WEEK 10 AND I HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH!

Here is the last post for the course…..we are asked to review what has happened….

1.Review your unit 3 personal assessment of your psychological, physical, and spiritual well-being. Reflect on these areas . How did you score yourself on a scale from 1 to 10 in unit 3? How do you score yourself now? Has the score changed? Why or why not?

Originally, I gave my psychological health a score of 9, physical health a score of 6, and my spiritual health and score of 9.  I don’t think I was really being truthful with myself.  In reevaluating these areas, I find that my psychological health is a 7, my physical health is a 5, and my spiritual health is a 7.  Though this seems to be a setback, it is not.  I have seen that I was in somewhat a state of denial and now I am seeing more clearly the work I need to do.  I need to focus on the inner me and not just what I present to others as being strong.  I have discovered there are unanswered questions.  As for my health, I found I am just going through the motions of trying to be healthy and need to focus on helping my body heal itself and give it the real help it needs with good diet and exercise.  And spiritually, I am spiritual, but I am not feeding my soul.

2.Review the goals and activities you set for yourself in each area. Have you made progress toward the goals? Explain.

Though I have not fully integrated my goals for myself, I have reevaluated them and changed the direction I must go in order to get on the right path to integral health.

3.Have you implemented the activities you chose for your well-being in each of the three areas? Explain.

Though I have not implemented the activities I chose, I have found they were not being guided in the right direction and have set new goals and activities.  I have now listened to myself,, much like I need to with my patients, to find out the “real” needs that I have.

4.Summarize your personal experience throughout this course. Have you developed improved well-being? What has been rewarding? What has been difficult? How will this experience improve your ability to assist others?

I have learned a great deal in this class.  I have learned that listening and hearing what is needed.  I believe this is the first stop to improved well-being.  The difficulties I have found are balancing what I need with the other demands on my life.  Improving on these areas in my life will make be a better, healthier person, mom, daughter, grandma and nurse.

Good luck and God-speed to all!

Sandy N.

We are here on week 9 and here is my action plan for integral health!!!!

Integral Health Action Plan of Sandra Nuss

Kaplan University

                                               Integral health Action Plan of Sandra Nuss

Introduction:

            “The final goal of integral healing is human flourishing – a profound, hardy, and sustained health, happiness, and wholeness.” (Dacher, 2006, pg. 15).  In an effort to reach the goal of human flourishing, we must begin the journey of integral health by connecting optimal mind, optimal health, and optimal spirit.
            In order to be effective mentors and healers both personally and professionally, we must integrate into our lives a sense of integral health.  We must nurture our lives mentally, physically and spiritually.
            In my own personal and professional life, I have reflected that I need practice and progression in all three areas.   
Assessment:
            On reflecting on the state of my physical health, I have discovered I am just going through the motions.  Though I understand the mechanics of what needs to be done, I am just going through the motions.  I do not take my diabetes diagnosis seriously.  It is not controlled. I am not in control; it is in control of me.
            Assessing my psychological health, I do not stress a great deal, but have found that there is an area that is causing underlying stress for my entire life.  The current position I hold as Clinical Nurse Coordinator has changed.  The directives and incentives that are currently the trend, are leading me away from being a nurse and more of a flunky.  I am having to  treat  my                                                    

employees as commodities and not people.  I no longer feel autonomy and am not being mentored into being a better nurse, manager, or employee.  I feel resentment and despair over having to change my very personality and way of dealing with people to perform in the manner expected of my supervisors.

          Although raised in a deeply religious and spiritual family, I have strayed from practicing my religion the way I know I should.  My spiritual life has become stagnant.

Goal development:

            The goal in my physical health is to take control of my diabetes. 

            The goal in my psychological health is to make a career decision that will give me professional satisfaction.

            The goal in my spiritual health is to rekindle the joy and enthusiasm I have for my religious life.  

Practices for personal health:

            The strategies I will implement to foster growth in my physical life is to take my diet and compliance with the directives of my physician seriously.  I will exercise, even if it kills me. (But it won't!)  I will make a conscious effort to maintain a more healthy diet and eat diabetes friendly.  My life depends on it.

            In the area of my spiritual health, I will find a church that gives me the spiritual family and strategies that will nurture my spiritual soul.  I will attend church on a regular basis and have more confidence in the faith I have in God’s plan.

Commitment:

            In October of 2012, I will be visiting my physician for a three month follow-up.  The lab work for this visit will show an improvement, thereby confirming my commitment to diet and exercise change.

            I will make a decision, by year’s end (2012) to remain in my current position and accept the direction the position is taking or I will move into a position that will give me greater professional satisfaction and personal development.

            In the next six months, I will find a church that gives me the spiritual nurturing to retrieve the joy and satisfaction I know a church family can provide.

