Unit 9: My Integral Health Plan

 Here is my Unit 9 final project!  (Sorry for the length - I wanted to meet the professor's recommendations)

My Integral Health Plan

Stacey Falke

Kaplan University

HW420 Unit 9 Project

My Integral Health Plan

            It is important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically so that we can be as influential as possible to those that we help every day.    In order for us to give proper advice, we need to be able to have the firsthand knowledge and experience on what works for each illness.  It helps to have experience so that we can portray the importance in a heartfelt manner. 

            As a healthcare professional, I need to maintain a strong spiritual domain because many people believe spirituality to be an important influence in their illnesses and in life in general.  It is important to portray a good physical appearance so that patients have faith in the advice that you are giving them.  If the health professional has an unhealthy appearance, than the person they are giving advice to may not take their advice seriously.  I also need to maintain a healthy psychological domain so that I can remain in top condition to treat patients.  If I have an imbalance in my mental health, then the information I am giving to patients can be incorrect and there can be detrimental consequences.  It is also important to have a strong mental system because we need to stay positive in order to have passion behind our profession and behind our lives. It would be very difficult to teach others the importance of happiness and strong mental health if we are unable to portray it ourselves. 

            I need to develop more structure and routine by setting aside time to myself to focus on meditation and relaxation techniques.  Throughout this class, I have realized the importance of giving my mind a break from the chaos of the daily stressors.  I also need to continue to feed myself and my family healthy, nutrient rich foods and get physical exercise on a consistent basis to ensure that our health is in optimal shape.  This will ensure that my stress level is low and my emotional state is balanced.  I also need to attend church on a regular basis, so that not only will my spiritual health be fed, but I will provide a good foundation for my children.  Constant exposure to my beliefs will help to solidify my spiritual health.

            I have assessed my health in each domain by taking the time to concentrate on how I have grown and progressed with each of them.  I had to physically look at myself to see if I am happy with my appearance.  Although I have a few pounds to lose, I feel that I am healthy and that I exercise regularly.  The one thing that I did not like is that I have put on four pounds over the course of a year, which is mostly due to college life.  I have not been able to cook proper meals for the family, and I would like to exercise more than I have been recently.  But since this is my last term at Kaplan, I have been loaded with work and deadlines.  I don't like that it has affected my family also.  My children are watching too much television and not getting outside as much as we used to, so I feel that they are not getting the physical exercise that they should be getting.  During this evaluation process, I have realized that I actually have done a great job of trying to balance family, work and college.  So even though myself and my family did not get the daily exercise that I would like, I am happy with what we did accomplish.  Because my appearance has suffered lately, I was becoming unhappy and "down" about it.  But, throughout the course of the class, I have realized that I can succeed if I put my mind to it and that I don't have to be perfect in order to be happy.

            My assessment for my mental health has shown a bit lacking because of the stress that I am under.  But in general, I am a happy, somewhat stress-resistant person.  I feel that my mental health is fairly balanced, other than getting overwhelmed with life demands.  The one thing that has altered this state is not being able to spend enough time with my children.  I realized that this was getting me "down" so I decided that, no matter what, I was going to set aside a specific time to play with my children.  They are what keep me happy and they help me to remember why I am doing this, so when times get tough, I tend to think about them and what they mean to me.

            My spiritual assessment was one that I very much need work on.  I am a strong, Christian believer, but I have not attended church more than a couple of times in the past six months.  I take time out of my day to pray to God and thank him for what He has done for my life and those I love.  I also try to lead a "Godly" life and make the right decisions.  But I feel that I am slacking by not attending church on a regular basis.  I also don't think that it is a good example for my kids.  So I decided that, starting this Sunday, we will be attending at least three out of the four monthly services.  This goal has helped to lift my spirits and become stronger in my Christian walk.

            To summarize my health scores for each domain:  I would give my spirituality a seven because I am confident in my faith but I need to devote more time to it, my physical appearance a seven because I am healthy but need to lose ten pounds still, and lastly, my psychological health an eight because I am happy and content in life, but can get stressed with the constant demands of life.

            One goal that I have for myself physically is to lose ten pounds.  In order to do this, I have dropped a lot of fat and starchy carbohydrates out of my diet.  In place of those unhealthy options, I have incorporated lots of fruits and vegetables into every meal and for snacks.  By doing this, I have also shown my husband and children how important it is to have these in our diets.  Next, we have been taking walks with the children for exercise, and starting tomorrow I will begin running around 10 miles a week.  I will also begin the kickboxing class that I had to stop going to once college started.  Not only will the exercise help me to shed pounds, but it also helps me mentally.  My husband and I are able to have some great talks while we are walking, and running has always been a stress reliever for me, so I am becoming mentally healthier along with this.

