Blog 5: Stress Management!

            While reading the text this week, I reflected on the most stressful time of my life: My first year in college.  During this year, I lived in a constant state of stress.  I cannot recall taking any time for relaxation.  Many times, I only attended social events because I felt like I should.  Procrastination was also a huge component with my stress.  I remember feeling anxious that I was looking at Facebook instead of studying, but I would not change my actions.  Instead, I would stay up all night before my tests in an attempt to cram as much information into my head as possible.  I did exercise, actually over-exercised, but it was not in an attempt to decrease stress.  It was in an endeavor to control my seemingly out of control life.  Even the relationships that I did have were shallow and not ones that would allow me to be open and vulnerable.  Just as Corey and Corey (2008) described as possible, I literally made myself sick.   I had a cold for the entire winter and spring of my first year of college. 

            Upon self-reflection, I now know some ways my stress was perpetuated.  First, I was completely burnt out.  Instead of relaxing my body, I exercised more, which only amplified the burn out.  I also entered college with defensive behavior, setting myself up for failure.  I never felt smart enough to attend UVa so I always told myself that if I had not gone to a rural high school, my GPA would have been lower and I would never have been accepted.  I used humor to describe my situation, but it was self-deprecating.  In discussions, I chose to stay silent because I had decided that I was not intelligent enough to offer any ideas of substance.  The negative thoughts that I allowed to enter my head did not translate into motivation.  They kept me stuck in a constant state of stress and depression. 

            Throughout the past seven years, I have developed healthier ways of managing my stress.  My time management stills improved my last two years of college and are mostly adequate now.  I rarely procrastinate because I know that in order to spend time with my friends and boyfriend, I must complete my work early.  Running is now an activity that I do for fun and as a stress reliever and not one that I put pressure on myself to do every day.  I also allow a few distractions, such as watching a favorite TV show.  There are also many more stress-managing skills that I want to incorporate into my life such as practicing mindfulness, learning to rely more on others for support and practicing relaxation techniques.  This winter is my first one since High School that I have not even caught a cold (knock on wood) and I am hoping to continue the trend.  As a counselor, I hope to prevent similar stressful college situations with my students.

Corey, G., & Corey, M.S. (2008). I never knew I had a choice: Explorations in personal growth (9^th ed.). Belmont, California: Thompson Brooks/Cole. ISBN: 9780495602293.

Blog 5

Ah, another chapter that is completely relevant to my life. I am one of those people who tends to stress about the smallest things. I will write to-do lists on my hands until the ink runs out, I can’t fall asleep unless my room is clean, and I have my workload (by specific day) planned out for the entire semester on the first day of classes. This may seem characteristic of OCD, but the problem is that if any part of my plan goes awry, I am consumed with stress.

                Through the various internal journeys I have gone through in my graduate career so far, I identify with the concept of an approach-avoidance conflict, as outline by Corey and Corey (2008), but perhaps in a nonconventional way. Instead of being faced with concrete choices when making decisions, I am confronted with two thoughts that can benefit or be detrimental to the outcome. For example, if I need to make a decision about how to approach a project for a class, I weight the cost and benefit of my mindset regarding the process. I know that I can either plan out my timeline to a T and risk the stress that accompanies not getting everything finished at an exact time, or I can relax and let ideas come to me naturally which will allow for a more productive work experience without knowing the exact time and day of completion.

                My level of stress that goes hand-in-hand with my obsession about planning fits directly into the skills for being an effective counselor described by Greason and Cashwell (2009). In class this week, our group talked about the difficulty in listening to a client when our minds are screaming, “What should I ask next?” and “What do I say if they answer the question like this?” Mindfulness will be crucial to this whirlwind of thoughts because a client will not get the most out of a session if he or she can sense that the counselor is not truly listening and being empathic to the situation at hand.

                I think one of the most challenging aspects of my experience as a counselor-in-training is switching between sustained attention and attention switching (Greason & Cashwell, 2009, pg. 4). While I feel that I have greatly developed an ability to withhold a sustained attention when my client is speaking, when I feel that it is time to switch topics into something more productive, I find myself thinking about how to best transition while the client is still speaking to me. I believe that articles such as this one will allow me to realize that all counselors struggle with these types of situations in the beginning of the learning process, but there are solutions available on how to finely tune one’s skills.

