Assessing and Examining Your Wellness
The Creative Self
The Creative Self includes those strategies by which we uniquely address the joys and
challenges of being alive and sustaining life. Our thinking, feelings, and interpretations of life
experiences have everything to do with our capacity to develop and grow across the life span.
Therefore, the Creative Self is in a constant state of processing, capable of changing thoughts,
feelings, and behaviors in response to life demands.
Thinking. Thinking is necessary for healthy brain functioning and quality of life across the
lifespan. This is a prime example of what we mean by “use it or lose it”. People who solve
problems effectively have lower anxiety and depression, and better mental health. Creativity is
a universal characteristic of self-actualizing people, all of whom demonstrate originality, a
special kind of creativeness, inventiveness, and problem-solving ability.
Thinking Overall Wellness
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Emotions. People who are spontaneous in their behavior and emotions are able to experience a
range of both positive and negative feelings: anger, anxiety, fear, sadness, guilt, shame, disgust,
interest/excitement, love/compassion, happiness/joy. They have the freedom of children in
expressing themselves. Because they express their emotions appropriately, they experience
more positive relationships with others.
Emotions Overall Wellness
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Control. People experience positive outcomes when they perceive themselves as having an
impact on what happens to them. Conversely, we experience negative outcomes such as
depression when we perceive a lack of personal control. Perceived control is associated with
emotional well-being, successful coping with stress, better physical health, and better mental
health over the lifespan.
Control Overall Wellness
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Work. Work is a major life task for everyone. The term “work” is more inclusive than paid
employment, however. Children “work” at play to master their environment. Older persons
contribute to the well-being of others through a variety of volunteer and personal services that
require “working”, which may involve service to others without pay or expectation of gain.
Work, however, can and often does involve compensation for services.
Work satisfaction includes feelings of challenge, financial reward, coworker relations, and
working conditions. It is one of the best predictors of both longevity and perceived quality of
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life. Work satisfaction includes feeling that our skills are used appropriately, that our ideas in
the workplace are valued by others, feeling that we have both the time and resources to
achieve what is expected of us, feeling valued by other people in our workplace, and receiving
recognition, including pay, equal to the work we do.
Work Overall Wellness
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Positive Humor. Positive humor includes both recognition and appreciation of humorous events
and creation of humorous situations. Positive humor neither hurts nor is a put down to oneself
or others. Quite the opposite, positive humor releases tension and allows us to gain new
insights on life. Humor can enhance intimacy and help us establish a sense of trust with others.
Especially when accompanied by laughter, humor causes the skeletal muscles to relax, boosts
the immune system, increases heart rate, stimulates circulation, oxygenates the blood,
massages the vital organs, aids digestion, and releases chemicals called endorphins into the
brain that enhance a sense of well-being. This includes laughing at one’s self, laughing with
others (not at others), seeing the contradictions, oddities, and predicaments of life in an
objective yet “funny” way, and learning new ways of coping as a result of life’s surprises.
Positive Humor Overall Wellness
The Creative Self ____ out of 50
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
3
The Coping Self
The Coping Self is composed of elements that regulate our responses to life events. When bad
things happen, our Coping Self helps us overcome any negative effects. On the positive side,
our Coping Self helps us feel good about ourselves and find helpful ways to manage the stress
in our lives. An important part of stress management is being able to experience “flow,” which
is the ability to become totally absorbed in an activity so that we forget about time. In fact,
when we experience flow, whether it be through reading, gardening, some other free time
pursuit, or even our work, we have the feeling that time stands still. This feeling helps us not
only cope with but transcend the daily requirements of life. Leisure opens pathways to growth
in both creative and spiritual dimensions.
Realistic Beliefs. Healthy people are able to process information accurately and perceive reality
as it is rather than as they wish it to be. They actively entertain thoughts that help them avoid
conflict with others, find solutions to life’s inevitable predicaments, protect them from harm,
achieve worthwhile personal goals, and maintain a positive emotional balance. People who
have realistic beliefs are able to accept themselves as imperfect, challenge irrational thoughts
about “always, never, or should” in relation to self, others and life circumstances. They can view
others and life events from more than one if not multiple perspectives.
Realistic Beliefs Overall Wellness
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Stress Management. Stress affects both psychological and physiological functioning, and has a
specific depressant effect on immune system functioning. Persons who are stress-resistant
experience more positive and beneficial immune system responses, greater resistance to
psychosocial stressors, a more internal locus of control, more positive mental health, and
greater physical health. When we manage stress effectively, we are able to experience change
as positive, regulate our time and energy to maintain balance, set realistic limits, and be
proactive in responding to life events.
