Maintaining Good Health And Wellness: Self-Evaluation And Long-Term Goals Essay.

As a general rule, it’s easier to maintain good health and wellness when you’re young. As you age, your body and circumstances change, and the maintenance of health and wellness can become more challenging. This assignment is designed to follow up on the in-class activities from this module. For this assignment, you will:

1. Identify current behaviours that influence your health and wellness (both positively and negatively).
2. Identify challenges to your personal health and wellness from your family history of chronic diseases and conditions.
3. Develop a set of SMART goals for achieving a desired state of health and wellness, and specific plans for maintaining this state.

1. Describe your current health status, and your activities and behaviours that influence your current health status.

2. Describe the health problems that are prevalent in your family pedigree, and which chronic diseases or conditions you may be at risk of inheriting.

3. Describe the health status you wish to achieve and maintain throughout life.

1. Based on the descriptions from Part I, develop at leastsix personal goals for health and wellness that span at least four of the six dimensions of wellness. These goals should focus on helping you achieve the health status you want, while taking your current habits and family history into account.

a. For example, you may have three goals that fall under the category of physical wellness, and one goal each from the categories of intellectual, emotional and social wellness.

b. Ensure that all of your goals meet the SMART criteria discussed at the beginning of the semester.

Part I Self-Evaluation of My Current Health Status

Behaviors of individuals can have a positive or negative impact on their health and wellbeing. Individuals who conduct regular physical exercises can escape complications like obesity. However, people who are addicted to cigarette smoking are vulnerable to lung cancer, heart diseases, and even cataracts (Vogelmeier et al., 2017). Having a family history of a complication puts one at risk of getting the illness. This paper will explore my behaviors and how they impact my health and wellness. It will also identify the chronic complications that can affect me due to the medical history of the family. Finally, the essay will discuss the goals of maintaining proper health and well-being.

I am currently exercising healthy behaviors and actions which are responsible for my good health. Every day, I conduct a physical exercise to keep my body fit. Physical activity helps maintain an acceptable weight. Additionally, doing regular exercises reduces the risk of contacting weight-related complications like obesity (Asp, Simonsson, Larm, & Molarius, 2017). I also eat a balanced diet and avoid fat and carbohydrate-rich foods. I take meals to increase my energy levels, improve health, and to benefit the digestive system. Overeating food can interfere with the gastrointestinal tract. I also take plenty of water to remain hydrated throughout the day. Water is essential as it acts as a medium of chemical reactions in the body. Moreover, I ensure that I get enough sleep at night which promotes mental alertness in the following day.

The health problems in my family history are COPD, Type Two diabetes, and acute kidney failure. My late grandmother had diabetes type two and COPD. On the other hand, my mother has a history of acute kidney failure. COPD causes lung inflammation thereby obstructing airflow in the lungs (Celli et al., 2015). My grandmother developed the complication due to her excessive tobacco smoking. She complained of chest tightness and wheezing. Additionally, the complication caused swelling on her ankle and feet. My grandmother also told me that she inherited diabetes from her mother. The complication made her lose weight and have a blurred vision. My mother was diagnosed with acute kidney disease. The condition caused her experience breath shortness and weakness. Therefore, I am a risk of inheriting the three complications.

I intend to achieve physical fitness and remain in that state throughout my life. Additionally, I am ready to practice healthy activities to avoid chronic complications like COPD, diabetes, and kidney complications. Eating a balanced diet free of carbohydrate and fat-rich food will also keep me safe from weight-related complications like obesity (Thomas, Olds, Pettigrew, Randle, & Lewis, 2014). Staying away from tobacco smoking will limit the chances of inheriting COPD from my grandmother. Exposure to chemicals and dust can also cause COPD; hence I intend to stay away from dusty places. Therefore, I plan to maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout my life.

On the physical dimension of wellness, I plan to conduct a regular physical exercise to avoiding contacting complications like overweight and obesity. Secondly, I intend to have proper nutrition and avoid junk foods. Thirdly, I plan to avoid harmful habits like excessive cigarette smoking that can lead to the development of COPD. Observing the physical dimensions of wellness prevents an individual from various complications (Strout et al., 2016).