            One goal I have for my mental health is to handle stress better.  I tend to hold my stress and frustrations inside, and I need to find a release for this so that it does not do internal damage.  One way of doing this is the physical exercise, but another way is by using some of the relaxation techniques that I have listened to in this class.  I think it is important to allow the mind to relax and focus on one object (breathing, for example) because of the sensory overload that it experiences daily.  Dr. Candace Pert once said "The body is the mind, the mind is the body"; therefore the immune system can be compromised by stress and poor mental health (Schlitz & Amorok, 2005).  By listening to and practicing meditation techniques, I can allow my mind to relax and rejuvenate itself. 

            My spiritual goal centers around me getting back to attending church services regularly.  This will give me regular exposure to my spiritual family and bring me closer to God.  It will allow me to feel better about my spiritual health, as well as teach me how to incorporate spirituality into my life and my family's life.  When I feel better spiritually, then my mental health will improve also.

            For my physical domain, the strategies that I am going to implement to foster growth includes making a fruit and vegetable smoothie every day and do some sort of physical exercise routine daily.  I love the berry cherry blend of frozen fruits because they are rich in nutrients and antioxidants, so I will use these in the smoothie.  I also will use vegetables that my kids don't normally like to eat, such as spinach and kale.  So every morning, I will use these foods to make a smoothie for myself and my family.  Next, I will ensure that I get a physical exercise routine in daily.  I will write down a schedule for the week of what I am going to do (run, kickboxing, walks) so that I have a reference to look at and remind me of what I need to do for that day.  I will also plan to do most of them first thing in the morning, but the walks will be later in the day after my kids are home from school.

            For my psychological and mental domain, the strategies that I will implement to foster growth will involve 20-30 minutes of meditation in the late evenings.  This way the craziness of the day will be over and the kids will be asleep.  I will set aside this time to have by myself, away from distractions and noises.  The two meditations that I will alternate participating in will be the Loving Kindness and Crime of the Century audio recordings.  Because these exercises focus on loving thoughts, positive emotions, and warm colors, it will bring those same thoughts and emotions to the front of my mind (Dacher, 2006).  I will also use deep breathing techniques to calm and rest my mind.

            For my spiritual domain, the strategies that I will implement will involve bringing me closer to God and building a better relationship with Him.  One method will be to set aside time every morning to read the bible.  I believe that by doing this, I will be keeping His words fresh in my mind for the day and will promote a positive attitude first thing in the morning.  The next method will be to take time each night before going to bed to pray.  I will pray for my family and friends, for their continued health and happiness, and also thank God for the things He has given me.  By doing this, I will be building my relationship with Him and my spiritual health will be strengthened.

            I will assess my progress (or lack thereof) during the next six months by keeping a journal and writing entries in it once a week.  I will write my goals and strategies in the front of the journal for easy reference.  Each week, I will write down my thoughts and experiences as to whether or not I am noticing a difference in my life.  I will write down things that I would like changed, and those that are working positively for me.  In order to maintain these goals long term, I need to assess the journal after the six months to determine what is helping me to maintain my goals and what new ideas I might need to incorporate.  I also think that variety will help with the long term practices.  So I will need to mix up my physical routines with other exercises, and I need to incorporate other meditation techniques into the daily routine also.  Instead of running, I might try swimming, and instead of meditation, I could try yoga or Tai Chi.  I think the main goal is not to try to change overnight and look for an easy fix.  Most things need to be a lifestyle change rather than a diet or new fad.  I need to be committed to these changes and realize the importance of wholeness in all areas of my life.

            By creating this integral health plan, I will be able to focus on the spiritual, psychological and physical aspects of my life and strengthen them to be as health and whole as I am meant to be. 

Reference:

Dacher, E. (2006). Integral health: the path to human flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications, Inc.

Schlitz, M. & Amorok, T. (2005). Consciousness & healing: integral approaches to mind-body medicine. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Inc. 

           

           

Unit 8 - My two faves

      The two exercises that I benefited most from were The Crime of the Century and The Loving Kindness.  I really enjoyed the way they made you feel very relaxed and had you think about warm colors and loving those around you.  It is easy to get caught up in the hustle of life and forget to appreciate the base things that hold you together.  For me, it is family and faith.  These exercises have helped me to remember those things when times get tough and I'm feeling stressed.  In fact, sometimes when I am feeling overwhelmed with school and the future, I stop what I am doing and play with the kids.  Just the other day my daughter asked me four times to play "Hot Potato" with her and her brother.  I really wanted to tell her that I would play when I was done, but I remembered that I need to balance the good with the bad (or stress).  So I closed my computer and played the game.  By the way, I'm pretty sure she cheated to win. Lil' stinker. :-)
      I can implement these two exercises into my life by continuing to practice them daily.  I don't think they have to be done for 30 minutes each, but any reserved time I can give will help.  If I concentrate on not seeing "red" then I may not be so quick to get irritated at certain things.  If I think about my family, then loving thoughts will enter my mind and I will be able to see the positive side of others.  It is definitely more beneficial to include these thoughts and actions than to let the stress and overwhelming circumstances take over you.

