Assignment Prompt & Instructions
– 2 years ago
**files (2)**
– ## HealthCareandWellnessProviderandFaithDiversityFirstDraft.docx
– ## TOPIC6OVERVIEW.pdf
**## HealthCareandWellnessProviderandFaithDiversityFirstDraft.docx**
PLEASE NO CHAT GPT OR AI
In 1,250-1,500 words, provide a comparative analysis of the two different faiths, reinforcing major themes with insights gained from your research.
1. Answer the following basic worldview questions for Christianity
**and** the faith you selected.
1. What is prime reality?
2. What is the nature of the world around us?
3. What is a human being?
4. What happens to a person at death?
5. Why is it possible to know anything at all?
6. How do we know what is right or wrong?
7. What is the meaning of human history?
2. Analyze the overall focus of the two different faith perspectives and their importance to the followers of that faith.
3. What are critical common components of the other faith and Christian practices (such as prayer and worship) that are part of the healing process? Explain.
4. For the person receiving care, explain the connection between each faith's spiritual perspectives in the overall experience of healing.
5. Describe your own spiritual perspective on healing.
6. How will your understanding of the diversity of faith expressions inform your philosophy of health care and wellness?
Support your position with five to six references. Those references are to include the following:
1. Primary source for each faith expression.
2. Three academic resources
[https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12909-024-06353-7](https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12909-024-06353-7)
**## TOPIC6OVERVIEW.pdf**
HLT-302 Topic 6 Overview
Spiritual Self-Care, Burnout, and Combatting Compassion Fatigue
Introduction
Preventing burnout or compassion fatigue is an important consideration for health care
professionals for the long term, but also as an ongoing, daily, weekly personal goal. The
reality of suffering bouts of exhaustion at some point while giving care at any level often
is inevitable. Suffering from continual fatigue that leads into feelings of hopelessness,
while losing a sense of purpose, however, is avoidable. It is a battle that must be fought
with a commitment to personal health and well-being (Chapman, 2007). Health care
professionals and others who give care must be determined and committed to seeking
balance between professional and personal life. Attending to one's health that clearly
identifies physical, emotional, and spiritual needs is vital in order to deliver the kind of
care patients require and deserve. No one is superhuman, so all must seek help.
Caring for Self
Although some people would regard caring for self a type of selfishness, it is in many
ways the best way to also prepare to care for others. What good are caregivers who are
so tired that they cannot determine the complete needs of the patient, or so sad that
they feel hopeless and appear detached? If caregivers are so weak that they are
unhealthy physically, emotionally, or spiritually, they in essence have become patients
themselves who are also in need of care. Caregivers must see themselves as people who
also require support, relief, and rest, and they should seek assistance before these
needs become liabilities when caring for patients. In order to be sure they are healthy
enough to serve others, caregivers must look for opportunities to make good wellness
choices for themselves in different areas of self-care. They need to eat healthy food,
take breaks, get good exercise, listen to music, play music, or sing music to rejuvenate
the brain's need for rest. One may choose to relax by reading, avoiding unhealthy
habits, and finding opportunities to laugh and cry with trusted family or friends.
Everyone needs a sense of balance, a steadiness in life, and the ones who are caring for
others in largely ongoing stressful situations should especially make sure they are
pursuing a healthy balance in their own lives to nourish both body and soul. While one's
career may be seen as a calling, urging one to make sacrifices, it should not mean that
the one called to serve gives up much-needed attention to health, or forsakes wisdom in
doing so. Proper rest and relaxation are important and God-prescribed.
Being Physically Healthy
One of the first ways for a caregiver to increase or promote health and well-being is to
add a personal time commitment for regular exercise. Many people feel they do not
have time to include anything else to their busy lives. The problem with their perception
is that without wellness and a sense of order and balance, their lives are not as
productive, nor as happy, as they could be. Busyness is creeping into people's lives to
such an extent that it is almost becoming a badge of honor to be too busy to do
something else besides work hard, or solely meet the needs of others. The challenge
that busyness poses is the diminishing of health externally, but very much internally as
well. Without proper nutrition, proper activity for the body and mind, along with proper
rest, a body rebels with decreased immunity to common illnesses. At best, a physical
body can wear out and deprive us of doing things we love, including our chosen
profession. Taking the time to walk outside for half an hour or during the lunch break
could add productivity to the rest of the day because the body would have been
recharged by the change of scenery and the benefit of cardiovascular exercise. The
neuroscience community also supports walking as a stimulant to the brain. By the same
token, a trip to the grocery store for some healthy foods would be much healthier than
a quick stop at a fast food establishment or even a popular restaurant. Making a few
good but initially inconvenient choices would improve one's outlook and overall
happiness over the long haul.