Corey, G. , & Corey, M.S. (2008). I never knew I had a choice: Explorations in personal growth (9th ed.).               Belmont, California: Thompson Brooks/Cole. ISBN: 9780495602293.

Greason, P.B, & Cashwell, C.S. (2009). Mindfulness and Counseling Self Efficacy The Mediating Role of                Attention and Empathy

Holly Miller #5

          Stress is an inevitable part of life. I think learning to deal with it and learn from it is the key to a healthy life. I was glad our text devoted an entire chapter to this important topic. One thing I always keep in  my heart about stress is how I feel when I am not stressed. Looking forward to that feeling helps me get through the stressful times. Points of contrast can be our greatest teachers!
          Our text outlined different types of stress. Although physical stress can be quite taxing, it does not seem to last as long or have the same impact as psychological stress. I always said I would rather have a broken leg than a broken heart. One can be forgotten with pain medication and time, the other involves a long push/pull process of forgetting that creates deep tracks in the heart that never fade. Corey and Corey (2010) assert that stress can be viewed as frustration which results from something blocking attainment of your psychological needs and goals. I see frustration as the root of so many problems around me. We all are born to live our lives seeking happiness, joy and fulfillment. When these intangibles are very difficult to attain, that magic for living can be quickly extinguished. As complex and abstract as it seems, finding these things is often a product of the actual journey to find them! I can attest to this in my own life. At 23, I thought I had my path pretty much completed for my life. I would go to graduate school for psychology, then look for a doctoral program and hope to be successful like my own father. Little did I know I would never end up pursuing that path because of things that popped up along the sides of the path. I ended up working with children in the School District of Lancaster and liked it so much I never left! I had to "rewrite" my own definition of success for myself! For the longest time I felt pangs of guilt and frustration for not continuing my studies further, but I found a new way to feel proud of who I am and help others at the same time. Through the stress of creating a path for myself, I ended up finding happiness and satisfaction that I did not expect.
          Learning to deal with frustration can inevitably lead to change. Change is one of  life's constants, something we can always count on like the rising and setting of the sun. Change can lead to more stress or help to ease our stress. Again, it all depends on how we choose to deal with it. Corey and Corey (2010) highlight this premise by considering that the demands for adjustment to life change, along with YOUR perceptions of those demands, are more important than the type of changes alone. In other words, our own processing of change is one of the most important factors in determining how we survive the change.  I find that when I can see the positive angle on a change, I am much more likely to deal with it well. (This is often easier said then done.)
           Finally, the concept of pressure was introduced as a means for us to see how it impacts our lives and influences the expectations we set for ourselves and others. Corey (2010) indicates that the hurry sickness of our culture has robbed of us of the satisfaction that comes from making wise decisions and learning to grow from them. I must admit I am guilty of "hurrying" too much to in a culture that has never learned to befriend the clock! (I was reminded of that Alabama song I am in a Hurry to Get Things Done!) Ultimately, I think learning to view time as a friend instead of an enemy and enjoying the journey can help us all deal with stress, change and the pressures of everyday living.

Corey, G., & Corey, M.S. (2010). I never knew I had a choice:Explorations in personal growth. (9th ed.) Belmont, California: Thompson Brooks/Cole.

Chapter Four Blog and Article

                                                              Chapter Four Blog and Article

   I really enjoyed reading chapter four, because it mentioned a lot about nutrition and physical exercise. These things are very much apart of my everyday life. Honestly they are so very important to me that sometimes I focus a little too much on them. There was a time period in my life where I took it too far. My family and friends told me that I should give myself some more rest, but no matter how hard I tried to do that, I just couldn’t seem to make it happen. As a matter of fact, if I would miss one single day of working out, I would be devastated. It would literally ruin my whole day! I had sacrificed time with loved ones to go to the gym, and I would squeeze gym time anywhere into my schedule. This occurred even if it was inconvenient for others. As I look back on it now, I realize how selfish I was being. It is very important to be healthy and work out, but there is a point when it becomes to be too much. Then it can negatively affect others and yourself. Learning all this, I try to now to come up with a more realistic schedule for working out. I try to change my ways of thinking and tell myself that if I miss a day, it’s not the end of the world. It is okay to take a break sometimes.

