Unit 9

Final Project 1
Running head: Final Project



Final Project
In APA
Ginger Weaver
Kaplan University






HW420-03
Dr. Susan Stewart


Final Project 2
I. Introduction
The health care professional must maintain a balance in their lives in order to provide the best care possible for the patient. The mind controls the entire human body and its functions. The health professional should have a psychological process that focuses on identifying destructive emotions and dysfunctional patterns and replace them with a healthier alternative. It is important to not be distracted psychologically when attempting to help a patient. Spiritually, the mind must be calmed so the healthcare professional can gradually evolve into unity consciousness and pure awareness which will benefit the patient (Dacher, 2006). Physically, it is very difficult to provide a quality healthcare if one is unable to be biologically healthy. Also, as health care professionals one must lead by example.
Personally, I need to address psychological, spiritual and physical aspects of my life. I have a recently acquired a much better understanding of my mind and how it works. Spiritually and physically, I have a great deal of work to do. I need to attend church on a regular basis, eat healthier and workout on a more consistent basis.

Final Project 3
II. Assessment
The way that I assessed my health in each domain was by performing the exercises and journal assignments in this class. I score my wellness in all aspects as poor. I need to invest time and effort into improving all aspects of my life. After reviewing the journals and exercises, I realized that there are patterns to my health and stress downfalls.

III. Goal Development
The goals that I have seem to be overwhelming at times. However, thanks to this class I have found that it is best to address them one goal at a time. I believe that the brain and psychological aspect of your well being is extremely is important to all aspects of health. Spiritually, I would like to implement at least twenty minutes of meditation daily using Primordial Sound Meditation (Primordial Sound Meditation). I think meditation can also help to focus my thoughts so that I am better equipped mentally to deal with all of the stressor in my life. Physically, my goal is to run at least five miles with ease. Specifically, my goal is to begin a walking regime that will evolve into running for at least thirty minutes per day.
Final Project 4
Psychologically, I plan to spend less time watching television and find other ways to stimulate my brain. My goal is to read at least one book per month that is outside of my usual genre or comfort zone. The first book I intend to read is Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Love and Pray.

IV. Practices for personal health
To begin with, I would like to use guided meditation which I find most helpful since I am new to meditation. I found on Deepak Chopra’s guided meditation Primordial Sound Meditation to be the easiest to follow and the one that I was more likely to focus with. I also liked the use of a Mandala to help with focus (Primordial Sound Meditation). The sound meditation and the visual meditation will aid in my efforts not only calm my mind but to help me with spiritual growth. I actually plan to implement the two together since I think they will work best together. I plan to practice meditation first thing in the morning because I will have the most time available to me without the last minute distraction of bedtime.


Final Project 5
The exercise program that I intend to use is the Couch to 5K by Coolrunning.com (Clark, 2010). This program begins with twenty minutes of interval walking and running which changes from week to week. This is the only program that I have found that is actually attainable. I also plan to start yoga classes at least twice a week. Yoga can help both mentally and physically. I am going to use a poster board reward system to implement these goals. I also intend to program my phone with reminders.
I have reserved the book Eat, Pray and Love from the library. This book is clearly outside of my murder mystery comfort zone but I plan to read at least one chapter per night. To improve my overall stress levels and have the ability to focus more clearly, I plan to get more and regular sleep. I am going to join the library’s book suggestion club which places books on the list you would not normally choose. I will check monthly.

V. Commitment
I will access the progress by the charts that I plan to use. I
will also be able to check my library list to see if I have read all the suggested books. Meditation and yoga success can be gauged by the amount of stress I still show. The running program will be shown as of August if I can complete five miles of running.


Final Project 6

Some strategies that I plan to use are my daughter and my physician. My daughter is an excellent person to hold accountable for what you say you will do. I will pay her a weekly allowance of ten dollars to make me accountable. My physician is constantly complaining about my weight, blood pressure and stress levels. I plan to see her on a monthly basis. This is a definite need in my life to address all three aspects. I now have the tools and knowledge to accomplish my goals.














