SMART Goals (1)
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University of Guelph *
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Feb 20, 2024
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S.M.A.R.T Goals: The Pandemic Olivia Blackwell 1242455 University of Guelph Life: Health and Well-being
Professor R. Neustifter
January 25, 2024
2 Introduction
Upon completion of the wellness inventory, I was unsure what I was getting myself into. After completing the wellness inventory, I was provided with a profound realization of my current wellness status, highlighting my strengths as well as weaknesses that needed to be addressed with the hopes of improvement. I was presently surprised to find that my intellectual wellness was quite high, achieving 17 out of 20. However, it was surprising to find that my occupational wellness score was lower than anticipated with 7 out of 20 as well as my spiritual wellness score higher than anticipated with 11 out of 20. This was surprising to me because I have never been a spiritual individual but based on the questions I was asked; it may be worth looking deeper into. Additionally, I had some scores show up around the middle of the scale which I was surprised to see. My social, physical, and emotional wellness scored 10 out of 20, and my environmental score showed 12 out of 20. While these scores are not alarmingly low, it is interesting to see what may need improvement and what domains have ample room for enhancement. This comprehensive assessment has provided valuable insight into the specific domains of wellness that require more attention and improvement in my life, guiding me towards a more balanced and fulfilling lifestyle which I am proud of. Goal 1 - Physical Wellness –
Improve Cardiovascular Health
To improve my physical wellness, the goal I would like to set for myself is to improve my cardiovascular health. Your cardiovascular system carries oxygen and nutrients in the blood to all your bodily systems and your cells depend on it to run normally. So, it is important to look after your cardiovascular system with exercise, a healthy diet and controlled blood pressure and cholesterol (Clarkson, 2022). To make improvements towards my cardiovascular health as a S.M.A.R.T goal, it is essential to ensure it is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound. To achieve this goal, I will be aiming to reduce my resting heart rate from 90 beats pr minute to 60 beats per minute within 5 months. Also, I will achieve this goal by engaging in regular aerobic exercises for at least 30 minutes at least three times a week. I will monitor my progress weekly by investing in a heart rate monitor and adjusting my diet plan if it is not helping me reach my goal. This goal is also relevant to my life as I strive to be as healthy as possible and cardiovascular problems are a common issue within my family. In 1947, the World Health Organization defined health as "not merely the absence of disease or infirmity," but as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being" –
ushering in a new era in health which incorporated not only longevity, but quality of life (Introduction to Health and Wellness, Unit 1). Goal 2 - Emotional Wellness –
Practice Meditation
3 To make improvements towards my emotional wellness, I am setting a goal to practice meditation to reduce my stress and anxiety. Meditation is something I have heard of but never tried. While there are many distinct types of meditation, I have chosen to practice mantra meditation. During mantra meditation you think of a mantra which is a word or phrase you repeat during meditation. It is used as a tool to help release your mind. It can make a lot of a difference, especially if you have trouble concentrating or getting in the right frame of mind (Raypole, 2020). I will begin practicing mantra meditation for five minutes every morning after I wake up. I will then increase my time spent meditating every morning to every morning and night as well as increasing the time meditating to 45 minutes. This goal is relevant to my life and will be beneficial towards my emotional wellness because I struggle with mental health on a day-to-day basis. According to a small study from 2012, mantra meditation could help improve brain health. These changes included improved mood and well-being, reduced anxiety, less fatigue and improved visuospatial and verbal memory (Raypole, 2020). I will establish the habit of 5 minutes every morning for a month and then continue gradually increasing the number of minutes for at least five months. Goal 3 –
Social Wellness –
Strengthen Social Connections and Relationships
To improve my social wellness, the goal I will be setting for myself is to strengthen the connections I have with my friends, family, and my boyfriend. The way I will measure this goal is by ensuring I plan and attend at least one social activity with friends and family each week for a month. I will achieve this goal by setting aside time in my schedule to contact friends or family members to schedule an activity. This goal is relevant to my life and overall well-being because I have always had issues with creating long-lasting relationships as well as staying connected with friends and family. I want to begin creating long-term relationships and this will help me step outside of my comfort zone and try to maintain relationships moving forward. Our relationships with family, friends, coworkers, and community members can have a major impact on our health and well-being. When people are socially connected and have stable and supportive relationships, they are more likely to make healthy choices and to have better mental and physical health outcomes. They are also better able to cope with demanding times, stress, anxiety, and depression (CDC, 2023). I will initiate this goal immediately and continue for at least three months to access its impact on my social wellness. How has the Pandemic Influenced my Current Wellness? 