        This health obsession also included my diet. I would always be constantly worrying about what I would be eating throughout the day. It was very distracting to my normal every day life. I feel that this deals a lot with my perception of my body image. I know that as a child I was always very self conscious when I was in school. I was constantly made fun of for my clothes that I wore. My focus wasn’t really on my looks; it was more on my studies. Later on, in high school and I started to feel that I needed to work on my appearance. Another factor that may have contributed to this issue is that my father was always very into studying health. It proved vey beneficial in many ways, because he would always give good advice on what to do to stay healthy. The only problem is, it turned into a bit of an obsession for him. He was always worrying about what he would eat and was very strict in the household with what kind of food we would have. There were many restrictions for the rest of the family members. To this day, I wonder if that’s why I seem to mirror some of these habits.

          Looking at the article we read this week about the Buddha’s influence in the therapy room, I realized that it may be beneficial for me to use some of this practice of mindfulness in my own life. I believe that I should try to look at my thoughts and acknowledge they are there instead of ignoring them completely. I do partake in yoga on a daily basis, but I want to work on my meditation. I find it very hard to concentrate sometimes, because my mind is too busy with too many other thoughts. Overall, I would really to keep my drive and ambition to be healthy, but I would like to work on moderation and also some spiritual health as well.

Corey, G., Shneider Corey., M. (2010)/ I Never Knew I Had a Choice. , (p. 107-128).

Siew Luan Khang, B. (2001, August). The Buddha’s Influence in the Therapy Room

Blog 4

It was very interesting to read the chapter in the Corey and Corey (2008) text book.  It was all about physical, mental, social, and spiritual well being.  I felt that a lot of the material is common sense, but at the same time it is not.  They give examples on what you should eat and how long should one sleep to have a better lifestyle and the book is absolutely right.  I think it is interesting because we live in a society where the majority of these things do not happen.  We are over stressed and overweight.  We get wrapped up in the craziness of our lives that we don’t have time to take care of ourselves and I for one am one of these people.  I exercise every once in a while but I don’t do it on a regular basis because I don’t have the time to do it.  From all of my school work to my job responsibilities, I don’t have time to exercise or sometimes eat healthy.  I just think that it is ironic that our society supports these healthy habits but then companies and food suppliers do anything they can to make money.  They show off models and make food that is not good for us.  Wouldn’t the world be perfect if we companies supported the society’s values?  Then wouldn’t we all be able to live happier?  At the same time what is happiness?  I think for everyone it is different but the wellness factor that this book gives good ideas on what we should do to live healthier lives.  I want to be able to follow what is said in this book because I do want to live a healthy lifestyle.  I know it is going to be hard but I feel as if I took the time, I could do it.

When thinking about the article that we had to read by Luan Khong (2007), I can only imagine the mindfulness that a counselor will have in a session towards a client.  There is a lot that would have to go into the counselor to have mindfulness.  I feel in order for a counselor to do that they need to have inner peace in a way.  In other words, I think that the counselor needs to take care of themselves by eating right and exercising so that they are physically and mentally ready to be able to have the Buddhist mindfulness.  I for one want to take care of myself so that I can effectively help my clients in any way that I can without my own life interfering.  I think it will be a challenge but I think that all counselors should do this to maximize their abilities to help a client. 

Corey, G., & Corey, M.S. (2008). I never knew I had a choice: Explorations in personal growth. (9^th ed.). Belmont, California: Thompson Brooks/Cole.

Luan Khong, B.S. (2007). The Buddha's influence in the therapy room. Hakomi Forum, 18, 11-18.  

Individually Speaking 4

     I pour through materials on stress reduction, nutrition, exercise, spirituality, and well being on a regular basis. It is wonderful to see the importance placed on this proactive topic within the Corey’s (2010) books. I feel it is not only important for each of us to practice and model these facets, but also to celebrate them in our students and cohorts. In schools, wellness education is often overlooked. We shouldn't expect that these behaviors are being taught at home. The future health of our nation requires wellness to be an important theme from earliest childhood on. We can not continue to be a reactive society.

     I began my quest for wellness information, shortly after college. One of my early (and most rewarding) jobs was working with clients leaving long term state institutionalized mental health care and entering group homes. In my position I ran social rehabilitative groups for their day programming requirements. My personal goal was to provide a holistic experience for my clients while they learned to readjust to the community at large. We covered everything from art and hobbies to yoga and tai chi to healthy eating and games.  As I was in my mid-twenties at the time, I had to research a lot of these topics myself in order to be somewhat knowledgeable. Since then, my zest for knowledge in wellness has only expanded.

