a calm and peaceful place. I visualize a place where it is beautiful, peaceful, and calm. I also do the exercises we have studied. Especially the visualization with the rainbow of bright lights shining out of us. I like being able to sit quietly, with no noise from the TV or radio. I turn off my phones and pick a quiet place in my house. Afterward, I feel more calm, less stressed, and ready to face the day. I find that I am not getting so depressed either. I have suffered from depression for the last 8 years and have been on medication most of that time. In fact, my doctor recently changed my meds because they didn't seem to be as effective. Now, with meditation and visualization, I find myself sleeping better and getting up more relaxed. I don't seem to worry as much about what is going to happen. I don't feel as depressed any more and I am able to look to the future as a happy time instead of one that I dread. I feel much happier and even my family has noticed a difference in me.
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