The second and final week of orientation is finished. The most important aspect that I got out of it was the wellness talk. I believe that in our lives, we continually try to find wellness in all aspects of our lives without even really realizing it.
There are six pillars of wellness.
- Social – this is how well you get along with others and your environment.
- Physical – this is how physically fit you are by exercising and eating well.
- Emotional – this is how well you’re able to express your feelings.
- Spiritual – this is understanding the purpose of life, being self aware and open.
- Intellectual – this is the desire for lifelong learning.
- Occupational – this is applying yourself to something that’s meaningful and rewarding.
We all try to obtain this delicate balance. When one aspect suffers, we either go all overindulge in one way or hide in our shell. One way to gauge vulnerability to stress is through this short test. What I learned was that these are ways to help me relieve stress for the upcoming years.
Score 1 for Always True
Score 5 for Never True
- I eat at least one hot, balanced meal a day
- I get 7 to 8 hours of sleep at least 4 nights a week
- I have at least 1 person who lives nearby from whom I can ask a favour
- I exercise to the point of perspiration at least twice a week
- I do not smoke
- I drink fewer than five alcoholic drinks a week
- I am the appropriate weight for my height
- I drink fewer than two cups of coffee (or tea or cola) a day
- I have a network of friends, family and acquaintances on whom I can rely
- I confide with at least one person in my network about personal matters
- I am generally in good health
- I am able to speak openly about my feelings when angry, stressed or worried
- I do something for fun at least once a week
- I recognise stress symptoms
- I take quiet time for myself during the day
- I have an income adequate to meet my basic expenses
- I spend less than an hour each day traveling to and from work
- I am calm when I am kept waiting/stuck in traffic/late for an appointment?
- I have regular calm conversations with the people I live with about domestic problems, e.g., chores, money and daily living issues
- I never try to do everything myself
- I never race through a day
- I never complain about time wasted and the past
- I feel organized and in control
- I am able to organize my time effectively
- I recognise when I am not coping well under pressure
Anyways, I picked the quote about courage this week because we’re told over and over again about the difficulty of this program. But I feel that no matter how many times it has been emphasized, you won’t be completely ready for it. The only way is to do it. So here it goes.
Jessica
Stress level:
