Unit 9 Final Project

Running head: PLAN FOR INTEGRAL HEALTH




Creating Wellness: Psychological & Spiritual Aspects of Healing

Afrin Merchant

Kaplan University

HW420- Unit 9- Final Project Paper



Abstract

Integral health has become an important subject in the health care industry. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), health is defined as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease of infirmity” (WHO, 2009). This simply states that your health is not limited to your present physical condition only. A healthy person must be healthy integrally which involves the health of the body, mind and the spirit. In this paper we will create a detailed assessment of my own health and wellness regarding holistic-integral health viewpoints presented in the class so far. The plan is created to foster growth and health spiritually, physically, and psychologically in my personal life.


Plan for Integral Health

This paper spends a considerable amount of time creating a detailed assessment of my own health and wellness from all of the different viewpoints presented in our class so far.

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?

It is important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically because in order for us to lead our patients down the pathway to reach optimum health and wellness, we must use pathways and roads we have also well-travelled. In order for us to have empathy and understanding, we must also know and understand the current struggles of our patients so we can offer to them the best advice, care, service and support and have them feel that we are with them on their sometimes long, forbidding journey to health and wellness.

Personally I need to work on all of these aspects in order to achieve the goals I have for myself. Psychologically I need to work on calming my mind and learning to relax. By doing the exercises assigned in this class, I have learned to have a loving and kindness attitude and was really able to step back and do some self-exploration. Spiritually I need to do a better job of connecting with my surroundings with my inner self. I believe in God and I want to spend more at my inner self connecting with God by spending time praying and by being grateful which will help me to act with compassion and an open heart with the ultimate goal of unity consciousness. The psychological and spiritual goals will benefit my physical health and development because body, mind and spirit are all connected.

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

When I assessed my health in each domain I know that I have some work to do and am not where I should be. I am stronger in some aspects than I am in others but I should be able to balance them all out equally because one affects the other which is what I have observed from my own experience.

For my spiritual wellbeing I would rank myself 9 out of 10. I rank myself this high because I am a strong believer in God. I do not just call on God when things are going wrong but I talk to him when things are just right. I find this a problem with a lot of people today; they only call on God when they need something but never take the time to thank him for the good times in their lives. I always know through prayer that God will see me through whatever trials and tribulations I am going through.

Physically I currently feel as though I am an 8. I exercise regularly and eat right even though there is always room for improvement.

My psychological well-being is always changing. I really struggle with emotional instability and it affects every aspect of my well-being. I would rate my psychological well-being as a 6. I am pretty stable, handling stress well, joyful and thinking clearly. I am not a ten because in my opinion, I still have some imbalances that I need to work on

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

Currently my main goals for my physical, psychological and spiritual health are to stay on task on a daily basis with my workout program, meditation, and praying. For the most part I’ve been able to stay on task with praying and meditation.

My physical goal is to participate in 45 minutes or more of physical activity most days of the week. This can include taking walks in the park, yoga, playing tag with the kids, or any other activity that I feel like doing that day.

My psychological goal is to work on calming my mind and learning to relax. I will continue to practice the subtle mind exercise and loving-kindness exercise from the Dacher’s book. The subtle mind exercises really taught me to regulate my breathing and use it to relax my mind. I have been working on taking deep breaths when I feel overwhelmed, stressed and anxious. It really helps my body and mind calm down. I feel this is a good start for me so that I don’t get overwhelmed and give up.

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.

Physically besides having a better nutrition plan and a fitness program, I believe it is essential to reduce stress and avoid negativity and pessimism. I will incorporate daily meditation practices and visualization. These two exercises seem to reduce stress and it also relaxes my mind and body.

Psychologically I will continue to educate myself, keep up my mental fitness through, puzzles and minds games. I will continue to develop using the “Subtle mind Practices”, to develop the witnessing mind and visualization. My goal is to reach a higher consciousness.

Spiritually I will continue to pray and serve others. I will continue the loving kindness and subtle mind practices; I am very interesting in developing the calm-abiding mind. I believe this will help me get to a level of consciousness that I am not currently experiencing.

I am currently using all these exercises and practices but my goal is to get them into a routine time for the day. To be consistent with each exercise and practice until they become a part of my day.

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?

I will assess my progress through keeping a daily journal for the next six months or beyond. Another strategy that I will use to assist in maintaining my long-term practices for health and wellness is doing a mind share with someone in the class or my husband and making them keep me on track with every one of my plans. By doing this, I feel that it will hold me accountable for my actions.

Conclusion

Overall evaluating my goals will be an ongoing journey and process. Set-backs are inevitable along the way but with support and dedication to a life of holistic health, I am certain I can accomplish holistic health and wellness. According to (Elliot S. Dacher. 2006), even though “the apex of human flourishing may require an Olympian intensity of effort and practice, we can be well on the road to health, happiness, and wholeness with a far more moderate yet sustained effort”. This simply means that if we practice on a daily basis then eventually we may get to experience what is known as human flourishing. Human flourishing occurs when one gets to finally live a life that is consumed with positive health, happiness and wholeness.

Reference:

Dacher M.D., E.S. (2006). Integral Health: The Path to Human Flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA:

Basic Health Publications, Inc.

Schlitz, M., & Amorok, T., & Micozzi, M.S. (2005). Consciousness & Healing: Integral

Approaches to Mind-Body Medicine. St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone.

World Health Organization(WHO). 2009. Section: Mental health: A state of well-being.

Retrieved on May 21, 2011 from: http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/mental_health/en/