     Wellness is universal, as is dis-ease. The ideals of a wellness conscious lifestyle provide the physical and mental health needed to weather the storms of human existence. So, what holds us from living this life? Consider this, what makes one choose anything but healthy behaviors? Lack of awareness? Old pain? Peer pressure? Attitude? Ego? In Eastern philosophy, the cultivation of mindful behaviors can attend to many unhealthy choices. Through accepting and understanding the monkey mind or chatter, we gain awareness and adopt a less judgmental view of ourselves, experiences, etc. (Luan Khong, 2007). I value the benefits of my personal meditation and mindfulness practices. Through these, I have learned a lot about myself, my triggers and how to respond with awareness. I am learning to accept my imperfections :) In her article, Luan Khong (2007) discusses the importance of cultivating the quiet mind first as a therapist then as a tool to share with clients.  For the therapist, understanding our own mind can lead to self acceptance, the ability to stay in the moment, and to reduce judgment. In this section, Caroline’s excerpt resonates with me. In it she shares her gratitude for her therapist being able to sit and listen, help her be who she is without judgment. This is a very difficult concept to learn sometimes for myself. I am a fixer, and an empathizer. Bringing the open space to the room is understandably a very powerful tool.  I often feel internal pressure to fill the space with helpful questions or tie- ins. Through this article I feel empowered to trust my intuition, that  simply listening may sometimes be more effective. For the client, learning mindfulness and meditation in sessions can be very helpful. I believe journaling the effects of such practice leads to these behaviors integrating into personal wellness kits. Remember however, that these ideals of what we “should” be are elusive and false; in acceptance is the truth.



Corey,G.,& Corey, M.S. (2010). I never knew I had a choice: Explorations in personal growth. (9th ed.). Belmont, California: Thompson Brooks/Cole.


Luan Khong, B.S. (2007). The Buddha's influence in the therapy room. Hakomi Forum, 18, 11-18.

Blog #4

Blog #4 – 2/26/2013

I cannot say how very much I enjoyed this week’s readings!  Both the chapter and the article spoke to me, and I also received my newest edition of Scientific American Mind magazine with (you guessed it!!) the headline article concerning mindfulness.  I could not agree more that as individuals we need to take responsibility for our health and wellness choices, and “maintaining a balanced life involves attending to our physical, emotional, social, mental, and spiritual needs”. (Corey, 113)  I have exercised on a regular basis for approximately three years, and I cannot imagine my life without it.  I have been through periods during which I have not been able to exercise as much as I have been used to or wanted to, and that fact alone contributed to various difficulties in each of those times in my life.  I found myself identifying with the section on body image as well, and have made it a priority within the past several years to get to know my body and pay more attention to the messages it sends to me.  I also see myself as more of a spiritual rather than religious person, but that is the one area to which I have now been inspired to pay more attention.  I enjoyed reading the Luan Khong article, and definitely agreed that insight meditation aimed at “helping individuals understand the nature and workings of their minds, and manage their emotions, feelings, and thoughts that arise” (Luan Khong, 11) could be extremely beneficial for anyone, let alone someone who is seeking help within a therapeutic setting. 

The article by Amishi P. Jha in Scientific American Mind also illustrates several of the same ideas concerning mindfulness and the benefits it can afford an individual.  “Mindfulness works, at least in part, by strengthening the brain’s ability to pay attention.” (Jha, 28)  The idea that one’s health and happiness could possibly be enhanced by practicing mindfulness is proffered by both articles and the textbook.  Negative emotions can be ameliorated, and suffering of both chronic pain and certain psychological illnesses can be alleviated through mindfulness training.  Personally, I am planning to add some form of meditation to my daily routine of self –care.  I have read some general guidelines, but want to find out more and then implement the practice. 

I would like to believe that I could help students in the future become more aware of their own health practices and have them identify possible areas of focus to enhance their lives and happiness.  One of my main goals in teaching psychology is to help my students’ know themselves even a little bit better by the time they leave my class.  If I can accomplish this, and maybe get them to think about what is actually going on with them selves in any given situation, to acknowledge the emotions and thoughts they are experiencing, then they will hopefully be more mindful and approach themselves and others in a more healthful, balanced manner.

