I. Introduction
It is essential as health professionals that we maintain a level of health in all areas of our lives and that we are continually striving to better ourselves. We need to set an example for those that are coming to us for assistance in wanting to better themselves. As health professionals, we need to lead by example and to be able to draw from our own experiences to assist others. I wouldn’t get fitness advice from an overweight, smoker and I wouldn’t expect others to want my help if I was depressed or mentally ill. Personally, I would like to see development and growth in all three areas of my being: psychologically, spiritually, and physically. There is always room for improvement and growth when it comes to our health and wholeness.
II. Assessment
I used the basic scale of 1-10 to assess my physical, psychological and spiritual health. Physically, I scored a 9 as I am engaged in a regular fitness program and I eat relatively healthy. I didn’t give myself a 10 because I know that I do tend to eat sometimes out of sheer boredom, stress, or just because it looks good. I have been trying to lose 5-7 lbs. for about 2 years now, but I tend to sabotage myself every time I drop 1 or 2 lbs. Spiritually, I rated myself at an 8. I have a personal relationship with God, attend church, pray daily by myself and with my family. However, I do not actively do things to grow and mature in my faith. Psychologically, I rated myself at a 8. Through taking classes I’m constantly challenging what I know and learning new things. I do my best to maintain an 4.0, and to put into practice what I am learning. I did not give myself a 10 because I feel that there is always room for improvement.
III. Goal Development
My physical goal is to achieve a point in which eating becomes more intentional: based on need and not on emotions. My spiritual goal is to set aside 30 minutes a day in studying the Bible and communing with God through prayer and quiet meditation. My psychological goal is to maintain my 4.0 through the next year until I am finished with my studies at Kaplan.
IV. Practices for Personal Health
In order to reach the physical goal that I have set for myself it may just come down to a matter of will; however there are a couple of things that I can try. The first thing is to stop and ask myself, “Is my body hungry?” when I get the urge to start grazing in the kitchen. The second thing that I can do is to determine why I want to snack and find a more positive way to deal with the stress, boredom, or other emotional trigger that is causing me to snack. And finally, I can keep a food journal to determine when and how much unnecessary snacking I do. To achieve my spiritual goal the first thing that I’m going to do is schedule a 30 minute block on the calendar, for each day of the week. I think that the best place to spend these 30 minutes will be in my closet, where I can lounge on some pillows, close the door and not be distracted or interrupted. To achieve my psychological goal I will need to continue to give 100% to my classes for the next year. This will work as long as I continue to do all of my readings, engage in the discussion posts, and complete assignments to the best of my abilities.
V. Commitment
Six months from now (Oct. 2013) I will assess where I am at in regards to achieving the goals that I have listed above. Physically, I hope to have finally lost the last 5-7 lbs. that I have been working on for the past couple of years. As far as my binge snacking, I can refer to my food journal, but ultimately, I will know if I am still eating for emotional reasons rather than biological reasons. Spiritually I hope to have developed a habit of daily growth time, one that I don’t have to schedule but that I enjoy setting aside time for without the use of a calendar. I also hope to see myself acting more intentionally and less reactionary. I believe that improvement in this area is something that my family will notice as well and their input will be helpful. Psychologically, I will assess where I’m at in my classes and refer to my degree plan to make sure I’m still giving 100%.
Reference
Dacher, E. (2006) Integral Health: The Path to Human Flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications, Inc.