Part II Long-Term Goals for Health and Wellness

I also plan to explore the intellectual dimensions of wellness by interacting with my surroundings. Intellectuality involves being open-minded and flexing the muscles of the mind (Strout, & Howard, 2015). I intend to conduct extensive research on COPD, kidney disease, and diabetes. My research on chronic complications will unravel the causes, symptoms, and risk factors of the three conditions. I also plan to find out about diabetes management.

Proper environmental conditions keep an individual safe from various complications. I intend to maintain a healthy working environment (Foster, Galjour, & Spengel, 2015). Exposure to dust, vapor, and chemical fumes is a cause of COPD. I plan to conserve natural resources by practicing proper disposal of non-biodegradable wastes.  A recent study has shown that burning fuels produce fumes that cause lung complications.

Social wellness can prevent one from contacting various complications. Social welfare involves communicating, interacting, and relating well with people (Howard et al., 2016). I intend to visit various health facilities and build a good relationship with the caregivers. I also plan to interact with other health professionals and enquire about prevention measures for chronic complications like kidney complications. Engaging health specialists boost an individual's knowledge on various diseases.

Emotional wellness assists an individual in managing the symptoms of a chronic complication. Individuals should be comfortable with their feelings and thoughts (Foster, Galjour, & Spengel, 2015). Therefore, I plan to express my views about hereditary complications and seek solutions. I also intend to find the opinions of others on diabetes, kidney disease, and COPD. After that, I plan to integrate my knowledge with the input from others.

Maintaining a spiritual life prevents an individual from incidences like committing suicide. Spirituality involves having a firm persuasion about the meaning of life regardless of the challenges (Strout, & Howard, 2015). I plan to remain hopeless in life despite the risk of acquiring diabetes and kidney complications. I intend to seek solutions for the complications in my family pedigree and believe in a disease-free life.

Conclusion

I conduct activities that are responsible for my healthy life. The events include performing regular physical exercise, eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, and drinking a lot of water. However, COPD, diabetes, and kidney disease are three complications in my family pedigree which I am at risk of inheriting. I intend to live a healthy life and reduce the chances of getting a chronic complication. I have drafted more than six wellness goals for a healthy and prolonged life. The goals revolve around the six dimensions of wellness.

References

Asp, M., Simonsson, B., Larm, P., & Molarius, A. (2017). Physical mobility, physical activity, and obesity among the elderly: findings from a large population-based Swedish survey. Public health, 147, 84-91.

Celli, B. R., Decramer, M., Wedzicha, J. A., Wilson, K. C., Agustí, A., Criner, G. J., ... & Vogelmeier, C. (2015). An official American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society statement: research questions in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine, 191(7), e4-e27.

Foster, T., Galjour, C., & Spengel, S. (2015). Investigating holistic wellness dimensions during older adulthood: A factor analytic study. Journal of Adult Development, 22(4), 239-247.

Howard, E. P., Morris, J. N., Steel, K., Strout, K. A., Fries, B. E., Moore, A., & Garms-Homolová, V. (2016). Short-term lifestyle strategies for sustaining cognitive status. BioMed Research International, 2016.

Strout, K. A., David, D. J., Dyer, E. J., Gray, R. C., Robnett, R. H., & Howard, E. P. (2016). Behavioral Interventions in Six Dimensions of Wellness That Protect the Cognitive Health of Community?Dwelling Older Adults: A Systematic Review. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 64(5), 944-958.

Strout, K. A., & Howard, E. P. (2015). Five dimensions of wellness and predictors of cognitive health protection in community-dwelling older adults: A historical COLLAGE cohort study. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 33(1), 6-18.

Thomas, S. L., Olds, T., Pettigrew, S., Randle, M., & Lewis, S. (2014). "Don't eat that, and you'll get fat!" Exploring how parents and children conceptualize and frame messages about the causes and consequences of obesity. Social Science & Medicine, 119, 114-122.

Vogelmeier, C. F., Criner, G. J., Martinez, F. J., Anzueto, A., Barnes, P. J., Bourbeau, J., ... & Frith, P. (2017). Global strategy for the diagnosis, management, and prevention of chronic obstructive lung disease 2017 report. GOLD executive summary. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine, 195(5), 557-582.