References
Benefits of Sleep | Healthy Sleep. (n.d.). Healthy Sleep. Retrieved April 26, 2010, from http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/benefits-of-sleep
Clark, J. (n.d.). Cool Running :: The Couch-to-5K Running Plan. Ras Website . Retrieved April 26, 2010, from http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
Dacher, E. S. (2006). Integral Health: The Path to Human Flourishing (1st ed.). philadelphia: Basic Health Publications.
Guided Mantra Meditation and Primordial Sound Meditation | Chopra Center. (n.d.). Emotional Healing Arts Meditation Workshops | Chopra.com. Retrieved April 26, 2010, from http://www.chopra.com/meditation


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Unit 8

Loving kindness is one exercise that I was most in need of. I find myself often being downright cruel to me. I would never in this lifetime treat anyone the way I treat myself. Does that make any kind of sense? Every night when I lay down, I begin the loving kindness exercise. I picture a different person every time that I have a deep love and respect for and try to project that back to myself. I am finding it is getting a little easier but I am not quite there yet. If I can treat myself with the love and respect that I so desperately need and deserve, then I will be able to project that love to all those around me instead of the stressed out overworked person I have become. I have noticed the more at peace I am with myself, the more at peace those are around me. That goes a long way toward mental fitness.

Visualization is the second exercise that I am finding most helpful. I find that I can stop whatever is spiraling out of control by taking a moment and visualizing the ocean or the mountains. I can feel it, smell it and sometimes almost taste it. I live in the middle of the city (small city but yet the concrete jungle), I have a small group of woods behind my house. I tried to make this my sanctuary but then the police sirens start or the fire engines. I had to go back to the point in my life where I was at most peace. Sometimes I feel a feeling of great sadness when I think back to what I had, but I quickly reign myself in and remember the feelings of simple pleasure. I think visualization helps me to refocus and find that small oasis of sanity that I so desperately need to maintain mental fitness.

Thanks,
Ginger

Unit 7 Post

Meeting Asclepius was an excellent visualization exercise. I chose my grandmother who has been gone for for 15 years. She was such a kind person and believed in love, family and God above all. It did not matter how bad someone treated her, she responded with love. This would often make me angry! I remember as a child, not understanding at all. I wanted to hit them. She would say "Ginger, do you think that is what Jesus would do?" Grandma lived her life as tribute to her beliefs. She firmly believed in the power of love and positive beliefs.

When I started visualizing her, I immediately became sad. I thought this isn't what this exercise is about. That's when it hit me, I was going about it the wrong way. I was remembering how her loss affected me not how her life did. She was a beautiful human being with the ability to be kind beyond belief. She never had material possessions but she had a heart of gold. I can only hope that when I continue these exercises I will gain some insight into her life and bring them to my own.

The saying one can not lead where one has not gone is quite accurate. I think that is why so many of the new health care professionals are detached. I believe that it is my responsibility to give as much of myself as possible in a whole and healthy manner which includes my spiritual well being. I believe that you can relate to people much better if you have been there or at least experienced it. Many patients feel more at ease with someone who can relate and are more likely to accept advice.

Thanks
Ginger

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

Unit 6 Blog

I practiced the Loving Kindness meditation it has become a habit every night when I go to bed. I sometimes find it hard to focus as my mind wanders. This is still one of my biggest obstacles. Calming my mind takes a great deal of effort. I think this is a goal I will have to work on for months to come.

The biological aspect of my life is currently what I need to work on the most. I believe that unless I can get my fitness, nutrition and self regulation to a good place, I will be unlikely able to get my mind there. I will always be thinking outside of what I should and feeling guilty. Now that being said, I feel that if I am walking or running I can use this time to find some psychospiritual guidance. I believe any time you can get your mind free of everyday clutter, use it.

I plan to seek nutritional counseling from a professional service (I haven’t decided on one yet). I also plan to make a promise to MYSELF! This could prove to be the hardest yet. I will plan on eating at least 2 healthy meals per day and limit snacks to healthy ones. This is going to be a battle, but I know I can win.


Thanks
Ginger