Corey, G. , & Corey, M.S. (2008). I never knew I had a choice: Explorations in personal growth      (9^th ed.). Belmont, California: Thompson Brooks/Cole. ISBN: 9780495602293.

Khong, B. (2007).  The Buddha’s influence in the therapy room. Hakomi Forum, 18, 11-18.

Jha, A. (2013). Being in the now. Scientific American Mind, 26-33.

Blog 4: Kill the Buddha!

The beginning of Khong’s article really piqued by curiosity: “In short, what happens if we encounter the Buddha in the therapy room? A Zen Buddhist would probably reply, ‘Kill him,’ as the Buddha or Buddha-nature is already inside each of us” (2007, p. 11). Unfortunately, I’ve never been entirely convinced that the Buddha-nature is inside me, personally, as I can never get my mind to sit still. For example, I’ve recently been going to a yoga class on Sunday evenings and instead of reveling in my quiet mind, listening to the sounds of the soft music playing, or paying attention to my quiet breathing and the movements of the class members around me, here is what my mind sounds like instead: “I wonder what I’ll have for dinner tomorrow night-pizza sounds really good, but I’ve been wanting to cook something in my crock pot, maybe a rotisserie chicken! Okay-what do I have to get accomplished this week-2 blogs for Dr. Baker’s classes and that assessment homework-also, I should really finish my outline for my Group presentation-that’s due in a week-ooh!-I can’t wait to sleep in on Saturday-I haven’t done that in a while-then I probably have time to run down to the Central Market if I don’t sleep in too late, but I have to find parking, bummer.” Before I scare you too much, I think you probably understand where I’m going here. And that’s only one example of a stream of consciousness-I feel as if I’m often ruminating about things that happened in the past or worrying about things that will happen in the future, but am never really allowing myself to just be. The thing is, I don’t think I’m alone in these habits, and after reading Khong’s article, I am even more convinced that it is human nature for our minds to follow these patterns. According to Khong, mindfulness practice does not require that we ignore or suppress our thoughts and emotions; instead we have to accept that we will have these feelings, acknowledge them, listen to them, and quietly let them run their course. As a result, we may also reduce our tendency to ruminate over certain things, such as the case study highlighting Felicity and her development of successful coping mechanisms for addressing her anxiety: “It is because I allowed myself to feel the feelings. I don’t try to run away from it. I tell myself: ‘It’s ok. Just experience it’…I ask myself where is the feeling located, and give myself loving kindness. I then put it in the circuit breakers. I just let the anxiety sit there. I am becoming friends with it now” (Khong, p. 16). Luan Khong, B.S. (2007). The Buddha's influence in the therapy room. Hakomi Forum, 18, 11-18.

Blog 4

                This chapter came at the perfect time for me. I have recently been reevaluating my lifestyle choices and am now aiming to lead a healthier life.  Over the summer and last fall I was probably in some of the best shape of my life.  My fiancé and I were working out almost every day and trying to eat healthy meals.  After our wedding in October we both relaxed on the health kick and have now resorted back to not exercising and eating non-nutritional meals.  Last week, he and I had a discussion about how we both need to get our lives on track.  We do not want to be that unhealthy, fat, married couple!  Since that discussion, my husband has joined both a dodge ball and a basketball team and I have begun to go back to the gym.  After reading this chapter, I realized that a healthy diet is something else that we need to get back into.

                For me, I think the issue is not remembering to eat healthy, but rather convincing myself that I need to healthy.  As quoted in Corey & Corey, “Diet is a relationship between yourself and the food you choose to eat.  And perhaps most importantly, it’s what you think and feel about the food you eat” (Brenner, 2002, p. 113 as quoted by Corey & Corey, 2008, p. 117).  I enjoy food and I have convinced myself that healthy food does not taste as good and the unhealthy food that I’d rather eat.  I need to recondition my brain to see healthy food items the same way that I see unhealthy things. 

                Another section of this chapter that I find myself struggling with is spirituality.  For a long time I assumed that spirituality was the same thing as religion.  Over time I have learned there is a difference however I never truly understood it.  The chapter defined spirituality as, “our relationship to the universe and is an avenue for finding meaning and purpose in living” (Corey & Corey, 2008, p. 119).  Although this makes complete sense to me, I am not sure that I have yet discovered my purpose for living.  Similarly, meditation is something that has always intrigued me, but I have not been able to fully understand.  I find it extremely hard to “turn off my brain”.  My mind is always going.  The closest thing to meditation for me is yoga.  I enjoy the calming sensation I get from performing it. 

