Finally Done

1. Psychologically for the unit 3 project I was at 7 out of 10. Right now I feel that my psychological level is at a 7 still and it is going to take some time and work to move up from there. Physically in unit 3 I was at a 7 and now I have been more consistent in the gym and feeling good. I would say that I am now at an 8 almost a 9. Spiritually I feel that I am stuck but in unit 3 I felt like a 4 and now I feel a little more like a 5. I am working on this and feel it will get better once I return home.
2. Physically I have made progress since unit 3 and I hope to continue doing so. Psychologically my goals are long term and may take awhile but I do hope I achieve them. They are a work in progress and I will continue to work at them with help from my loving family. Spiritually from unit 3 I have been working and my goals are now becoming clear. I will stick with them and hope to continue to grow closer to those goals.
3. I have implemented activities that have improved all three areas and I am now on the way to being integrally fit. Working out, praying, and open dialogue with the ones I am close have improved my well-being. I hope to continue to use these things in the future.
4. This course has given me the knowledge to improve my self and valuable knowledge that will improve my future clients.  This has been a difficult class just because of everything going on with me but very informative and it has given me many tools for the future.

Unit 9

It is important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically because we need to be able to be level headed and make clear decisions for our clients. It is important for everyone but especially us as health and wellness professionals to be spiritually sound because others will look to us to guide them to meet their spiritual needs. Physically all healthcare professionals need to be in good physical shape. All three of these concepts need to be at the top of the list for providers to provide the best care. For my personal development I need to concentrate on psychological goals and develop spiritual priorities. 

At the beginning of the term we discussed where we felt we were on a ten scale in each area. At this time I feel that I have been able to improve mostly the physical fitness area because I am currently on deployment. I would rate my physical fitness as an eight and improving each day. The other two areas are hard to improve at this time because the time I am away from home. I have been thinking about spiritual wellness a lot more since the beginning of this term but have been able to accomplish little in the right direction. At this time I feel that spiritually I am at a six when I started at a four. The time that I have alone here on the ship gets me away from all the worldly distractions at home. Psychologically I feel that I am in the same position but it is hard being deployed and having clarity of thinking. Having to rely on email and the occasional phone call that everything is going well at home is difficult.

One goal that I have physically is to have a much better PFA (periodic fitness assessment) score in October than I did in April. Psychologically I have many things to work on but getting home will help. My goal for my psychological well being is to take the necessary time to sort through problems and not stress the small things. Spiritually I feel that my goal is to set spiritual priorities. This is currently a difficult time to think about what really matters to me spiritually but I am going to strive to get things together in the next six months. I feel this area needs to be worked on as a family and we can set goals together when I get home.

The physical aspect is the easiest to accomplish here in the ship because I have nothing but time to work out and take care of my physical health. As of right now I am doing cardio and resistance training 3-4 times a week and plan to start lifting weights again. Psychologically it is difficult to really stay on a clear mental path but the goal is to take it one day at a time. Prayer and meditation are two things that can help me stay mentally fit. Spiritually I can think about what the right path is for me and set goals to get to that path.

To assess my progress I will look back on this project and do a reassessment of my goals. First, I will compare the value I set for my physical health and see if that number went up or down. Then I will compare my psychological health and spiritual well-being. Comparing the numbers I assigned to these factors today will give me a gauge of where I am and where I need to be. A strategy that I use to maintain long-term health and wellness is continually changing goals. 

Unit 7

I really wanted to meditate more especially lately but being here on the USNS Comfort and working everyday makes it difficult. I am just exhausted by the end of the day. If you can imagine being in the movie “Groundhog Day” that’s what I am currently doing and it can be exhausting. By the end of the day all my thoughts are swirling through my head and they won’t stop. In the end it really makes you realize what you have at home is pretty good and needs to be cherished. So I tried to play the CD and tried to listen to the “Meeting Asciepius” but really didn’t get much from it because I couldn’t relax or find a quiet spot. The whole ship is loud and something is constantly going on someone over the loud speaker, normal ship sounds so on and so forth. I feel I do need to try a little harder to concentrate on these meditative practices especially if I am going to make it through the end of July here in a sane mind. I don’t feel I have gotten the full benefits of the meditation practice to really change my psychological or spiritual wellness.

