YOUR
WELLNESS CHECKLIST
How well are you?
How are you today?
How we respond to a greeting usually depends
on how we are feeling at that moment. In good spirits, our
response is likely upbeat; in low spirits, subdued.
How well we are doing on a given day is a
reflection of our general well-being, our level of wellness.
Feeling good comes from a healthy balance among all parts
of our lives – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.
Ups and downs in one or more areas affect the feeling of well-being.
A research study of 7,000 people shows that
god habits are related to health in general, and to longevity
in particular. Getting enough sleep and rest, exercising regularly,
eating moderately and regularly, as well as not smoking or
being overweight have cumulative effects that suggest a longer
life expectancy.
Healthy people satisfy their basic human needs
of eating, sleeping and exercising in appropriate ways, while
maintaining mental emotional and spiritual fitness, and fulfilling
social and cultural needs. The lifestyle of unhealthy people
is characterized by self-destructive behavior.
Healthy living is constructive, not destructive;
fulfilling and gratifying, not frustrating; it is characterized
be a sense of personal worth, not worthlessness. Choosing
a healthy lifestyle enhances our well-being.
Your own level of well-being
How do you feel about life? Does your lifestyle
leave you with a feeling of well-being?
If you can’t answer “I feel great”
as often as you’d like, and wonder what you can change
to reach a higher level of wellness, look at the following
checklists; they may give you some ideas about where to begin.
Physical Assessment
The
following checklist will help you evaluate your physical well
being according to your habits. Check the appropriate box.
Mental / emotional assessment
The following checklist will help you evaluate
your own level of emotional health. Check the appropriate
box.
Spiritual
assessment
The
following checklist will help you become more aware of your
attitudes, ideals and aspirations. Check the appropriate box.
Using the checklists
There is no score for these exercises. Simply
review these three checklists and ask yourself, “what
picture do I see of myself?” what is the ratio between
traits you see as desirable and undesirable? Give yourself
a lot encouragement for the desirable traits you see.
What undesirable characteristics do the checklists
show? Are there traits you would like to see changed? If you
decide to make some changes, use these checklists as an inventory
of your overall well-being.
When you begin to make changes, work on only one or two traits
in each area, so you don’t become discouraged.
If you need help in developing ways to improve
your level of wellness, contact an assistance program, local
mental health clinic or community resource center.
Remember
your Employee Assistance Program is:
• Confidential: All information is kept strictly
between you and your counselor
• Informal: A simple phone call starts the
process and there’s no red tape.
For
assistance call Hidalgo Health Associates at:
800-448-4470
Used with permission © 1987, 1996 by Hazelden Foundation,
Revised 1996. All rights reserved. For more information about
the Hazelden Foundation please visit: http://www.hazelden.org
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