T
he WHO’s definition of health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well
-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” was adopted on April 7, 1948 (Hales
& Lauzon, pg. 5). The Covid-19 pandemic presented challenges for many individuals, impacting various aspects of their health and
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4 well-being. Despite the difficulties, it prompted a heightened focus on specific areas of my wellness that I may not have otherwise prioritized. Before the lockdown and closing of local gyms, I was a frequent runner and would go to the gym to focus on my physical health and well-being. Once the lockdown was implemented and all gyms closed, I was left hopeless and did not know what to spend most of my time doing. When I was unable to attend the gym or the occasional Pilates class, I was met with the task of producing alternate ways to exercise and keep my physical health in shape. Being psychically active helps us maintain a healthy body weight or body mass index. To be psychically well, we also need to make healthy food choices and avoid harmful behaviours such as tobacco use, drug misuse, and excessive alcohol consumption (Hales & Lauzon, pg. 10). I was able to participate in regular physical activity by investing in resistance bands and using YouTube videos. I also had many flights of stairs throughout my house that I was able to use for cardio workouts. While doing this, I was always making sure I was eating well because I did not want to feel like I was not putting enough effort into my physical well-being. Before the pandemic, I was in the best shape I had ever been before, but once it hit, I could see the struggle in maintaining the shape and health I once had. The pandemic also had many negative effects on my wellness and overall health. My social wellness was impacted by the pandemic because I was put into foster care in 2020, right when it all began. This was difficult for me as I did not have many social skills or friends beforehand as well was already struggling with my mental health. By embracing the social dimension of wellness, we begin to take an active part in improving our world by actively seeking ways to enhance personal relationships, celebrate friendships, and build healthy communities (Hales & Lauzon, pg. 8). As an introverted individual, I thought I would thrive through a lockdown because that meant I would not have to have the normal human interactions I was having every day. However, I found this to be extremely difficult and navigating through the lockdown posed significant challenges and directly impacted my emotional well-being. The absence of a support system led me to build up a bunch of emotions rather than openly discussing them. Unfortunately, this was a struggle for me throughout the pandemic. How Did the Pandemic Influence my S.M.A.R.T Goals? Covid-19 was a tough time for everyone and had positive and negative effects on all the domains surrounding wellness. Personally, the pandemic provided me with a unique opportunity to look at several aspects of my wellness that may have been overlooked if the pandemic had not occurred. Notably, my intellectual and environmental wellness saw significant attention during this time, evident in my wellness inventory. For my S.M.A.R.T goals, I chose goals for the domains that I felt needed to be recognized and improved. I established specific goals to address these domains which included, engaging in regular aerobic
5 exercises for me physical wellness, engaging in meditation to enhance emotional wellness, and focusing on strengthening my social connections/relationships to improve social wellness. The pandemic notably influenced my goals for emotional and social wellness, reflected by their middle of the scale scores. On the other hand, my commitment to physical wellness remained steadfast, emphasizing its inherent significance in my holistic well-being, independent of any pandemic-related factors. As I stated in my previous section, I took my physical wellness seriously before the pandemic hit. However, maintaining physical wellness can be difficult sometimes. I have set a goal of improving my cardiovascular health so that I can improve my physical health even more. A method of support that can be used is finding other individuals interested in improving their cardiovascular health and willing to participate in aerobics with me, so I do not feel alone. When finding other individuals interested in the same hobbies as yourself, it gives me a sense of motivation and something to look forward to everyday. My next goal is to practice meditation for five minutes every morning after I wake up. I will then increase the time spent meditating every morning to every morning and night and 45 minutes to improve my emotional wellness. The pandemic influenced this goal because while in lockdown my anxiety and stress continued to get worse, and I have not been fully able to get it under control since then. Many meditation practitioners believe the vibrations and harmony of chanting certain syllables can enable a deeper meditative state. This deep meditation can help release any blocked energy disrupting your well-being (Raypole, 2020). As I have never tried meditation, I may face some difficulties and would like to overcome my daily obstacles with ease. If I encounter difficulties, one resource I could utilize is a meditation app. Numerous apps are available to provide guided meditation sessions, making it easier for beginners. planning/attending at least one social activity with friends and family each week for a month to improve social wellness My social wellness was hit hard due to the pandemic and therefore, I have set the goal to set aside time in my schedule to contact friends or family members to schedule an activity to improve my social wellness. The pandemic influenced this goal because after going into foster care I was unable to work on the social skills I lacked and so desperately needed. This affected my ability to make new friends as well as keep the friendships I already had. While in lockdown, no one was able to leave their homes making it a lot more difficult to meet new people, which was always something I struggled with and wanted to improve on. One resource that I could implement is joining more clubs that catch my interest through the university to help with my social wellness. This could also help with the daily social anxiety I deal with.
6 References Hales, Dianne. Invitation to Health. Cengage Learning. (Chapter 1, pg. 5, 8 and 10) “How Does Social Connectedness Affect Health?” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30 Mar. 2023, www.cdc.gov/emotional-wellbeing/social-
connectedness/affecthealth.htm#:~:text=Our%20relationships%20with%20family%2C%20friends,ment
al%20and%20physical%20health%20outcomes
. Morrell, Kelly. “Mantra Meditation: Benefits, How to Try It, and More.” Healthline
, Healthline Media, 18 Aug. 2020, www.healthline.com/health/mantra-meditation
. WPA
. “Why It’s Important to Look after Your Cardiovascular Health.” WPA
, WPA, 1 Oct. 2022, www.wpa.org.uk/health-wellbeing/articles/cardiovascular-health
.
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