Wellness Model
I am applying the three-dimensional wellness model consisting of physical, spiritual, and emotional domains. It is stated that one needs to pay attention to all eight dimensions of the wellness model such as physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, vocational, financial, and environmental. However, there is no requirement to have them all equally balanced because a person should find his or her harmony (Stoewen, 2017). In other words, the author of the model states that it is important for a person to choose his or her own set of dimensions, and not all eight are required for personal harmony. In this regard, my main issues are physical weakness, pessimism, and low self-esteem. Therefore, the addressed domains are physical, emotional, and spiritual ones because they are the most important areas that need adjustments. The latter statement means that the model is 3-dimensional in my case. Wellness is defined as “a holistic integration of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, fueling the body, engaging the mind, and nurturing the spirit” (Stoewen, 2017, p. 861). I chose this one because it perfectly encompasses the main elements of the concept.
Application to Self: Wellness Assessment
In terms of physical wellness, the application is simple because I started integrating minor strength training exercises. In the case of spiritual and emotional dimensions, I am trying to adhere to Maslow’s pyramid and reinforce an optimistic outlook. I recently realized that I need to adjust my nutrition in order to see the results of my strength training. However, I am already observing major changes in my emotional and spiritual well-being due to the pyramid adherence and optimism. I am convinced that all of these domains are critical for me because I want to make fitness my new hobby, and I also wish to feel happy and emotionally stable most of the time. I am aware that happiness can be sustained all the time, but I would like to achieve the maximum amount.
Strengths and Challenges
One needs to be aware of his or her strengths and challenges in order to make solid progress. In the case of physical wellness, my strength is the fact that I enjoy the exercises, and the challenge is manifested in the fact that I need to focus on my nutrition. One of the main components of health and wellness is proper nutrition. Now I know that diet is a set of processes associated with the consumption of nutrients and their assimilation by the body, due to which the normal functioning of the body and the maintenance of health is ensured. Previously, I did not understand that a person receives various nutrients with food that are used by the body to cover energy costs, construction purposes, as well as to regulate metabolic processes in the body.
Nutrition, however, means more than just a sufficient supply of the substances necessary for the functioning of the body. I learned that eating is more than just food – it is an important source of pleasure as well as an act of social interaction, and therefore, food has cultural significance. In order to meet these needs, the world has developed characteristic regional traditions of cuisine and food culture. I now believe that proper nutrition is a way of eating, in which the result of this process is the strengthening and improvement of health, physical and spiritual strength of a person, prevention, and treatment of various diseases, slowing down the aging process. In my opinion, a balanced diet presupposes the presence in food of necessary substances that are not synthesized in the body, and it is imperative to observe the ratio of food components in the diet.
In the case of spiritual wellness, my primary strength lies in my ability to fully understand and adhere to Maslow’s pyramid of needs. By doing so, I do not strive to self-actualize without making sure that my more basic needs are met. However, the main challenge is establishing proper esteem needs, such as having high levels of self-esteem. Low self-esteem makes me more vulnerable to the smallest psychological difficulties so that even minor setbacks and disappointments can leave a special mark and penetrate deeply into the soul. If self-esteem is low, then such trivial things as criticism from the surrounding or canceled meetings, worsen the mood much more than they should.
I usually begin to blame myself for what happened, taking events too close to my heart and also slowly coming to my senses after that. Indeed, low self-esteem turns the usual psychological bombardment that each of us is periodically exposed to into a real siege. People with low self-esteem are often more willing to listen to negative reviews than compliments because it is more in line with their opinion of themselves. Low self-esteem confers a remarkable resistance to positive experiences and information. After all, it is this kind of feedback that can restore self-esteem and self-confidence.
In the case of emotional wellness, my key strength is the fact that I am highly emotionally stable and resilient, which means that I do not undergo drastic mood changes. However, the main challenge is possessing a positive outlook and optimism as the default emotional mode. It is difficult for me to be constantly optimistic due to my pessimism-based attitude. A pessimist is a person with distinctive qualities and properties inherent in him, which are expressed, first of all, in a negative assessment of human and world life.
In addition, a pessimist is an individual in whom everything in the world is going to the worst, who sees only evil in everything and looks at everything gloomily. The pessimist is characterized by such features as a lack of confidence in himself and his actions and excessive categoricalness of negative assessments of the environment. These traits, these properties are the factors that determine the mental processes of the individual, directly responsible for the actions of a person. If a person thinks about troubles in terms of “always” and “never,” considering them as a constantly acting factor, then he is a pessimist. Pessimists usually give a universal explanation for their failures, tend to capitulate in all directions, although failure befalls them in one specific area. When trouble occurs, the pessimist blames himself for it by turning inward.