I can appreciate how this calming of the body through meditation can be healthy; however I have a difficult time understanding its relation to counseling.  It would truly take a lot of practice on my part to be able to free my mind of thoughts while listening to a client.  Perhaps it is because I am new to it, but I am constantly thinking about them and their situation whenever they are talking to me.  It would be completely unnerving for me to go in to a session with absolutely no plan and no mindset.  “Mindfulness makes it possible for therapists to listen not only to the client, but also to their own state of mine-that is to be constantly aware of the murmurings in their minds and not allow this internal dialogue to impede their openness” (Luan Khong, 2007,  p. 13).  This way of counseling is so hard for me to even understand.  I believe this mindset has to be a lifestyle before you would be able to incorporate this “mindfulness” into a counseling session.

Corey, G. & Corey, M. S. (2008). Your Body and Wellness. In Brooks/Cole (9^th edition), I Never Knew I Had a Choice (106-131). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning.

Luan Khong, B.S. (2007). The Buddha's influence in the therapy room. Hakomi Forum, 18, 11-18.

Week 4

This week I appreciated the chapter on wellness.  I am a huge advocate for the idea that taking care of your body physically will promote a healthy person all together.  I have always been an active person.  Playing soccer was something I started at a very young age, and nothing beats the way you feel after 90 minutes of giving it all you have.  You may be physically exhausted, but your emotions and mind are on a high.  I think any athlete can attest to how good you feel after physical activity like that.  Often times when I’m feeling down or stressed, physical activity allows me to clear my mind and start over. 

There were a few topics from the chapter that stood out to me.  One was using pills as a solution to health and wellness problems.  I feel like nowadays people want to fix all of their problems with pills.  These pills may have side effects that are more damaging than the symptoms. These pills may cause addiction.  In my opinion, pills should be used a last resort.  I understand that there are many valid cases where medicine is a necessity.  However, often times a doctor is willing to write a prescription before anything else has been tried first.  The book referred to the idea of taking responsibility for our bodies, and I think choosing to try to improve certain areas of our life to improve our overall health is part of that.

Another part of the text that really caught my attention was the section on weight and body image.  I think everybody could connect to this section, because each and every one of us has parts of our bodies we either like or maybe wish we could change.  The author seemed to have a strong opinion on the idea that the media plays a large role in creating “unrealistic societal standards.”  I agree with that to a certain extent.  The images seen in magazines and ads are photo shopped and airbrushed.  The women in those photos have personal trainers, nutritionists and chefs preparing perfectly portioned meals.  I would like to think I’d probably have a better body if those things were available to me too.  So even though I think media takes it too far with being overly thin, I think being fit is acceptable and they should show that.  Our country’s number of obese citizens continues to grow, which seems backwards when thinking about the societal standards.

One last thing I wanted to be sure to mention was a way to connect this to school counseling.  There is a program called “Girl’s on the Run.”  It is a program geared at helping young girls create a positive self-image as well as staying fit.  Adults can sign up to coach a group of girls through pre-planned lessons and running.  I hope to at some point start this program at my school and become a coach.

 

Corey, G. , & Corey, M.S. (2008). I never knew I had a choice: Explorations in personal growth (9^th ed.). Belmont, California: Thompson Brooks/Cole. ISBN: 9780495602293.

Post 4

            I live my life without a filter. I am the person who speaks out on matters that need to be addressed. At the same time, I can be the person who says the wrong thing at the wrong time! Over the years, I have developed ways to control these impulses, but I still revert back to the same old ways. I found Khong’s article to be helpful for me as a client, but more importantly, as a future counselor. As a client, I should try to focus more on my thoughts by “watching” them develop during different situations. During meetings or classes, I could think it out before I act. I could step outside myself to view my thoughts and emotions towards a situation. As a counselor, I could focus more on listening to my client. More often than not, I am thinking about what I am going to say in response, or what I can do to help while I am listening to a friend, colleague, or even student (Khong, 2007). I should not try to immediately fix the client and their “problems”. I should practice being in the moment with them by experience their thought processes and emotions as they are.

            As for chapter 4, the text really hit home. I feel that this year has been a battle. Looking back on my life, I have been jumped around a lot. I have jumped around location wise and teaching wise. After college, I moved to South Carolina for my first teaching job. I taught 5^th grade my first year and 2^nd grade my second year. Then, I moved up here to teach 4^th grade. I taught 4^th grade for two years. Currently, I am teaching 5^th grade at the same school. With jumping around, I have found that I have to “start over” each year. Although my experience and practice as a teacher has greatly improved, my materials and resources have dwindled. This leaves me with a lot of work to do throughout the year.

            Saying this, I feel that my well being has been put to the back burner this year. Last year, I finally got to teach the same grade at the same school for the first time in my life (the whole 5 years of teaching isn’t long I know, but still haha). I had the resources, the experience with the curriculum, and the materials ready for my second year of 4^th grade. I felt that I could leave school at a decent time to go for a run or to the gym. I felt that I had time to cook a meal and eat right. I felt that I had time to read scripture, go to bible studies, and go to church (during the week). I had this time because I had everything in place from the year before.

            Since I jumped to another grade level, I have been learning the curriculum, making materials, and learning about new resources. My time at school has greatly increased compared to last year. I feel exhausted, overworked, and simply frustrated! I have been trying my best to set parameters, but it seems like I just do what I would be doing at school at home! The things I enjoyed doing after school last year, I struggle to get in this year. I have been putting it off until it gets warmer outside in hopes that the weather will get me back outside running again. I have been hoping as the year goes on that it will be easier. However, now it is almost March! I have been waiting far too long.

            This chapter helped me realize that I have a choice to overwork myself at school or to feel better about myself (Corey and Corey, 2012). I need to take responsibility and control of my situation. Instead of putting it off, I need to take action. I honestly got so used to the workload that it became a part of my everyday life. After reflecting during and after reading, I came to realize that I cannot continue to beat myself up like this. I need time to exercise, eat (healthy), and worship in order to keep my sanity!

           

Corey, G. & Corey, M. S. (2010). Your Body and Wellness. In Brooks/Cole (9^th edition), I Never Knew I Had a Choice (106-131). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning.

Luan Khong, B.S. (2007). The Buddha's influence in the therapy room. Hakomi Forum, 18, 11-18.

Blog 4

                Mindfulness was a concept that was first introduced to me in a stress management course that I took in undergrad. This was the first time I was really introduced to the idea of removing myself from my own mind and to really look at the situation at hand very objectively and for what it is truly worth. I think this concept can be very helpful in a counseling situation it can be a technique that really can help someone who is always focused on the negative to look at a more positive outlook on life. I think this concept can be helpful in just everyday life as well, I feel like it is human nature to become stressed or upset and to blame someone or something for the way we are feeling. I think that this technique could be used by the general public as a very effective technique to effectively manage emotions and thought processes. 

            This wellness chapter really hit home for me this week. I have always had a problem in my life with weight and appearance. I come from a family of what I consider beautiful people and I have always looked at myself as the black sheep that really doesn’t fit in. A part that really stuck with me was when Corey and Corey (2008) were discussing body image and how making a decision about a body part in early adolescence can still impact us today. I find this to be very true. I developed at a very young age. While most girls my age were shopping for training bras I was shopping for full regular size bras. I felt so out of place and the boys didn’t help with this situation at all. They were constantly picking on me and I became very self-conscious, and I feel like that has still carried over into my life today. I will not wear certain types of clothes because I feel uncomfortable and I will often sit hunched over when I am around new people. I have tried to develop a better body image but I feel like this has been engraved in my brain for too long. 

            Weight has also been a large struggle for me and I have found that this really does impact my psychological well-being. I am always constantly analyzing what people are thinking about me or what their first impression of me seems to be. I hate going out and eating, there is always a battle going on in my mind about what I should pick to eat so people don’t think I am fat. I have come a long way since I was in high school but the taunting and rejection still haunt me to this day. I know for me to be truly well body mind and soul this is a war that I am going to have to win. I have won some battles but I still have a long way to go before I am completely there. I really did enjoy this week’s reading and felt like I could really relate all of its content to my life.

Corey, G. & Corey, M. S. (2010). Your Body and Wellness. In Brooks/Cole (9^th edition), I Never Knew I Had a Choice (106-131). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning.

Luan Khong, B.S. (2007). The Buddha's influence in the therapy room. Hakomi Forum, 18, 11-18.