Saturday, June 25, 2011

Unit 3 Questions

1. Based on your reflections, and on a scale of 1 to 10 (ten being optimal well-being), where do you rate your A-physical well-being, B-spiritual well-being, C-psychological well-being? Why?

Based on my self-reflections, I rate my well-being in these categories as follows:
A) Physical Well-Being.............8.5
B) Spiritual Well-Being.............7
C) Psychological Well-Being.....7

It was not until three years ago, when I came to the realization that I did not want to be a lawyer, that I began to follow my heart and find my true self. I designated these ratings because I feel that I have come to know who my true self is, but have not fully developed in these areas, especially spiritual and psychological well-being. Throughout life, there is always room for growth and improvement. 

2. Develop a goal for yourself in each area (physical, spiritual, psychological).

Physical Goal: Although this is the area of physical well-being I feel I have explored the most, there are still many improvements I could make. Strength-training and some sort of cardiovascular exercise are activities I engage in at least five days a week, but I tend to skip out on the stretching. I know stretching is a great compliment to my activities but since it is very uncomfortable for me, especially in my hamstrings, I tend to brush it off. My physical goal is to stretch at least 15 minutes a day for the next two weeks. Once I start this patter, I'm hoping it will just become a part of my everyday routine.

Spiritual Goal: For the first 16 years of my life, I was raised with Catholicism beliefs and enrolled in CCD. My parents were not strict with their beliefs but followed this religion because it is what their parents believed in. Once I had time to consciously think about my personal beliefs, I no longer believed in the Christian ways. I have not yet fully developed my spiritual beliefs but do believe that there is some essence higher than humans. My goal to help me expand on my spiritual well-being is to make meditation a regular part of my everyday life. This will help transform my spiritual self.
Psychological Goal: My psychological goal is to minimize my feelings of anger towards others. On a daily basis my fiance's friend from high school asks us to "chill." Him and I are both very busy with work, the house, our dogs, developing our inner selves, and spending time as a family, that "chilling" with this being is not at the top of our priority list. Day after day of being asked to hang out gets me rather frustrated and annoyed. I would love not to become irritated by this persistent nag in the worst way and have been trying to accept this as a part of who he is, even though I do not plan on always giving into his will to just "chill."

3. What activities or exercise can you implement in your life to assist in moving toward each goal?

I would continue with the same activities I currently engage in but would also add a couple. Yoga would help me feel the benefits of stretching, relaxation, and give me some alone time. Incorporating meditation into my regular routine would deepen my spiritual self and become more at ease with the demands of others. Engaging in these activities will only strengthen my physical, spiritual, and psychological well-being.

4. Complete the relaxation exercise The Crime of the Century. Describe your experience. (What it beneficial? Frustrating? etc.)

The relaxation exercise The Crime of the Century is an exercise I have done in a previous class, so my first obstacle was trying to think in the present moment rather than what was going to be said next. After I got over that, my mind began to relax and a sense of calmness overcame my body. Even though my eyes were closed, the colors described were very vibrant. I could feel the ray of light being emitted from my body along with a sense of balance and connectedness.  

5 comments:

  1. HI Janelle, great post. I am very much into exercising and keeping fit and have been for the past 10 years but, there was always something missing. I have been doing Hatha yoga for a coupld of years now and it has changed my life. It is a lot of stretching but, also a meditation yoga. She teaches us how to breath properly and also shows us a little bit of chi gong (didnt spell that right). You could see if there is a group class near you. I liked the meditation exercises on the cd. I have a problem with keeping in the present moment. Although I am getting better at it, I still have to focus on my meditations and stop my mind from wondering. I am a thinker and I wake up in the morning thinking and go to bed thinking. my brain needs a rest sometimes and it can be hard to not think of anything at all. I do think you should try yoga, it is a great way to be with others who are engaging in the same thing and they are on all different levels of practice.
    Cheryl

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  2. Hi Janelle, your goal strategies are good. Thanks to you I am considering to take up yoga to relieve the stress in my life. Also I will try meditating to improve my psychological and spiritual well-being.

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  3. Hi Janelle, I also live a pretty stressful, I'm learning to control the episodes, by many different techniques (walking, humming, saying positive things over and over again). Its not as easy to go from being stressed to relaxing its much easier to go from being at ease to becoming stressful. Keep up the good work, and tell them to stop telling you to "chill out"!!!!

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  4. Janelle,
    It definitely sounds like you have a good grasp on what you need to. I like your goals and activities because they are not difficult and are likely to deliver a big return. I find it helpful in these exercises to reflect on the things in my life that I can control and find ways to take actions to change them. Great reflection!

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