The saying “One cannot lead another where one has not gone him or herself” (P. 477) is a statement that reminds you that you as a healthcare professional cannot tell a client to do something you have never done. It is difficult for me to see an obese dietician or a healthcare professional that smokes. I feel these are the types of things that we need to consider when dealing with patients. I totally believe that as a health care professional I have the obligation to develop my psychological, physical, and spiritual health.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Tough Week

I can relate to the loving kindness exercise more because it gave more direction. The subtle mind exercise was a little long but he ocean waves were nice. The benefits of the loving kindness exercise were the direction and length. Both exercises can be frustrating if you are not totally ready and in a calm environment to listen to them. Spiritual wellness, mental wellness, and physical wellness all go hand in hand because with the three you can be at one with yourself. You can also be helpful to others that need to find center.

Currently I am working on all three areas to be at peace and find my center. I feel this may take some time but it will happen. Having just one or two pieces of the whole makes it challenging to become whole and centered.

On a different note it has been a difficult week. I just got aboard the USNS Comfort and it is going to be a long four months. L  Hope everyone is doing well.

Unit 3

Right now I rate my physical health a 7. I say a 7 because I still go to the gym at least 3 sometimes 4 times a week and do 40-60 minutes each time. This summer I could say I was at a 10 level but around fall everything starting going downhill. Now I am about to go on a four month deployment so this will free up a lot of the unnecessary stress I deal with in the states. By the end of July I plan to be back at a 10 on my physical well-being. Right now I would have to say my spiritual well-being is low maybe a 4. I say a 4 because we have not been going to church regularly in some time. I realize church is not the only way you can maintain your spiritual well-being but it helps. My psychological well-being as of right now is a 7. It has gotten better with the changing of job positions since January. I now work in a less stressful area and this has greatly enhanced my psychological well-being. I say a 7 because I have other psychological issues I need to deal with but I am still trying to sort through those.

I stated my goal for my physical well-being but will say that I plan on maintaining this goal. For my spiritual health I plan on attending church and really analyzing what is important to me. Finally, for my psychological well-being I have been addressing this and need to continue.

 For my physical well-being I plan on doing my current workout but I will look into other workouts that I have not tried before. For my spiritual health I plan on attending church. Then there is psychological health I plan on doing all I can do and when I hit a wall I plan on seeking professional help with unresolved issues.

The guided relaxation for this week was ok but I really can’t do the ones that have you imagine a whole on the top of your head or something crazy like that. I find guided mediations that are just relaxing and soothing are much better for me. I also think female voices are more soothing.

Well other than that tomorrow starts another week of work as for me one day of work then an eight day vacation. Much needed but just to come back and make final preparations to leave my family for 4 months hopefully not more (with what’s going on in Libya). Only time will tell. Hope everyone has a good unit 3.

Emily

Last Minute

Wow getting this first post going was a challenge! Well I think I have made it, so here it goes. First thing we are supposed to discuss is the guided meditation. This guided meditation was enjoyable but need more time in the day to truly enjoy its benefits.

Now we need to do a reflective statement. Not sure what part of us we are supposed to reflect on but I will go with what is going on with me at the current time. I am a Hospital Corpsman in the Navy Reserves and I am about to go on a short deployment from April to July. This should be a great adventure for me but I am leaving a husband and 1 year old at home while I am gone. Other than that just trying to finish up all the details to be ready to leave for four months and for now things are going smoothly.

I am passionate about health and wellness and love to help people become healthier. I hope to finish my BS in Health and Wellness at the beginning of 2012 and get accepted to the Master's Program for Health Care Administration. With these degree's I hope to be an officer in the Navy and if not in any service that will take me.

Hope everyone is doing well this term. I know I am struggling but hanging in there and hope to finish this term without incident.

Talk to you all soon.