How Am I Doing Physically, Mentally, Emotionally, and Spiritually?
The Archangels say this is the perfect time of year to reflect on ourselves and our lives. They suggest we consider what is working for us, what is not, how we are doing, what needs to change, etc. I do this every year around this time, and when the new year rolls around, I have a good start on changes I want to make and what goals I want to set. I thought I’d share my process with you, so you can use it as a starting point, if you wish. By all means, change it in whatever way works best for you, but at least you’ll have a starting place, if this isn’t something you usually do.
The first step I always take is to evaluate all areas of health, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. If you like graphic organizers, fold a paper in fourths, labeling each quadrant an area of health, and ask yourself the following questions on a scale of 1-3, one being good, two being fair, and three being poor.
Physical Health:
___ Blood Pressure
___ Cholesterol
___ Weight
___ Amount of Sleep
___ Activity level
___ Diet
___ Energy level
___ Frequency of taking pain meds
___ Frequency of illness
___ I get regular checkups
Mental Health:
___ Stress level
___ Depression level
___ Anxiety level
___ Fulfillment level
___ Peace of mind level
___ I like my job
___ I like my life
___ I’m growing and evolving
___ I don’t have a lot of past trauma that bothers me
___ I know my strengths and weaknesses
Emotional Health:
___ Anger level
___ Fear level
___ Happiness level
___ Peace of mind level
___ I have hope for the future
___ I try not to judge others
___ I don’t hold grudges
___ I can calm myself down quickly
___ I have a good support system
___ I don’t react emotionally without thinking first
Spiritual Health
___ I’m comfortable with my belief system
___ I know my purpose
___ I like myself
___ I’m comfortable with myself
___ I know who I am
___ I like who I am
___ I’m happy in my life
___ I feel powerful
___ I’m kind to others
___ I feel a connection to others
Where do you have the most 1’s, 2’s, and 3’s? The more 1’s you have, the better you should feel. If you have a lot of 1’s, but you still don’t feel very well, you need to reevaluate and get to know yourself better. There’s probably at least one area of health you need to work on. The more 2’s you have, the less involved you probably are regarding keeping track of yourself and tuning into yourself. You need to get to know yourself better, especially if you aren’t sure how to answer.
The more 3’s you have, the further out of touch with yourself you’ve been, and likely, the more work you have to do in order to feel better. It’s always easier to restore a healthy balance when it’s just a little out of whack, than it is if everything is a mess. Don’t freak out; feeling better is doable.
Also, if you don’t know what to put down at all, give yourself some time to think. For example, if you don’t have any idea what your blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. is, do yourself a favor and find out. You can’t improve on things if you don’t even know what you need to work on, right? I had an aunt who refused to go to the doctor for checkups, because she didn’t want to hear any bad news. The thing is, whether or not you know the state of your health, it’s still there, good, bad, or ugly. I’d rather know what I’m dealing with than not.
There is a lot of overlap in categories, because they are all intertwined. Stress causes problems in all areas, so I tried to include questions for you to consider, regarding stress, in each category. Whether or not you think a question belongs more under a different category than where I placed it really doesn’t matter, as they are all thought provoking and helpful.
If you feel physically ill, it’s likely to affect you mentally and emotionally, also, and if you’re spiritually bereft, you may not feel as able to handle adversity. Then again, maybe you do. Everyone is different. You don’t have to be religious to be spiritual. In fact, you don’t have to believe in God to be spiritual. If you don’t know what you believe, are unsure, ask yourself what you don’t believe. Sometimes, that’s an easier place to start.
There was a time when I didn’t want to self-evaluate, because I knew I was a mess in general, but that really doesn’t solve a thing. You can’t successfully hide from yourself. We often struggle with prioritizing ourselves as we push through our lives, but if you don’t at least know where you are, how can you determine where you want to be or what you have to do when you get there?
In any case, I hope this helps give you a clearer view of some of your strengths and weaknesses. Step Two will include some reflection about the choices you’ve made in the past and whether or not they’ve been working for you. If they’re working, great! If not, maybe you’re ready to consider some changes.
Enjoy tuning into yourself, and even if you’re not happy with the results, there’s no reason to fret. You can adjust, change, modify, maintain the status quo, or anything else you want to do. I’ll walk you through it.
Blessings, all.
コメント