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?Health and wellness professionals are here to help us achieve a healthy, whole and positive life. You cannot have those things if you are solely focused on one area of healing. It's like going grocery shopping for the month and only buying eggs... lots and lots of eggs. Eggs can be cooked many different ways, but they are still an egg and they still can't provide all the necessary nutrients the human body requires. Healing is the same way. Taking medicine isn't going to work well if you don't address underlying problems and associated issues and have the proper mind set to allow the healing process to blossom fully. Likewise, having the positive mind set or sheer faith is not going to save you if you need insulin for diabetes. There is a balance and that balance is completely out of whack for most of us. Thankfully this class has helped me begin to get mine back.

Right now I am trying to get used to my body... I know that sounds really strange but for someone that has been 100 lbs most of her life, gaining 30 lbs is life altering- but in a good way. As I've said before, I had Anorexia in high school and have struggled with it throughout my adult life as well. I recently got married and have moved to another state, so basically starting over. My hubby is an Army medic and my being underweight was one of the things that we talked about a lot, so we redid my diet, had a lot of crying sessions and he started making sure I ate breakfast every day... and lunch... and dinner.... and 30 lbs later here I am. But it's still weird. I know it's healthier- especially for my heart, but oye the aches and the more limited range of motion and my husband's wallet was absolutely screaming when I had to replace half of my wardrobe. So for right now I think I need to work on trying to maintain my proper body mass for my size, continue to eat healthy, try to regain some of my flexibility that I feel like I've lost and work on getting my mind used to the idea of having an actual body and not just skin and bones.

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

Overall I think I'm on the right track. I know that I have areas that definitely need improvement and other areas that could use a brushing off and smoothing of the edges, but again, overall I think I'm doing ok. I would like to be doing great- but I think we all would:) I think my biggest challenge right now is getting the psychology of my mind wrapped around the new size and shape of my body. But I have faith in my support system and I have faith in me, so I'll make it through and I'll be healthier and happier for it too. I think my strongest area is my spirituality and sometimes I lean on that so hard I think I'm going to knock it over- but it never fails and eventually things find their way to where they are supposed to be- including myself.

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

Physically: I want to maintain: I want my weight to stay at least at or above 130lbs.. permanently. Being underweight is not healthy in any manner for the mind, body or spirit, and I need to continue to recognize this. I also want to get my Yoga routine back to where it was... I've missed quite a few days here and there and I don't want it to turn into a habit.

Psychological: Stop reacting and start thinking: Some people eat when they are stressed out... I do too, but I only eat coffee and cigarettes- and apparently that does not constitute a meal. I have had a lot of success with the loving kindness exercises and I am very proud of that. I have never been able to “disconnect” myself from a situation that really upset me- especially if it was intentionally aimed at me. Right now, because of what I have learned in this class, as long as I can see it coming I can think before I react, breath for a little bit and be able to respond intelligently instead of emotionally. What I want to be able to do is the exact same thing- even when I can't see a conflict coming. Life happens, I know this, and sometimes we just aren't ready for it, but at least this way, I know that I can either adjust to any situation or know that eventually I will recover:)

Spiritually: I need to make time: I haven't had as much time as I would like to have in regards to being able to actively practice my faith. I've been inside the house way too much and I feel like I'm shutting doors in places I didn't even know were there. To me this is a bad thing, kind of like blocking a Chi flow. Sometimes it gets so bad I tell my husband it feels like my Chakras are scattered across the globe. What I need to do is stop making excuses and start making time. My spirituality is an important part of my life and it has as much right to my time as anything else does- it's also integral to my health.

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: my Yoga!!! I need my yoga, I feel lost without it... ok maybe it's the quiet time involved with it that I miss too, but I need that as well! Eating right. I need to keep eating all three meals of the day- even if I am eating smaller portions, rather than just eating one meal at the end of the day.
Psychological: I need to be more self aware. Oftentimes I find myself reacting to a situation because either that's how I've always reacted to it or how I think I should react to it. I need to actively stop my mouth before it opens and consult with my brain about what I'm really about to say. Something else I can do to help my psychology is to play mind games! I love crossword puzzles and I love strategy and puzzle games on the computer. I like trying to find the difference in two almost identical pictures and optical illusions just trip me out. As long as I continue to exercise my mind then I'm on the right track to keeping my psychology in tact- until my son starts college and I go crazy from Empty Nest Syndrome, but that's a worry for another time:)
Spiritual: Meditation helps me in this department. It is hard for me to connect with my faith if I am surrounded by concrete, car horns and busy bodies that never stop. Meditating can take me away from the current circumstances and put me in a place that is calm and welcoming so that I can begin to recuperate my mind and work through any issues I might be experiencing.

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?

Honestly, this paper will be my best guide to the next couple of months and how well I can improve and then maintain my health. Having said that, this paper is just the beginning too. It's like a road map of where I am and where I want to be. Re-reading this paper in six months is either going to be a, “wow, I remember that and I'm so glad I stuck with it” or a, “I wrote a paper on healing goals?” moment... I'd like to think it's the first of those two options....
As far as Strategies go, my best one is my husband. We have a very cooperative relationship and by that I do not mean we just get along. Every day we are actively seeking ways to help each other achieve our goals as individuals, as a couple and as a family. He reminds me to eat breakfast (or just makes it for me because he knows I hate wasting food) and I help write his cue cards for the Promotion Board he has to study for. I'll play an online game with him for a bit to help him relax and he'll set up a nice bath for me the next night. It's little things that most people take for granted. We are pre-programmed to deal with big issues, maybe not gracefully, but we can see the big ones coming and we will respond and react to them (aka fight or flight reflex). The little issues however, usually get swept under the rug until they mutate into a giant carnivorous dust bunny on steroids that no one can deal with and then when it's big enough, it proceeds to roll over anything and everything that gets in its way. So yeah, my strategy is my husband and continuing what we do together in trying to make sure that we all meet our goals and we all are happy, healthy, and whole.