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Zoila Brown
Professor Moore
HED-44-53149
7 July 2019
Personal Prescription Project
Having a healthy lifestyle is very important in order to sustain a longer and happier

lifespan. After taking my health self-assessment test I realized that my lifestyle could use some

changing that would benefit me in the long run. I have known for a while that my health was not

in the best place, but after reviewing my scores from the self-assessment I finally saw that my

health is worse than I had anticipated. My overall health is in a mediocre state due to my lack of

concentration on all aspects of the health dimensions. I have a pattern of working out

consistently and eating right off and on for a certain period of time then shifting my habits

negatively. My weight has always fluctuated due to my inconsistency of keeping a steady routine

that balances physical fitness, eating habits, and time to focus on what my mind needs. Rather

than focusing solely on just one individual dimension, I need to focus on all of them together in

order to increase my overall health.

In order to improve my current health state, I need set realistic goals as well as taking

active steps towards functionally reaching those goals. I need to allow myself to open up to

getting help with my own personal battles that have kept me from overcoming obstacles in the

past. When it comes to expressing my feelings, it has always been easier for me to tuck emotions

away rather than confront them head on. Not being able to fully express my feelings to those I

trust and love not only puts a toll on my mental health, but also my social health due to lack of

sentimental connection with friends and family. It will also be helpful for me to improve my

current health by transforming my pessimistic thought into optimistic ones. To do so I must

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believe in my own abilities to conquer my fear of failure and accept that failure is necessary for

growth and it should not be considered as a negative quality.

Sustaining a healthy lifestyle is important for not only individual persons, but for the

community in which people live in. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle makes it easier to develop a

routine that will benefit one’s daily life. In order to maintain such a lifestyle, focus must be

aimed at keeping all dimensions of health attainable. These health dimensions include physical,

spiritual, emotional, environmental, intellectual, and social health. According to author Rebecca

Donatelle in Health: The Basics it is mentioned that, “Achieving wellness means attaining the

optimal level of well-being for your unique limitations and strengths” (7). The ability to

effectively balance all six dimensions in my day-to-day life will lead to a healthy lifestyle. It is

important to include all dimensions in my lifestyle to keep my mind, body, and soul in sync and

well balanced. As expressed in the textbook, “Our thoughts, perceptions, emotions, motivations,

interpersonal relationships, and behaviors are a product of our experiences and the skills we have

developed to meet life’s challenges” (Donatelle 38). Using the experiences we have been through

to create healthier relationships with people and one’s self is essential in sustaining a healthy

lifestyle.

Setting goals that are not only realistic, but attainable are important for creating and

improving a healthy lifestyle. There are three specific goals that I want to set and implement into

my life that will help lead me to creating a routine that improves my well-being. First, I need to

improve my emotional health, which affects my mental state. As mentioned earlier I have never

been able to express my feeling and emotions in a manner that helps me. This creates a negative

atmosphere for me that also affects the people around me and the relationships I hold with them.

I have set a goal to start going to therapy and seeing a counselor that will help me cope with my
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own personal issues and learn ways to deal/manage my stress and anxiety. This week I have

already taken steps towards achieving this goal by making an appointment with a counselor that I

will see for an hour once a week. Second, I must improve my physical health in order to achieve

my goal of losing necessary body fat to maintain a healthy weight and increase my self-

confidence. Being physically active would help me relieve and manage my anxiety that puts me

in crippling states of hopelessness and occasional seasons of depression. In an article “The

Mental Health Benefits of Exercise” it is noted that, “Exercise is a natural and effective anti-

anxiety treatment. It relieves tension and stress, boosts physical and mental energy, and enhances

well-being through the release of endorphins” (helpguide.org). I have taken steps towards

accomplishing this goal as well by recently purchasing a gym membership through my local

gym. Lastly, I want to set a goal that will push me to create better social relationships with

friends and family. I want to expand on the relationships I already have by building stronger

connections that will allow me to express emotions and establish an alliance for keeping one

another accountable. In the article “Social Relationships and Health: A Flashpoint for Health

Policy” the authors Debra Umberson and Jennifer Montez express that, “Social ties can instill a

sense of responsibility and concern for others that then lead individuals to engage in behaviors

that protect the health of others, as well as their own health. Social ties provide information and

create norms that further influence health habits” (3). Having close relationships with people that

make me feel comfortable enough to accept criticism and advice from will help me grow and

become aware of my own mistakes and focus on things that need improvement.

In conclusion, cultivating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important for the

longevity of one’s own life. Included in having a healthy lifestyle it is necessary to incorporate

and balance all six dimensions of health in my everyday life. The main areas that I need to
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improve in my life are being able to acknowledge and be proactive with all dimensions. I have

set goals for myself that I believe are realistic enough to achieve and have already taken steps

towards completion. My goals include opening up myself to creating stronger bonds with my

relationships I already have, increasing my physical fitness, and allowing myself to express my

emotions in order to manage my mental state. Putting focus on just certain dimensions is not my

goal, but to emphasize specific dimensions in my everyday routine that will better my overall

well-being. Overall, being able to sustain a healthy and happy lifestyle I have to be dedicated and

driven enough to change my habits that will allow me to achieve my goals and incorporate

positive lifestyle changes into my day-to-day life.

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Citations
Clark, M. S., & Finkel, E. J. (n.d.). Does Expressing Emotion Promote Well-Being? It Depends

on Relationship Context. The Social Life of Emotions, 105-126.

doi:10.1017/cbo9780511819568.007

Robinson, A., Segal, J., & Smith, M. (2019, June 19). The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise.

Retrieved June 23, 2019, from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-living/the-

mental-health-benefits-of-exercise.htm

Umberson, D., & Montez, J. K. (2010). Social Relationships and Health: A Flashpoint for Health

Policy. Journal of Health and Social Behavior. doi:10.1177/0022146510383501

Donatelle, R. J. (2016). Health: The Basics (Twelfth ed., The Mastering Health Edition).