Being Spiritually Healthy
Another area of life in which good choices are often avoided is one's spirituality or
spiritual life. People feel they do not have time for spiritual matters, but failing to
address spiritual needs causes a spiritual version of an unhealthy body. It may not be
immediately apparent, but a life lived devoid of spiritual health will suffer. Although
human beings were created with a mind, body, and soul, the soul receives very little
attention since it is hidden, unseen, and private. While caregivers may be interested in
having healthy bodies, often, no thought is given to the condition of their souls or at the
very least, their internal being. Just as the physical body needs rest, recuperation, and
healthy nutrition, the soul needs time for spiritual restoration, encouragement, and
faith-building. Taking time every morning, for example, for spiritual nourishment and
meditation adds ongoing mental strength and shape to the soul. Stopping on the
weekend to rest in this manner and focus on God is essential to overall spiritual health
from a Christian worldview perspective. Human beings were designed with this need
and created to be able to connect to the one who satisfies this need in every way. That
is not to say that if one works on the weekend, one cannot lead a healthy spiritual life.
Those who work on the weekend need to find their own "weekend" time during the
regular work week and take comparable time to rest, worship, and refuel. Although
spirituality includes a community aspect and interaction with others who give and
receive encouragement, when schedules do not mesh, one can still take the time to
recharge alone with God. These should be considered sacred encounters that can
divinely spill into the holiness of caring for others. We can give much better from a full
wellspring of personal healthy, not an empty one.
Being Emotionally Healthy
As previously mentioned, a Christian worldview understanding sees that human beings
are made up of mind, body, and soul. An awareness of the need for protecting the mind
would help many people live healthier lives overall. Just as it is essential to exercise and
rest the body and the spirit, it is essential to take time for mental stimulation as well as
a time for relaxation. After running a marathon, a runner knows that it is essential to do
certain things to restore balance and health to the muscles that have been overused. By
the same token, health care providers who have given care for extended periods of time
or experienced troubling workplace or personal traumas need to allow themselves time
and consideration for recovery and a restoration of emotional health. They may need a
significant emotional outlet that is consistent and beneficial. They may need time to cry
or time to laugh. They may need comfort, or they may just need time and space to
unwind and debrief from the events of the day. Each person should make careful and
deliberate choices to recover emotionally after expending the kind of energy required in
the field of health care.
Conclusion
Self-care choices for physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being are essential, and by
their very nature are personal. No one can make decisions for anyone else about these
concerns. Each individual needs to decide how to find a healthy balance, how to sustain
physical energy, and how to seek the best possible wellness in all important aspects of
life. The physical, the spiritual, and the emotional areas of human existence all require
care, especially for one who is providing deep and committed care for others. Finding
others who will participate and support you in the healthy exercise of mind, body, and
soul would be greatly advantageous, but ultimately everyone decides for him or herself
and chooses whether to be healthy for the long haul or burn-out in the short-term.
References
Chapman, E. (2007). Radical loving care: Building the healing hospital in America.
Vaughn Printing.
© 2023. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.
**## TOPIC6OVERVIEW.pdf**
HLT-302 Topic 6 Overview
Spiritual Self-Care, Burnout, and Combatting Compassion Fatigue
Introduction
Preventing burnout or compassion fatigue is an important consideration for health care
professionals for the long term, but also as an ongoing, daily, weekly personal goal. The
reality of suffering bouts of exhaustion at some point while giving care at any level often
is inevitable. Suffering from continual fatigue that leads into feelings of hopelessness,
while losing a sense of purpose, however, is avoidable. It is a battle that must be fought
with a commitment to personal health and well-being (Chapman, 2007). Health care
professionals and others who give care must be determined and committed to seeking
balance between professional and personal life. Attending to one's health that clearly
identifies physical, emotional, and spiritual needs is vital in order to deliver the kind of
care patients require and deserve. No one is superhuman, so all must seek help.