Conclusion:

            By following and committing to these improvements in my integral health practices, I feel I will be well on my way to human flourishing. 

                                                                          References

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

Health Publications, Inc.      

 

 

 

 

WEEK 8

I am amazed this course has gone so fast and we are at week 8 already!

So this week we are to reflect on the practice sessions and exercises we have completed in this course. I have found that, with all the hustle and bustle of everyday life, I want to make time to meditate, even if only for a few minutes a day. I don’t always have the time to sit in a quiet, calm place, but I do take the time to stop and refocus on things. I have also found that reflecting on loving-kindness, I have a new found appreciation for “letting things go”. I have never been one to hold a grudge, but sometimes, things sit under the surface. I have learned to tell myself, that I forgive myself and others. Just thinking it helps……As a nurse, I have taught many patients how to control and situation by using their breathing. By focusing on this, I find it easier to get into the meditative moment.

I am going to try and continue these practices after this class has ended in an effort to make my life more.

I have also learned and found interesting how yoga could benefit me and when I get to May 7 and my elusive BSN, I am going to look into starting that journey…….

Sandy N.

Week Seven:

My meditative practices for this past week have been few and far between.  Though I do take time during the day, to regroup, trying to flush out the negative aspects of each day.  This has been an emotional week for me.  One of my best friends and a peer, has taken a job several hours away.  Although I am happy for her, she will no longer be present in my everyday life.  She has been with me through many trying times in the last 12 years and has been there to hold my hand through it all.  I will miss her…

What does it mean, “One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself.”?  I guess you could take this many different ways.  I will put it into the perspective of my being a nurse.  There are many patients I come into contact with on a daily basis with many different disease processes.  I can relate to the difficulties of a cancer patient, been there, done that.  I can relate to the family of a dying spouse or child, been there, done that.  I can relate to the patient with hypertension, diabetes, been there too.  I do not always practice the best self-awareness with my health issues, but, I can relate to the difficulties and the struggles one faces.  So, I can lead, maybe not by example, but by experience.  We must always remember that we are not perfect.  What we should remember is to have understanding and maybe learn together.  I am a nurse.  I am not their keeper.  I am there to offer guidance, support and understanding.  Just Friday, I had a patient going for colon surgery.  He was very scared of the unknown.  I offered my advice, based on past experiences I have seen of other patients.   Right before leaving the room, he said thank you for alleviating some of the unknown and he said he was less scared.  This is why I do what I do.

Sandy N.

UNIT SIX

PLEASE SCIP TO THE SECOND BLOG POST......SOMEHOW, UNIT 5 IS BEFORE UNIT 6......
THANKS AND SORRY FOR THE CONFUSION..........

SANDY

I am going to attempt to place my power point here..................

1.Explain each of Dacher’s three levels of the subtle mind (witnessing, calm-abiding, untiyconsciousness) (p.72).   How can you utilize these concepts in your personal life?

Witnessing is the ability to step back and to remove the clutter of the mind and get to the root of the clutter and then remove it from our mind.  This allows us to focus on thoughts that are productive and pleasant.

Calm-abiding is the ability to STOP. To just be in the moment of peace and calm.  To remove all thoughts of outer interference and focus on being still.

The components of wellness are critical in that they are not of western medicine, but come from an inner peace and healing that allows our bodies to follow.  A healthy mind leads to a healthy body.

By living a loving, caring, forgiving, and grateful life, we encompass peace, serenity and live a life that is free of stress and lets our bodies be embraced by natural peace.

As a Christian, I have always been taught to live with love, charity, forgiveness and thankfulness.  By living in this manner, I have peace in my live and the stresses of external strife are not present.  I am taught that living this way is Godly and those who view me and how I live my life can learn this peace.

Dasher, E.S., (2006). Integral Health: The path to Human Flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA. Basic Health Publications, Inc.      

For this weeks assignment I am asked to practice the Universal Loving Kindness exercise and complete the Integral Assessment.

I find the loving kindness exercise easy.  As a nurse, the very act of considering and caring about the health and wellness of others is what I do.

In contemplating the integral assessment, I find that the areas that cause me the greatest distress in my own life are psychospiritual and biological.

My diabetes is not well controlled.  Although I have seen my physician and follow his instructions regarding medication, I do not do very well in regards to my diet.  I use the excuse that I am from New Orleans, and I love to eat (and that I do).  I love to cook and the choices I make are not healthy for me.  Ahhhhh my delicious Jambalaya and Crayfish Etouffee are killing me.

As a Christian, I am taught to leave it all in the hands of the Lord and he will comfort me and give me strength.  I don't always practice this.  If I did, I would leave my weakness at his feet and he would deliver this from me.  So, these are the two things I need to work on in my life.  Alone, I am not having the strength to overcome my bad eating habits and it is affecting my health. 