Stress Management Overall Wellness
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Self-Worth. Self-worth is variously defined as self-concept or self-esteem. It means simply
acceptance of oneself both in our gifts and imperfections. It means accepting our bodies, even
though they are not perfect. It means accepting ourselves and having the courage to be
imperfect.
Self-Worth Overall Wellness
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Leisure. Leisure activities, including physical, social, intellectual, volunteer, and creative, have a
positive effect on self-worth and overall wellness. Life satisfaction also is influenced by leisure
congruence, or selecting leisure activities consistent with one’s personality type. This may be
best represented by activities through which we lose track of time, feeling totally immersed in
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an activity that brings out our innate creativity, talents, and personal passions for beauty, life,
and creation.
Leisure Overall Wellness
The Coping Self out of ____ 40
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
5
The Social Self
As mentioned earlier, social support has been identified in multiple studies as the strongest
predictor of positive mental health over the lifespan. The mainstay of this support is family,
with healthier families providing the most positive sources of individual wellness. Healthy
families can be either biological or families of choice. As adults, we can choose to create a
family-like support system to replace whatever may have been missing in our biological family.
Friendship. We all need frequent, positive interactions with the same persons. In other words,
we need a long-term, stable, and caring support network. There is a strong positive connection
between friendship quality and sense of well-being, including physical as well as mental health.
This includes connectedness with others in non-sexual relationships, having a social support
system in times of need or celebration, being able to give support to others, feeling
comfortable with others, and possibly most important, not feeling lonely, alienated, or
neglected.
Friendship Overall Wellness
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Love. Characteristics of healthy love relationships include the ability to be intimate, trusting,
and self-disclosing with another person and the ability to receive as well as express affection
with significant others. The life task of love necessitates having a family or family-like support
system which has the following nine characteristics: shared coping and problem-solving skills,
commitment to the family, good and frequent communication, encouragement of individuals,
regular expression of appreciation, shared religious/spiritual values, social connectedness, clear
roles, and shared interests, values, and significant time together.
Love Overall Wellness
The Social Self ____ out of 20
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
6
The Essential Self
The Essential Self is just that, essential! The four components of the Essential Self are important
ways by which we make meaning of the world and feel a sense of purpose in life. Spirituality,
not religiosity, has positive benefits for longevity and quality of life. It includes our sense of
existential meaning, purpose, and hopefulness toward life. Our identity as male or female and
our cultural identity are filters through which life experiences are seen and affect our
relationships with others, especially others of our same gender or ethnic background. Self-care
includes all of our proactive efforts to live long and live well. Conversely, carelessness,
avoidance of health promoting habits, and general disregard of our well-being are potentially
signs of despair or alienation from life’s opportunities.
Spirituality. Spirituality includes an awareness of a being or force that transcends the material
aspects of life and gives a deep sense of wholeness or connectedness to the universe. For
many, this will be equated with meaning. Spirituality is associated with hope, optimism, seeking
meaning and purpose in life, and practices that express these through prayer, meditation, and
worship. Spirituality is a broad concept representing personal beliefs and values. In contrast,
but extremely important to many people is religiosity, a narrower concept that refers to
institutional beliefs and behaviors. Religious affiliation is a public matter, often expressed
through group religious participation, while spirituality is more of a private issue which may or
may not be expressed publicly. Recent studies suggest that there is a significant, positive
relationship between spirituality, of which religion is only one part, mental health, physical
health, life satisfaction, and wellness.
Spirituality Overall Wellness
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Self-Care. Self-care relates to concern and attention to one’s well-being in all of its dimensions.
Choosing to develop safety habits, including preventive medical and dental care, wearing seat
belts, and avoidance of harmful substances including those in the environment, improves our
quality of life and increases our longevity. Failure to engage in these preventive health habits
leads to declines in physical functioning and increased mortality.
Self-Care Overall Wellness
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Gender Identity. Gender identity refers to subjective feelings of maleness or femaleness and is
culturally defined. Gender role socialization, a process that begins at birth and continues
throughout the lifespan, results in culturally-appropriate gender-role behaviors being rewarded
for both males and females. These differences have been linked to wellness as well as illness in
adulthood. Feelings of satisfaction with one’s gender, feeling supported and valued in
relationships with persons of both genders, and being competent to respond appropriately to
gender-related stressors in life are characteristics of those who have a positive gender identity.
Gender Identity Overall Wellness
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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Cultural Identity. Culture may be broadly defined as the shared reality of a particular group of
people. It includes racial identity, acculturation, and an appreciation for the unique aspects of
one’s culture. Cultural identity affects self-perceived health and wellness since concepts of
health differ according to culture. Feelings of satisfaction with one’s cultural heritage, feeling
supported and valued in relationships with persons of one’s own and others’ cultures, and
being competent to respond appropriately to culture-related stressors in life are characteristics
of those who have a positive cultural identity.