Caring for Self
Although some people would regard caring for self a type of selfishness, it is in many
ways the best way to also prepare to care for others. What good are caregivers who are
so tired that they cannot determine the complete needs of the patient, or so sad that
they feel hopeless and appear detached? If caregivers are so weak that they are
unhealthy physically, emotionally, or spiritually, they in essence have become patients
themselves who are also in need of care. Caregivers must see themselves as people who
also require support, relief, and rest, and they should seek assistance before these
needs become liabilities when caring for patients. In order to be sure they are healthy
enough to serve others, caregivers must look for opportunities to make good wellness
choices for themselves in different areas of self-care. They need to eat healthy food,
take breaks, get good exercise, listen to music, play music, or sing music to rejuvenate
the brain's need for rest. One may choose to relax by reading, avoiding unhealthy
habits, and finding opportunities to laugh and cry with trusted family or friends.
Everyone needs a sense of balance, a steadiness in life, and the ones who are caring for
others in largely ongoing stressful situations should especially make sure they are
pursuing a healthy balance in their own lives to nourish both body and soul. While one's
career may be seen as a calling, urging one to make sacrifices, it should not mean that
the one called to serve gives up much-needed attention to health, or forsakes wisdom in
doing so. Proper rest and relaxation are important and God-prescribed.
Being Physically Healthy
One of the first ways for a caregiver to increase or promote health and well-being is to
add a personal time commitment for regular exercise. Many people feel they do not
have time to include anything else to their busy lives. The problem with their perception
is that without wellness and a sense of order and balance, their lives are not as
productive, nor as happy, as they could be. Busyness is creeping into people's lives to
such an extent that it is almost becoming a badge of honor to be too busy to do
something else besides work hard, or solely meet the needs of others. The challenge
that busyness poses is the diminishing of health externally, but very much internally as
well. Without proper nutrition, proper activity for the body and mind, along with proper
rest, a body rebels with decreased immunity to common illnesses. At best, a physical
body can wear out and deprive us of doing things we love, including our chosen
profession. Taking the time to walk outside for half an hour or during the lunch break
could add productivity to the rest of the day because the body would have been
recharged by the change of scenery and the benefit of cardiovascular exercise. The
neuroscience community also supports walking as a stimulant to the brain. By the same
token, a trip to the grocery store for some healthy foods would be much healthier than
a quick stop at a fast food establishment or even a popular restaurant. Making a few
good but initially inconvenient choices would improve one's outlook and overall
happiness over the long haul.
Being Spiritually Healthy
Another area of life in which good choices are often avoided is one's spirituality or
spiritual life. People feel they do not have time for spiritual matters, but failing to
address spiritual needs causes a spiritual version of an unhealthy body. It may not be
immediately apparent, but a life lived devoid of spiritual health will suffer. Although
human beings were created with a mind, body, and soul, the soul receives very little
attention since it is hidden, unseen, and private. While caregivers may be interested in
having healthy bodies, often, no thought is given to the condition of their souls or at the
very least, their internal being. Just as the physical body needs rest, recuperation, and
healthy nutrition, the soul needs time for spiritual restoration, encouragement, and
faith-building. Taking time every morning, for example, for spiritual nourishment and
meditation adds ongoing mental strength and shape to the soul. Stopping on the
weekend to rest in this manner and focus on God is essential to overall spiritual health
from a Christian worldview perspective. Human beings were designed with this need
and created to be able to connect to the one who satisfies this need in every way. That
is not to say that if one works on the weekend, one cannot lead a healthy spiritual life.
Those who work on the weekend need to find their own "weekend" time during the
regular work week and take comparable time to rest, worship, and refuel. Although
spirituality includes a community aspect and interaction with others who give and
receive encouragement, when schedules do not mesh, one can still take the time to
recharge alone with God. These should be considered sacred encounters that can
divinely spill into the holiness of caring for others. We can give much better from a full
wellspring of personal healthy, not an empty one.