Therefore, I am currently beginning to integrate mediation practices in order to reinforce the proper level of positivity. Thinking positively does not mean that one ignores life’s stressors because he or she simply approaches difficulties more productively. Building an optimistic vision of life allows a person to have a full-fledged interpersonal world, despite adverse circumstances. It reduces feelings of depression and anxiety, increases life expectancy, fosters closer relationships with others, and provides the skill to cope with difficult times. Optimism allows a person to better cope with stressful situations, which reduces harmful effects on health.
Currently, I am aware that optimists fully acknowledge and accept negative events in their lives. However, unlike pessimists, they are more likely to avoid blaming themselves for a bad outcome, tend to view the situation as temporary, and are likely to expect further positive events in the future. While the pessimist is looking for the reasons for failure, the optimist is already looking for a way out of the problem, and this is their key difference. A large study by the Harvard School of Public Health found that the most optimistic women are 30 percent less likely to die from any serious disease (Kim et al., 2017). It was tracked over an 8-year time frame, including cancer, heart disease, and stroke (Kim et al., 2017). Thus, I need to become optimistic and have a positive outlook in order to lead a healthy life.
I also want to hire a personal trainer in order to achieve fitness results faster under experienced supervision. Such an approach will greatly increase the overall effectiveness of the training process, and I do not want to waste my valuable time making mistakes and learning from them on my own. I think that it is better to acquire professional help in order to gather the necessary information and experiment after I will get some results. I also understand that improving my physique will not solve all of the problems, but it will be a vital start at this moment in my life. By proving myself that I can achieve such an objective, I will both increase my self-esteem and improve my health.
Barriers to Growth
The barriers are lack of knowledge in nutrition, low self-esteem, and pessimism. I am hopeful that after I hire a personal trainer, I will be able to understand what a healthy diet is, and I also think that my self-esteem will improve after I see some results of my training. In the case of pessimism, I believe that meditation with reinforced positivity messages every morning in front of a mirror will help me to become more optimistic about myself and my future.
Change Model
The change model applied to me is the Freeman/Dolan model of the change process. It consists of ten major stages, such as non-contemplation, anti-contemplation, pre-contemplation, contemplation, action planning, action, pre-lapse, lapse, relapse, and maintenance (Dolan et al., n.d.). The model states that people initially ignore the issue, and they might even resist it, but later, they realize the scope of the problem and take action to eliminate the latter. Along the way, people will fail, but it should not stop from progressing further until the necessary state is achieved and maintained. Therefore, people are motivated to change after they fully understand that the issue exists, and there is a plausible solution.
Application to Self: Wellness Plan
I will utilize the change model’s principles in order to make myself adhere to the goals. The objectives are improving my eating habits in order to make my nutrition better, increasing the overall level of self-esteem by achieving the physique aims, and gaining an optimistic outlook through daily meditation. According to the change model, I am already at the action stage, which means that I fully realized that there are issues, and they have solutions. Currently, I will utilize the model to enact my goals by being prepared for failures, but the latter should be perceived as a part of the action plan. In order to boost my self-esteem and improve my eating habits, I will hire an experienced professional trainer who will teach me the essentials of proper nutrition and training. These goals are combined into one due to the fact that one cannot achieve an outstanding physique without a plausible diet plan. In the case of the emotional domain, I will spend ten minutes every morning on meditation in order to change my pessimistic attitude towards a more optimistic one.
Resources and Referrals
If I were my own client, I would send myself to the Department of Health and Human Services Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health (DPBH), New Dawn-Reno Addiction Recovery Center, and Presence Therapy. DPBH is essential because it is a governmental agency that can be highly useful for getting help. Both Presence Therapy and New Dawn-Reno Addiction Recovery Center are private institutions that are specifically designed to help drug addicts and people seeking mindfulness.
Reflection
Throughout the given journey of recovery, I learned that many seemingly unsolvable problems could be solved through deliberate action planning. The major insight is that one needs to be willing to look into the issue without any form of delusional thinking and be precise about the direction of improvement. In addition, my perception of myself and the world changes dramatically because I know that I am fully capable of getting rid of my addiction. I also know that I am not alone in this fight because some people and organizations are willing to offer professional help. Along this recovery process, I acquired new hobbies, such as fitness and exercising. Now I understand that one can have an interesting hobby that does not damage and poison the body and mind but rather improves them by making a person stronger. My goals are not limited to the recovery process, because I want to achieve more in life, such as obtaining some form of prosperity.
References
Dolan, M. J., Seay, T. A., & Vellela, T. C. (n.d.). The revised stage of change model and the treatment planning process. American Counseling Association, 28, 129-132.
Kim, E. S., Hagan, K. A., Grodstein, F., DeMeo, D. L., Vivo, I. D., & Kubzansky, L. D. (2017). Optimism and cause-specific mortality: A prospective cohort study. American Journal of Epidemiology, 185(1), 21-29.
Stoewen D. L. (2017). Dimensions of wellness: Change your habits, change your life. The Canadian Veterinary Journal, 58(8), 861-862.