Integral Health Plan
Developing
psychologically, spiritually, and physically as a health care provider gives us experience, credibility, and develops our sense of empathy. We must be active in our pursuit of our own
integral health process to evolve and “discover profound possibilities of
integral health and healing” (Dacher, 2006, p.167). As our clients look to us for guidance, we
must give them reason to trust our recommendations, treatment, and
education. It is our responsibility to
make the connection with our patients in the way they may need. As healthcare providers, we should feel
fortunate to be a part of another individual’s journey to optimal health and
wellness. While I was aware of the
importance of establishing a relationship with my clients, with the help of
this course, I now have a stronger sense and understanding of my purpose as a
healthcare provider.
One
of the most important facets I have learned through this course is taking more
time to assess myself and recognize areas that need attention. The following scores reflect my health on a
scale of 1-10. I feel at this point, I
would score my psychological health a “7”.
I feel I have gained a greater awareness of the importance of
maintaining a healthy psychological foundation but need to be more confident
and positive in who I am. I think
developing my inner strength in myself, will be reflected in all that I
do. Spiritually, I feel I border between
a “6” and “7”. I am a spiritual person
at my core and feel very driven by my spirituality. Yet I feel in recent months my spirituality
has faded into the background as my life has become busier. I would like to see more of this part of my
life renewed as I feel it will be extremely helpful in keeping me balanced
through the challenging months ahead. Physically,
my score remains strong at a “9”. This
is an area of my health that I have devoted most of my efforts to in recent years. I believe as I enter the next phase of my
life, I need to learn to be more flexible in my fitness routine and adapt to
changes in my physicality.
My
psychological health includes a long-term goal of maintaining a realistic and
healthy outlook throughout my husband’s upcoming six-month deployment. While I have experienced this type of
separation from my husband before, it has been over four years so it will be important
to look to the future and understand the time apart is a necessary and temporary
situation. A short-term goal in this
area is to be positive and focused in my daily commitments- work, school, home
life, social life, or whatever comes my way on a day-to-day basis by increasing
my attention to mindfulness.
Spiritually, I would like to make my
long-term goal focused on being more forthcoming with my spiritual knowledge
and share what I have learned with others.
My short-term goal is to commit to a daily intention. I will do this before I get my day started,
write it down or make note of it on my phone so that I can return to it as the
day goes on. My long-term physical goal
is to accomplish at least one more full marathon and a sprint triathlon by
November 2014. For my short-term goals,
I will continue to maintain running at least three days a week, return yoga to
my routine at least once a week, and invest more time on indoor rock-climbing,
which I recently tried and enjoyed.
I have discovered exercises that collaborate
in two areas of integral health at the same time. Running is an activity that meets my physical
and psychological needs. Since I am
comfortable with my running, I can now choose the time I am out to allow my
mind to think freely when I am out on my own or to speak freely with others I
run with. Doing this provides the
physical exercise and psychological therapeutic gains. Another exercise that is helpful in two areas
is yoga. Yoga incorporates all muscles
through the various movements and is a great compliment to running. Yoga also offers a spiritual connection
throughout the practice. My spirit is awakened
and renewed each time I do yoga, as I feel connected through my breath and the
movements. In addition to those exercises,
another opportunity for psychological training is through visualization. Visualization will be helpful for me during
some of the anticipated upcoming challenges for myself, and my family. Candace Pert found visualization to aid in
producing “specific neuropeptides that alter our physiology to reflect a
specific mental state” (Dacher, 2006, p.17).
I believe even on the toughest days ahead, I can use visualization to
help me focus and concentrate on what I would like to the outcome to be rather
than looming on a negative situation.
Lastly, a spiritual exercise that I will be using is The Taste of Human
Flourishing exercise (Dacher, 2006). I
enjoyed this exercise out of all that we performed during this course. I appreciate the opportunity to relive the
moments of my life that represent true health, happiness, and wholeness (Dacher,
2006).
In
the next six months I will be able to assess my progress through two different
methods. When any area of my health is
suffering, I find my physical health is the first to decline. I will be tired, moody, or have a lack of
interest in physical exercise. The
moment I see these signs, I will make it a point to reassess and recommit to my
integral health. The other assessment
key will be through taking daily notes.
While that may sound like I am describing a journal, I will not consider
it one as I easily lose interest in them.
A friend recommended e-mailing myself about work related ideas. I am now going to take that idea to a
personal level and simply e-mail myself in reference to areas of my integral
health. I will find it easier to look
back on my progress through these e-mails and I think it may keep my attention
longer than if I was to document through a journal.
I
am looking at integral health as an ever-evolving opportunity to learn and grow
for myself, and hopefully those who surround me. I believe the best way for me to preserve my
health and wellness is simply to continue to gain knowledge. This includes reading, researching, and
discovering more about integral health and the areas in its path. I will refer to Dacher’s Integral Health often when I am in doubt or need direction in my
exercises (2006). I will also continue
to take time to assess my psychological, spiritual, and physical health. I will find ways to celebrate my personal
accomplishments in these areas. In the situations
where I falter, I will also make a conscious effort to acknowledge the
imperfections, and quietly move on to reestablish a new goal.
Integral
health began for me as a vague approach.
Yet after being submerged in its concepts, I leave this course
understanding the need to be active in my own health and wellness and the
importance of nurturing others to flourish in theirs. I look forward to the days as a healthcare
provider when I will discover that my personal work has become what Dacher refers
to as a “sacred responsibility” (2006, p.167).
Dacher,
E.S. (2006). Integral health: The Path to Human Flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications, Inc.