Being Emotionally Healthy
As previously mentioned, a Christian worldview understanding sees that human beings
are made up of mind, body, and soul. An awareness of the need for protecting the mind
would help many people live healthier lives overall. Just as it is essential to exercise and
rest the body and the spirit, it is essential to take time for mental stimulation as well as
a time for relaxation. After running a marathon, a runner knows that it is essential to do
certain things to restore balance and health to the muscles that have been overused. By
the same token, health care providers who have given care for extended periods of time
or experienced troubling workplace or personal traumas need to allow themselves time
and consideration for recovery and a restoration of emotional health. They may need a
significant emotional outlet that is consistent and beneficial. They may need time to cry
or time to laugh. They may need comfort, or they may just need time and space to
unwind and debrief from the events of the day. Each person should make careful and
deliberate choices to recover emotionally after expending the kind of energy required in
the field of health care.
Conclusion
Self-care choices for physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being are essential, and by
their very nature are personal. No one can make decisions for anyone else about these
concerns. Each individual needs to decide how to find a healthy balance, how to sustain
physical energy, and how to seek the best possible wellness in all important aspects of
life. The physical, the spiritual, and the emotional areas of human existence all require
care, especially for one who is providing deep and committed care for others. Finding
others who will participate and support you in the healthy exercise of mind, body, and
soul would be greatly advantageous, but ultimately everyone decides for him or herself
and chooses whether to be healthy for the long haul or burn-out in the short-term.
References
Chapman, E. (2007). Radical loving care: Building the healing hospital in America.
Vaughn Printing.
© 2023. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.
**## HealthCareandWellnessProviderandFaithDiversityFirstDraft.docx**
PLEASE NO CHAT GPT OR AI
In 1,250-1,500 words, provide a comparative analysis of the two different faiths, reinforcing major themes with insights gained from your research.
1. Answer the following basic worldview questions for Christianity
**and** the faith you selected.
1. What is prime reality?
2. What is the nature of the world around us?
3. What is a human being?
4. What happens to a person at death?
5. Why is it possible to know anything at all?
6. How do we know what is right or wrong?
7. What is the meaning of human history?
2. Analyze the overall focus of the two different faith perspectives and their importance to the followers of that faith.
3. What are critical common components of the other faith and Christian practices (such as prayer and worship) that are part of the healing process? Explain.
4. For the person receiving care, explain the connection between each faith's spiritual perspectives in the overall experience of healing.
5. Describe your own spiritual perspective on healing.
6. How will your understanding of the diversity of faith expressions inform your philosophy of health care and wellness?
Support your position with five to six references. Those references are to include the following:
1. Primary source for each faith expression.
2. Three academic resources
[https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12909-024-06353-7](https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12909-024-06353-7)
**## TOPIC6OVERVIEW.pdf**
HLT-302 Topic 6 Overview
Spiritual Self-Care, Burnout, and Combatting Compassion Fatigue
Introduction
Preventing burnout or compassion fatigue is an important consideration for health care
professionals for the long term, but also as an ongoing, daily, weekly personal goal. The
reality of suffering bouts of exhaustion at some point while giving care at any level often
is inevitable. Suffering from continual fatigue that leads into feelings of hopelessness,
while losing a sense of purpose, however, is avoidable. It is a battle that must be fought
with a commitment to personal health and well-being (Chapman, 2007). Health care
professionals and others who give care must be determined and committed to seeking
balance between professional and personal life. Attending to one's health that clearly
identifies physical, emotional, and spiritual needs is vital in order to deliver the kind of
care patients require and deserve. No one is superhuman, so all must seek help.
Caring for Self
Although some people would regard caring for self a type of selfishness, it is in many
ways the best way to also prepare to care for others. What good are caregivers who are
so tired that they cannot determine the complete needs of the patient, or so sad that
they feel hopeless and appear detached? If caregivers are so weak that they are
unhealthy physically, emotionally, or spiritually, they in essence have become patients
themselves who are also in need of care. Caregivers must see themselves as people who
also require support, relief, and rest, and they should seek assistance before these
needs become liabilities when caring for patients. In order to be sure they are healthy
enough to serve others, caregivers must look for opportunities to make good wellness
choices for themselves in different areas of self-care. They need to eat healthy food,
take breaks, get good exercise, listen to music, play music, or sing music to rejuvenate
the brain's need for rest. One may choose to relax by reading, avoiding unhealthy
habits, and finding opportunities to laugh and cry with trusted family or friends.