Cultural identity Overall Wellness
The Essential Self ____ out of 40
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
8
The Physical Self
The two components of the Physical Self, exercise and nutrition, are widely promoted and,
unfortunately often over-emphasized to the exclusion of other components of holistic wellbeing. The research evidence is compelling with regard to the importance of exercise and
nutrition for living long and well. Not surprisingly, preliminary data suggest that “survivors,” i.e.,
individuals who live longest, attend to both exercise and diet/nutrition.
Nutrition. There is a clear relationship between what we eat and our health, moods,
performance, and longevity. The eating and drinking habits of Americans have been implicated
in 6 of the 10 leading causes of death, including the fact that more than one in every two
Americans is considered to be overweight. Eating breakfast regularly, eating a variety of the
food groups recommended, maintaining one’s ideal weight, and drinking water in sufficient
quantity each day are basic rules of thumb corroborated by research findings on healthy diets.
Nutrition Overall Wellness
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Exercise. Regular physical activity is essential in the prevention of disease and enhancement of
health as well as for healthy aging. Exercise increases strength as well as self-confidence and
self-esteem. Stretching, exercising for 20-30 minutes a week, and generally leading a physically
active life are beneficial beyond what the effort seems to require.
Exercise Overall Wellness
The Physical Self
____ out of 20
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
9
Total Wellness
Take a few moments to compare your ratings.
• What areas of wellness increased for you?
• What areas of wellness decreased or stayed the same?
• What happened to your Total Wellness score?
• What does this all mean to you?
Total Wellness ______ out of 170
Wellness Assessment
Abdullah Alhazmi
Professor: Jeanine Dakduk, M.Ed.
DSC-201
Journal 4
My personal views regarding social wellness are centered on three key issues, namely
love, friendship, and relationships. Unconditional love is the choice I have to love another person
without expecting anything in return. I can as well opt to love myself unconditionally. I would
demonstrate my self-love by treating myself to things that make me feel happy such as going out
for holidays to escape the pressures of life.
Friendship for me is important since I get to share my problems with friends and listen to
their issues. A true friend will always find time to share your happy and sad moments. This is
true when you have a close person who does not give excuses for failing to check up on their
friends. Contrary to this is in a bad situation, and friends suddenly have no interest in you or your
life. While I appreciate having a close relationship, I prefer having friends who can balance
intimacy and distance. I feel like adult friends have the right balance because they pry less into
my life, unlike childhood friends who interfere more with everything. I hope to answer several
questions concerning how broader relationships help shape my opinion about friendship and
love. My family has been a great influence on my perception of friends since I have witnessed
how my parents treat those they consider close friends.
Wellness Assessment
Abdullah Alhazmi
Professor: Jeanine Dakduk, M.Ed.
DSC-201
Journal 5
In my personal life, I have encountered situations that have made me conclude that in as
much as I would like my purpose to find me, I need to put more effort into finding what my goal
in this life. My desire to establish and understand my purpose is what gives my life meaning. I
feel purposeful every time I realize that I am almost attaining my goal in life. Each time I
accomplish something, I feel that I have indeed fulfilled my purpose. For instance, if I plan to
offer social support to a community within a certain period, and by the end of the scheduled
time, I fulfill my promise, then I feel purposeful.
My family and friends have played a significant role in my spiritual life. Growing up, I
felt as though I was being forced to attend religions service. As I became a responsible
individual, I met friends who would push me to embrace the positive morals of life. All this time,
I did not realize that my friends and family were helping me shape my spiritual life. I believe in
serendipity because had it not been by fate and destiny to emulate morals in society, maybe I
would not have met spiritual friends. If there is one thing, I would love to solve in the world is
the suffering of most people. I wish I can make the world a place full of happiness with less
suffering, problems, and crisis.
Wellness Assessment
Abdullah Alhazmi
Professor: Jeanine Dakduk, M.Ed.
DSC-201
Journal 3
In my personal life, there are various stressors that I face that tend to reduce the quality of
life that I lead. Stressors are common in anyone’s life and one cannot go through life without being
faced by various challenges. With this in mind, I have learned to develop coping strategies when
I‘m faced by any issues. One of the main stressors in my life is competing priorities. Competing
priorities mainly happen due to time constraints where I have to balance between having a good
time and setting time aside to pursue my education and other aspirations that have in regards to
my career.
At home, such competing priorities also come about where I have to apportion time
between watching films or playing video games and studying or doing my homework. I deal with
the competing needs through prioritizing my time to events that are most beneficial to my welfare
and well-being.
I currently cope with stress and anxiety by taking some time-out and taking well-balanced
meals. Taking some time-out from my busy schedule allows me to overcome any form of stress or
anxiety. Eating balanced meals ensures that I have enough energy and reduces the likelihood of
suffering from burnout. Leisure activities that I undertake include playing board games and
interacting with other people. These activities improve my self-worth.
