Wellness Evaluation Lab 1.1

Introduction to Health and Wellness – HWE200

Wellness Evaluation

My overall wellness score is on the lower end of excellent (167/200). In almost all of the dimensions I scored excellent and a couple were good. There is always room for improvement but life must also be enjoyable so finding the balance between the two is my goal. My eight dimensions of wellness scores are as follows: Physical– 63/76, Social– 19/20, Emotional– 23/32, Intellectual – 14/16, Environmental – 16/20, Spiritual – 9/12, Occupational – 8/8, and Financial – 15/16.

Describe your wellness score for each area of wellness

According to Powers & Dodd an excellent score indicates that I practice a healthy lifestyle as well as enjoy total wellness (Powers & Dodd, 2017). My physical wellness score is 63 out of 76 which falls into the excellent category. Social wellness is excellent as well with a score of 19 out of 20. Emotional isn’t as high with a score of 23 out of 32 and falls into the good category. My intellectual score is 14 out of 16 and is excellent. Environmental is still excellent with a score of 16 out of 20. I’m not surprised that my spiritual score falls under good with a score of nine out of 12. I enjoy my job, boss and co-workers and it shows, score eight out of eight. Finally, my financial score is 15 out of 16.

Discuss your three weakest dimensions of wellness

My three weakest areas are spiritual, emotional, and environmental. I know that spiritual does not mean religious, which I am not, but I still scored lower than other areas because I don’t think about my purpose in life or work to develop my spiritual health. It is just not a priority in my life. My emotional wellness score was lower than the other because this has been a very stressful year and I have had issues sleeping (although this is a physical wellness trait, it has been hard emotionally). The stress probably plays a big role in my inability to sleep. 2020 is my year though and my emotional health will be a priority. All of my other scores were in the excellent category but environmental was the lowest of them. I care about the environment and do what I can but the reason my score was lower was because I do not wear sunscreen as often as I should and I do not carpool or walk to get around very often.

Lifestyle factors that lead to weaknesses

As I mentioned previously, this year has been tough emotionally. I have experienced a few major stressful life events this year that are hopefully coming to a close. I also stopped playing roller derby a couple years ago and with that I do not see or interact with as many friends very often. I’m a very social person so the lack of close friends has been depressing. Luckily, going to CrossFit five to six days per week helps me feel happy and fulfills part of my social interactions. I also do not sleep as well as I would like and my deep sleep is typically below average. My spiritual and environmental “weaknesses” are due to personal choice.

If this dimension is not improved, what chronic disease may be the result? Use a reference to support this relationship

I’m most concerned about the amount of sleep I get regularly, specifically deep sleep. Deep sleep is the stage of sleep that glucose metabolism increases in the brain which supports short-term and long-term memory (Murrell, 2018). It is also when the pituitary gland produces important hormones that help with energy restoration, cell regeneration, increased blood flow to muscles and promotes growth and repair to tissues and bones (Murrell, 2018). Alzheimer’s disease runs in my family so memory benefits of deep sleep is concerning. I demand a lot of my aging body by going to CrossFit and deep sleep is needed to repair the stress I have put on myself. Not getting enough deep sleep, or sleep in general, means that I am not fully recovering. That can lead to fatigue and injury.

Explain you three strongest dimensions of wellness

My three strongest dimensions of wellness are occupational, financial, and physical. Occupational wellness includes having a fulfilling and rewarding occupation, as well as enjoying where I work and the people I work with (Powers & Dodd, 2017). Financial wellness includes elements such as living within a budget, saving for retirement, being happy with the amount in my savings account, and having a disposable income (Powers & Dodd, 2017). Physical wellness covers being active and body weight, safe driving practices, sleeping habits, healthy eating and avoiding processed food, visiting the doctor regularly, and alcohol, tobacco and drug use (Powers & Dodd, 2017). I am not perfect in all of these dimensions but do a very good job in all aspects of them.

Which of your lifestyle factors led to these strengths? Explain how.

I have worked at the same company for 11 years and I enjoy what I do, who I work for and with. My company affords me a comfortable lifestyle, which helps reduce stress. I was lucky to grow up with a very fiscally responsible mother. She taught me how to budget, save and spend wisely. I am extremely grateful for everything she taught me because it has helped me be in a good place now and in the future. Physically I could do better but compared to most Americans I am leaps ahead. Besides doing CrossFit five to six days per week, I typically go on a two mile walk during lunch and hike most weekends in nicer weather. I do my best to eat healthy meals as often as possible, I drink occasionally, do not smoke or do drugs, and wear my seatbelt.

Conclusion

Overall, I do an excellent job in almost all eight dimensions of wellness. Although I do well in the physical dimension, I need to work on better sleep habits. From my three weakest areas the one I need to focus on is my emotional wellness. Finding ways to relax, make time to visit with friends, and find other activities and hobbies I enjoy, especially when school is complete.

References

Murrell MD, D., (2018). What Is Deep Sleep and Why Is It Important? Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/deep-sleep

Powers, S. K., & Dodd, S. L. (2017). Total fitness & wellness, the Mastering Health edition (7th ed.). Retrieved from https://redshelf.com