Everyone needs a sense of balance, a steadiness in life, and the ones who are caring for
others in largely ongoing stressful situations should especially make sure they are
pursuing a healthy balance in their own lives to nourish both body and soul. While one's
career may be seen as a calling, urging one to make sacrifices, it should not mean that
the one called to serve gives up much-needed attention to health, or forsakes wisdom in
doing so. Proper rest and relaxation are important and God-prescribed.
Being Physically Healthy
One of the first ways for a caregiver to increase or promote health and well-being is to
add a personal time commitment for regular exercise. Many people feel they do not
have time to include anything else to their busy lives. The problem with their perception
is that without wellness and a sense of order and balance, their lives are not as
productive, nor as happy, as they could be. Busyness is creeping into people's lives to
such an extent that it is almost becoming a badge of honor to be too busy to do
something else besides work hard, or solely meet the needs of others. The challenge
that busyness poses is the diminishing of health externally, but very much internally as
well. Without proper nutrition, proper activity for the body and mind, along with proper
rest, a body rebels with decreased immunity to common illnesses. At best, a physical
body can wear out and deprive us of doing things we love, including our chosen
profession. Taking the time to walk outside for half an hour or during the lunch break
could add productivity to the rest of the day because the body would have been
recharged by the change of scenery and the benefit of cardiovascular exercise. The
neuroscience community also supports walking as a stimulant to the brain. By the same
token, a trip to the grocery store for some healthy foods would be much healthier than
a quick stop at a fast food establishment or even a popular restaurant. Making a few
good but initially inconvenient choices would improve one's outlook and overall
happiness over the long haul.
Being Spiritually Healthy
Another area of life in which good choices are often avoided is one's spirituality or
spiritual life. People feel they do not have time for spiritual matters, but failing to
address spiritual needs causes a spiritual version of an unhealthy body. It may not be
immediately apparent, but a life lived devoid of spiritual health will suffer. Although
human beings were created with a mind, body, and soul, the soul receives very little
attention since it is hidden, unseen, and private. While caregivers may be interested in
having healthy bodies, often, no thought is given to the condition of their souls or at the
very least, their internal being. Just as the physical body needs rest, recuperation, and
healthy nutrition, the soul needs time for spiritual restoration, encouragement, and
faith-building. Taking time every morning, for example, for spiritual nourishment and
meditation adds ongoing mental strength and shape to the soul. Stopping on the
weekend to rest in this manner and focus on God is essential to overall spiritual health
from a Christian worldview perspective. Human beings were designed with this need
and created to be able to connect to the one who satisfies this need in every way. That
is not to say that if one works on the weekend, one cannot lead a healthy spiritual life.
Those who work on the weekend need to find their own "weekend" time during the
regular work week and take comparable time to rest, worship, and refuel. Although
spirituality includes a community aspect and interaction with others who give and
receive encouragement, when schedules do not mesh, one can still take the time to
recharge alone with God. These should be considered sacred encounters that can
divinely spill into the holiness of caring for others. We can give much better from a full
wellspring of personal healthy, not an empty one.
Being Emotionally Healthy
As previously mentioned, a Christian worldview understanding sees that human beings
are made up of mind, body, and soul. An awareness of the need for protecting the mind
would help many people live healthier lives overall. Just as it is essential to exercise and
rest the body and the spirit, it is essential to take time for mental stimulation as well as
a time for relaxation. After running a marathon, a runner knows that it is essential to do
certain things to restore balance and health to the muscles that have been overused. By
the same token, health care providers who have given care for extended periods of time
or experienced troubling workplace or personal traumas need to allow themselves time
and consideration for recovery and a restoration of emotional health. They may need a
significant emotional outlet that is consistent and beneficial. They may need time to cry
or time to laugh. They may need comfort, or they may just need time and space to
unwind and debrief from the events of the day. Each person should make careful and
deliberate choices to recover emotionally after expending the kind of energy required in
the field of health care.