Stacey Falke
     

Unit 7 - Meeting Aesclepius

My meditative practices for this week have mainly involved deep breathing and mental images.  I am too busy to enroll in a yoga or other class, and I don't have a video at home.  So I used the breathing and the mp3 exercises to help with this.  I have found that when I am meditating, I use more of a prayer mindset than anything else.  I pray for my family and friends, trouble we/others are having, the health of those I love, etc.  I think by using these exercises daily - even if its only for a few minutes - helps to improve our health and well being by calming us and helping us to incorporate more into our minds than the constant stressors.
The saying "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself" means that it is impossible to expect others to be a certain way if you do not also do it.  It means to not be hypocritical or have double standards: don't be one way and expect something else from others.  In the spiritual part of it, it could mean that if you have not fully accepted spirituality and wholeness into your life, you probably shouldn't attempt to teach others how to accomplish this.  This applies to my life as a healthcare professional because I will have to counsel patients on the importance of spiritual health and well being.  One way to achieve this is through meditation and other exercises.  Because I have firsthand knowledge of how it works, I can explain this to them and explain how important it is.  I think that I have an obligation to keep myself psychologically, physically and spiritually healthy so that I can perform at my best and lead by example. I can implement psychological and spiritual growth into my personal life by using the techniques learned in this class and keeping a focus on my inner thoughts and emotions so that I can demonstrate wholeness.

Stacey Falke

Unit 6 - Universal Loving Kindness & Integral Assessment

      The Loving Kindness exercise was quite unique to me.  I liked saying the phrases and thinking about my friends, family and loved ones.  But I thought it was a little broad to think that of everyone in the entire world - those that I don't know or maybe don't even like.  I don't really feel like I accomplished that part of the process.  The integral assessment was a great tool to use.  I liked how it had me look into the four aspects of my life to find which one was lacking and which was flourishing.  I discovered that I need work on every aspect because I think there is always room for improvement in any area of life.  I know that I need to start running and exercising soon so that I can get back into shape.  I also need to work on my attitude and not getting stressed - this will be better once I am done with school (3 weeks, yay!!).  I need to be more aware of my feelings for others instead of focusing on the everyday routines of school, work, kids, house, etc.  The one thing that I am going to focus on is my time with my children.  I have been so focused on school that I have not been able to do some of the fun things with my kids.  Luckily, they play together well and they are in school, so they are not missing out terribly.  But because I have not spent much time with them, our relationship is not as strong as it should be.  So this area I am going to work on more than others.  The best way to do that is to play games together, put puzzles together, cook supper and play outside more.  By spending more time together as a family, our relationships will become stronger and everyone will benefit from it.  Have a good one everyone; we are headed to the park on this beautiful {67 degree} spring day :-)

Stacey Falke

Unit 5 - The Subtle Mind

Another week, another exercise.  I am really starting to enjoy these activities; it is allowing me to relax and focus on my inner self rather than all the hectic stress that surrounds me daily.  I am beginning to feel the physical effects of these exercises and am trying my best to incorporate them into my daily life.  Last week the Loving Kindness exercise was a little different.  I really enjoyed thinking loving thoughts about my children and I found it easy to expand that feeling.  This week I found the exercise a little more difficult to accomplish.  I find that I am constantly "going" and when I stop it is usually at midnight when I crash into a deep sleep.  So to push away the distractions was difficult.  The kids were fighting, I was worried about time, I began thinking about homework that was due for the week; in other words it was hard to focus.  I think I just have a constantly moving mind.  This will take a lot of practice for me to accomplish.  I understand the importance of this and the benefit of achieving a subtle mind.
There is a deep connection between spiritual wellness and mental/physical wellness.  By understanding and believing in a deeper sense of living, it allows us to reach for the highest achievement possible.  For me, it is more that if I am close to God, and I am secure in our relationship, then I feel better about myself and my family/life.  I truly feel that everything happens for a reason, so I need to "let loose of the reins" and trust that God has my best interest in mind and His timing is perfect.  When I remember to think this way, I mentally relax and feel better - therefore I physically do also.

Stacey Falke