Making Healthy Changes

1. Making Healthy Changes • Josh Bare • Laura Cruz • Justin Decker • April Dixon • Stephanie Grad • Laura Henson • Angelica Rodriguez

2. “Wellness is the integration of body, mind and spirit—the appreciation that everything you do, and think, and feel, and believe has an impact on your state of health.” - J.W. Travis

3. Overall Wellness • Wellness is a dynamic state of optimal health and vitality. • In order to achieve the highest potential for well-being, one must focus on making healthy changes in the following five dimensions of wellness: • Physical • Mental • Emotional • Spiritual • Interpersonal

4. Physical • Physical health helps to determine one’s longevity and quality of life. • It includes eating well, exercising, and making responsible decisions. • Visit the U.F. Division of Recreational Sports for information on a nutrition consultation and a personal fitness profile: www.recsports.hhp.ufl.edu

5. Physical (cont.) • In order to achieve physical well-being: • Keep a food diary • Drink water • Eat more, earlier • Avoid eating right before bedtime • Never say “diet” • Do not think of making healthy eating changes as an all-or-nothing effort

6. Physical (cont.) • Start exercising gradually • Make a workout date – and keep it • Tailor your workout to your tastes • Do not expect exercise to do it all • Mix up your routine • Do not give up if you miss a few workouts

7. Mental • Mental health is determined by how a person thinks, feels, and acts when faced with life’s situations. • This includes handling stress, relating to others, and making decisions.

8. Mental (cont.) • Have a positive outlook on life’s daily events • Exercise regularly • Do not be afraid to seek counseling if needed • Stay away from anything that can alter your mental state (i.e. drugs, alcohol) • Only take medication that’s been prescribed to you by your physician • Do not over-do your work load

9. Emotional • Emotional health is affected by how one monitor’s his/her thoughts and feelings. • It is important to identify barriers to one’s emotional well-being and find plausible solutions to these barriers. • One can accomplish this through self-exploration or with the help of a professional.

10. Emotional (cont.) • In order to achieve an optimal emotional state one must: • Have high self-esteem • Work on self-acceptance • Display self-confidence • Practice self-control • Establish satisfying relationships • Show one’s true feelings

11. Spiritual • Spirituality is the way one finds meaning, hope, comfort, and inner peace in his/her life. • One can find spirituality through religion, music, art, values, or a connection with nature. • Positive beliefs can contribute to healing and a sense of well-being. • Spiritual distress occurs when there is a conflict between one’s beliefs and what is actually happening in one’s life.

12. Spiritual (cont.) • In order to improve one’s spiritual health: • Identify things in life that provide a sense of inner peace, comfort, and strength • Set aside time to do things that help provide spirituality such as volunteering, praying, meditating, playing a sport, taking a nature walk, attending a religious service, etc.

13. Interpersonal • An interpersonal relationship is some relationship or connection between two or more people. • Loving and supportive people are necessary in our lives in order to maintain interpersonal health.

14. Interpersonal (cont.) • Types of interpersonal relationships: • Intimate • Friendship • Family • Social • Professional • Acquaintance

15. Interpersonal (cont.) • For optimal interpersonal health: • Be open minded and listen to other’s views • Treat others they way you want to be treated • Everyone is equal; Do not discriminate • Remember that trust is a key factor in establishing healthy relationships • Honesty is the best policy

16. Wrap-up • Making healthy changes requires some effort. • Do not make the mistake of focusing on only one aspect of wellness. In order to make healthy changes one must take into consideration all the dimensions of wellness. • All the dimensions are interdependent.

17. Quiz Time!