Conclusion
Self-care choices for physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being are essential, and by
their very nature are personal. No one can make decisions for anyone else about these
concerns. Each individual needs to decide how to find a healthy balance, how to sustain
physical energy, and how to seek the best possible wellness in all important aspects of
life. The physical, the spiritual, and the emotional areas of human existence all require
care, especially for one who is providing deep and committed care for others. Finding
others who will participate and support you in the healthy exercise of mind, body, and
soul would be greatly advantageous, but ultimately everyone decides for him or herself
and chooses whether to be healthy for the long haul or burn-out in the short-term.
References
Chapman, E. (2007). Radical loving care: Building the healing hospital in America.
Vaughn Printing.
© 2023. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.
**## HealthCareandWellnessProviderandFaithDiversityFirstDraft.docx**
PLEASE NO CHAT GPT OR AI
In 1,250-1,500 words, provide a comparative analysis of the two different faiths, reinforcing major themes with insights gained from your research.
1. Answer the following basic worldview questions for Christianity
**and** the faith you selected.
1. What is prime reality?
2. What is the nature of the world around us?
3. What is a human being?
4. What happens to a person at death?
5. Why is it possible to know anything at all?
6. How do we know what is right or wrong?
7. What is the meaning of human history?
2. Analyze the overall focus of the two different faith perspectives and their importance to the followers of that faith.
3. What are critical common components of the other faith and Christian practices (such as prayer and worship) that are part of the healing process? Explain.
4. For the person receiving care, explain the connection between each faith's spiritual perspectives in the overall experience of healing.
5. Describe your own spiritual perspective on healing.
6. How will your understanding of the diversity of faith expressions inform your philosophy of health care and wellness?
Support your position with five to six references. Those references are to include the following:
1. Primary source for each faith expression.
2. Three academic resources
[https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12909-024-06353-7](https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12909-024-06353-7)
**## TOPIC6OVERVIEW.pdf**
HLT-302 Topic 6 Overview
Spiritual Self-Care, Burnout, and Combatting Compassion Fatigue
Introduction
Preventing burnout or compassion fatigue is an important consideration for health care
professionals for the long term, but also as an ongoing, daily, weekly personal goal. The
reality of suffering bouts of exhaustion at some point while giving care at any level often
is inevitable. Suffering from continual fatigue that leads into feelings of hopelessness,
while losing a sense of purpose, however, is avoidable. It is a battle that must be fought
with a commitment to personal health and well-being (Chapman, 2007). Health care
professionals and others who give care must be determined and committed to seeking
balance between professional and personal life. Attending to one's health that clearly
identifies physical, emotional, and spiritual needs is vital in order to deliver the kind of
care patients require and deserve. No one is superhuman, so all must seek help.
Caring for Self
Although some people would regard caring for self a type of selfishness, it is in many
ways the best way to also prepare to care for others. What good are caregivers who are
so tired that they cannot determine the complete needs of the patient, or so sad that
they feel hopeless and appear detached? If caregivers are so weak that they are
unhealthy physically, emotionally, or spiritually, they in essence have become patients
themselves who are also in need of care. Caregivers must see themselves as people who
also require support, relief, and rest, and they should seek assistance before these
needs become liabilities when caring for patients. In order to be sure they are healthy
enough to serve others, caregivers must look for opportunities to make good wellness
choices for themselves in different areas of self-care. They need to eat healthy food,
take breaks, get good exercise, listen to music, play music, or sing music to rejuvenate
the brain's need for rest. One may choose to relax by reading, avoiding unhealthy
habits, and finding opportunities to laugh and cry with trusted family or friends.
Everyone needs a sense of balance, a steadiness in life, and the ones who are caring for
others in largely ongoing stressful situations should especially make sure they are
pursuing a healthy balance in their own lives to nourish both body and soul. While one's
career may be seen as a calling, urging one to make sacrifices, it should not mean that
the one called to serve gives up much-needed attention to health, or forsakes wisdom in
doing so. Proper rest and relaxation are important and God-prescribed.