I believe that I have to surrender this problem to God and he will help me, give me strength and even take this burden from me.

Happy and healthy week to all!

Week 5

Okay, so I am soooo late in posting this.  Had great difficulty logging in.  Reset my password too many times.  Finally, I am in.

This week we were to compare and contrast the Loving Kindness exercise and the Subtle Mind exercise.

In the Loving Kindness exercise, we were to focus our energy and thoughts on someone else.  I found this easy to do.  As a nurse, my focus is usually onothers.

In the Subtle Mind exercise, we were to focus our energy on ourselves.  This was a little difficult for me, but not too hard.  Like I said, my focus is usually on others.

I  find the relaxation exercises easier to do and am getting to emjoy the peace and less cluttered mind.

I hope you all have had a great week and again, sorry for not being timely.  Sometimes, s**t happens.

Sandy N.

So this week another relaxation exercise.  We were supposed to do it twice a day through this week.  Yeah, with the week I have had, I am lucky it got done at all.  So, I listened twice today.  The first time, phone calls galore, problems at work.  L  But, got that taken care of and listened again.  This time, I got all the way through.  I love the sound of the waves and the delicate pan flute.  So peaceful and got me relaxed right away.  But, when the lady started to talk after a few minutes, it startled me, had to refocus.  Her voice was soothing and very smooth not like the others.   I would recommend this to other because it is very beneficial and easy to listen to.  It is important when using this type of exercise, to get the right sounds that totally relax you.  Some would prefer forest sounds or the sound of a thunderstorm and I think that would be beneficial to the overall success.

We were also asked:

What is the concept of "mental workout"? What does the research indicate are the proven benefits of a mental workout? How can you implement mental workouts to foster your psychological health?

Mental workout is a concept that allows us to focus our thoughts on relaxing.  “As we still the mind, the body moves with it.”  (Dacher, 2006, pg. 82).  There are also other ways of mental workout that help our minds to remain sharp.  Doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku are ways we can keep our minds sharp and focused.  We are creatures of habit and we can get in a “rut” doing the same things every day.  An interesting exercise would be to take a different route to work every day for a week.  I think I am going to try this.  By being able to have a sharper brain, I believe I could focus more and not feel as stressed.

I hope everyone has a great week and stays stress free.  Be happy!  Kind of like the song, “Don’t worry, be happy!”

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

  

So, this week in school we were asked to reflect on ourselves in several areas and were asked a few questions.  I have tried to be honest in my answers…….  Again, we were asked to view and listen to a relaxation exercise.  While I find the act relaxing to a certain extent, I cannot get past the speaker.  The colors that were viewed and the background music are very relaxing and I enjoyed this way to focus on the meditation itself.  So here are my answers to the questions put to us.

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

A.  Physical well-being – 6.  I have hypertension but it is well controlled with medication, so this does give me some up on the scale.  I have a recent diagnosis of diabetes Type II and it is not very well controlled at this time so this does take away some points.  I am working diligently with my physician to make this better.  Six months ago I was diagnosed with DCIS (stage 1) breast cancer.  I have had two surgeries and radiation and am now taking oral chemotherapy (for the next five years).  Although I am in the management and monitoring phase, this is something that hangs over my head and takes points away.

B.  Spiritual well-being – 9.  I have always been a spiritual person and have relied on my faith for strength.  At times I do forget and try to “make it on my own”.  This does not always work.  I do believe in a higher power and try to live my life as an example.

C.  Psychological well-being – 9.  I have always been a positive person.  I am a half-glass full kind of person.  Though I do have my “pity-party” moments, I buck up and take things as they come.  I am a positive influence on those around me and always look at the positive.  I am a work in progress, though.

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

I have a goal for a more positive health.  I am working with my physician and with my inner self to obtain a more healthy sense of well-being.  I am trying to incorporate meditation into my daily routine to assist in melding my body and spirit to stimulate the healing powers already present in my body.  As for my spiritual and psychological goals, I am going to continue on the positive path I am already on.  

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

I work up to sixty hours a week and am going to school, which leaves little time to relax   or just be still.  I am trying to include meditation in my life to help relax and take a bit of “me time”.

  Sandy N.

So, I tried to do the relaxation tape and found the speakers voice choppy and distracting.  I have done this type of relaxation before and would prefer a different speaker.  All in all, this is a good experience with the right guide.  So maybe I wasn't in the mood to do this, so I'll try again another time.

7 HABITS OF REALLY HAPPY PEOPLE...

I was looking for one of those quizes to take to evaluate whether or not I am really happy.  I think I am.  I have a positive outlook mo matter the situation, but an I really happy?  I found an article posted by andrew Galasetti in 2008 that listed seven habits of really happy people - I am 6/7.  How about you?  http://www.lyved.com/people/7-habits-of-really-happy-people/

-Sandy