Reflections: Unit 3 blog post

After reflecting on my own levels of wellness I feel as though I can genuinely say that overall I am in good health mentally, physically, emotionally, as well as spiritually. For me I would say that my level of physical health could be rated as an 8 or 9, with room to improve my strength and cardiovascular fitness. I can say this as I have always lived a very physically active life, exercised regularly, eaten healthy meals, and remained relatively free of illness and injury. My spiritual wellbeing is likely on the scale of 7 out of ten as I feel that I have a good feeling of inner spirituality and wellness. I grew up in an Irish Catholic family and attended catholic school as well as served as an altar boy in my parish when I was younger. Although I have fallen away from traditional church services, I have remained connected with my beliefs and pray regularly. I also feel at peace and connected to my God as I feel that I live a good and respectable life, dedicated to helping others. In the case of my psychological and emotional wellbeing I would say that I am at about an 8 or 9 as well. I have lived through an immense amount of adversity and stress and always have found the way through and feel quite well balanced. I do not suffer from depression or PTSD as a result of my military service or as a result of my experiences as a firefighter/paramedic. I have a very good relationship with my friends and family and can easily talk about anything that is bothering me. I also pay close attention to my emotions and try to deal with them appropriately as they change. My training and expertise as both a combat medic and paramedic have prepared me well to recognize and manage the signs of mental illness, depression, anger, and remorse. As a result I feel that my acute awareness makes me uniquely prepared to handle the stresses of my job and life. For me my goals in each of these areas would be to continue to maintain my diet and exercise routine while also striving to improve my health and fitness, to pay closer attention to my spiritual beliefs and perhaps try meditation or some other form of spiritual exercise, and to continue to confront my emotions as they arise while also setting a good example for my son by striving to remain a kind, caring, and gentle man. In keeping with my goal to attempt to become more connected to my spirituality and attempt meditation, I gave a genuine effort to follow the steps as described in the “crime of the century” guided relaxation audio. At first I felt as though it wouldn’t be something which I could really get into or experience a sense of relaxation as a result of. However, I found that as the audio file continued that I could truly visualize the light as the speaker described. I also found myself feeling both relaxed and refreshed at the end of the audio. This was the first time that something like this helped me to feel at peace and invigorated. I will continue to follow these guided relaxation files as we move forward this semester. Once again, Thanks for reading my blog as we all progress though this course together.

Leo