Being Physically Healthy
One of the first ways for a caregiver to increase or promote health and well-being is to
add a personal time commitment for regular exercise. Many people feel they do not
have time to include anything else to their busy lives. The problem with their perception
is that without wellness and a sense of order and balance, their lives are not as
productive, nor as happy, as they could be. Busyness is creeping into people's lives to
such an extent that it is almost becoming a badge of honor to be too busy to do
something else besides work hard, or solely meet the needs of others. The challenge
that busyness poses is the diminishing of health externally, but very much internally as
well. Without proper nutrition, proper activity for the body and mind, along with proper
rest, a body rebels with decreased immunity to common illnesses. At best, a physical
body can wear out and deprive us of doing things we love, including our chosen
profession. Taking the time to walk outside for half an hour or during the lunch break
could add productivity to the rest of the day because the body would have been
recharged by the change of scenery and the benefit of cardiovascular exercise. The
neuroscience community also supports walking as a stimulant to the brain. By the same
token, a trip to the grocery store for some healthy foods would be much healthier than
a quick stop at a fast food establishment or even a popular restaurant. Making a few
good but initially inconvenient choices would improve one's outlook and overall
happiness over the long haul.
Being Spiritually Healthy
Another area of life in which good choices are often avoided is one's spirituality or
spiritual life. People feel they do not have time for spiritual matters, but failing to
address spiritual needs causes a spiritual version of an unhealthy body. It may not be
immediately apparent, but a life lived devoid of spiritual health will suffer. Although
human beings were created with a mind, body, and soul, the soul receives very little
attention since it is hidden, unseen, and private. While caregivers may be interested in
having healthy bodies, often, no thought is given to the condition of their souls or at the
very least, their internal being. Just as the physical body needs rest, recuperation, and
healthy nutrition, the soul needs time for spiritual restoration, encouragement, and
faith-building. Taking time every morning, for example, for spiritual nourishment and
meditation adds ongoing mental strength and shape to the soul. Stopping on the
weekend to rest in this manner and focus on God is essential to overall spiritual health
from a Christian worldview perspective. Human beings were designed with this need
and created to be able to connect to the one who satisfies this need in every way. That
is not to say that if one works on the weekend, one cannot lead a healthy spiritual life.
Those who work on the weekend need to find their own "weekend" time during the
regular work week and take comparable time to rest, worship, and refuel. Although
spirituality includes a community aspect and interaction with others who give and
receive encouragement, when schedules do not mesh, one can still take the time to
recharge alone with God. These should be considered sacred encounters that can
divinely spill into the holiness of caring for others. We can give much better from a full
wellspring of personal healthy, not an empty one.
Being Emotionally Healthy
As previously mentioned, a Christian worldview understanding sees that human beings
are made up of mind, body, and soul. An awareness of the need for protecting the mind
would help many people live healthier lives overall. Just as it is essential to exercise and
rest the body and the spirit, it is essential to take time for mental stimulation as well as
a time for relaxation. After running a marathon, a runner knows that it is essential to do
certain things to restore balance and health to the muscles that have been overused. By
the same token, health care providers who have given care for extended periods of time
or experienced troubling workplace or personal traumas need to allow themselves time
and consideration for recovery and a restoration of emotional health. They may need a
significant emotional outlet that is consistent and beneficial. They may need time to cry
or time to laugh. They may need comfort, or they may just need time and space to
unwind and debrief from the events of the day. Each person should make careful and
deliberate choices to recover emotionally after expending the kind of energy required in
the field of health care.
Conclusion
Self-care choices for physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being are essential, and by
their very nature are personal. No one can make decisions for anyone else about these
concerns. Each individual needs to decide how to find a healthy balance, how to sustain
physical energy, and how to seek the best possible wellness in all important aspects of
life. The physical, the spiritual, and the emotional areas of human existence all require
care, especially for one who is providing deep and committed care for others. Finding
others who will participate and support you in the healthy exercise of mind, body, and
soul would be greatly advantageous, but ultimately everyone decides for him or herself
and chooses whether to be healthy for the long haul or burn-out in the short-term.
References
Chapman, E. (2007). Radical loving care: Building the healing hospital in America.
Vaughn Printing.
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