I would also like to learn several strategies such as copying with the loss of a loved one.
Coping strategies after the death of a loved one is one skill that many people lack. I have seen
people who have become disoriented in everything after losing their loved one. I intend to develop
strategies that can improve my ability to cope when I am faced with such a stressor in the future.
Wellness Assessment
Abdullah Alhazmi
Professor: Jeanine Dakduk, M.Ed.
DSC-201
Journal 2
The past week was a great one based on some of the lessons that we had. I had the
opportunity to delve into some of the main aspects of wellness and the role they play towards
improving the welfare and well-being of people. Wellness integrates various aspects that are
critical towards improving the quality of life that people lead. Looking to the future, there are
several ideas and resources that I may require to start planning my goals. One of the resources is
to conduct more research to identify peer-reviewed sources on physical wellness and what
initiatives may be adopted at the community level to achieve the said goals. Using information
from evidence-based practice may allow me to come up with suitable goals that are realistic and
that can be achieved not only in the short-term but also in the long-term.
The first step in my plan is to assess the need for physical wellness programs in society.
Such an assessment would determine whether the programs would be supported if they were to be
pursued among people in the community. Analyzing the number of people who are obese and in
need of participating in physical activities would be a great step towards achieving the overall goal
of the wellness program. The step also involves assessing the notions of the people towards
physical wellness. If people think that it is critical towards achieving the healthcare outcomes, then
there is a real chance that the physical wellness programs would be a success. I never experienced
any setbacks, and this is an indication that I have grasped the core components of wellness as
discussed throughout the week.
Wellness Assessment
Abdullah Alhazmi
Professor: Jeanine Dakduk, M.Ed.
DSC-201
Journal 1
The area of wellness that I am going to be working to improve is physical wellness.
Physical wellness delves into the physical well-being of people. Physical well-being is concerned
with lifestyle choices, behaviors, and physical ability that help ascertain the various determinants
of health (Myers, & Sweeney, 2018). I chose the area since lack of physical wellness in society
today is a major cause of many diseases. When people lack physical fitness, they are more
susceptible to become overweight and this can have negative effects on the healthcare outcomes
of the people.
I plan to improve it through locating people in the community who are not physically fit
and putting them into the physical wellness program. The aim is to allow them to become
physically fit and lose weight since many people who lack physical fitness are overweight or obese.
I hope to answer several questions including the need for physical fitness, the dangers of
lack of it, and various strategies that can be adopted by people at their homes to improve their
physical well-being. I will also want to have an idea about the notions that people in society have
towards physical wellness. Answering the question may help determine the success of the
programs that may be developed within this area of wellness.
There are several unknowns that I will need to explore. One of the unknowns is the
perceptions and notions that people in society have towards physical well-being. Ascertaining the
unknown is important since it may determine whether people would be interested in the physical
wellness programs that may be created for them (Tharakan, 2012). The second unknown is whether
additional resources will be needed to achieve the goal. Such a determination may help allocate
resources to certain areas so that the desired outcomes are met.
References
Myers, J. E., & Sweeney, T. J. (2018). Wellness counseling: The evidence base for practice.
Journal of Counseling and Development: JCD, 86(4), 482-493.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6678.2008.tb00536.x
Tharakan, Y. G. (2012). Development of a health and wellness Centre at Manipal – an
introspection. JOHAR, 7(2), 52-66. Retrieved from
https://search.proquest.com/docview/1478019634?accountid=45049
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Paper length: 3-5 pages (does not include a cover page or reference page); double spaced,
typed, 12 pt. font (Arial or Times)
Paper and Presentation are due March 3rd (the final class)
Presentation should be no more than 5 minutes long
USE THE FOLLOWING AS HEADINGS
1. Introduction – Identify the wellness area that you focused on based on the assessment
scores. Identify two questions you wish to explore in this area.
2. Research – Find two research articles on the area you have identified to improve.
Summarize the article and indicate how it relates to your selected wellness area. PROVIDE
A REFERENCE PAGE AT THE END OF YOUR PAPER!
3. Methods – What did you do to improve the two areas of wellness? Be specific in the types of
activities you did and talk about how these activities did or did not impact your wellness
score.
4. Results – Did your Wellness scores (overall wellness or satisfaction with your wellness) in
the two categories you selected improve between the pre- and post-test. How much? Did
your overall wellness score improve?
5. Discussion – Explain any changes in your wellness scores; what factors do you think
influenced the results? What could you have done differently and will you continue to make
these changes?
6. Future – How do you plan to apply what you have learned in this class to the future? “One
thing I learned from this class about myself is _________________.”
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