1. Thoroughly describe the health issue you chose to work on during this course as listed in your Health Promotion Contract. (5 points)
In order for our body to function properly and to avoid dehydration needs at least eight glasses of water according to experts. Most people drink water when they feel dehydrated, and this is not recommended in order to have a healthy and well-functioning body. I chose to drink 3 liters of water in a day as my health promotion goal because of the benefits associated with drinking water at regular intervals such as boosting mental performance, better digestion, and metabolism, regulation of body temperature, the elimination of toxic waste in the body and better physical performance during exercises. When I feel dehydrated, I end up feeling thirsty and tired, instead of producing the normal colorless urine on my bathroom breaks, my urine is usually bright yellow and sometimes associated with a strong smell. This is the reason why I chose drinking 3 liters of water a day as my health issue for the next four weeks.
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2. For your issue, at what stage of the “Stages of Change” Model (in Module 1 Readings) were you in by the last week of the course? Thoroughly describe below. (20 points)
During the last week of my course, I was at the action stage from the " Stages of Change" model. Drinking 3 liters of water in a day became harder than I thought because I was used to having water when I felt thirsty or whenever I thought that my body needed it. It was at this stage that I felt giving up on my health promotion goal because I felt uneasy with the short intervals that I had to visit the bathroom, and I had to forego some of my unhealthy eating habits in order to keep up with the task at hand. It was hard convincing myself that I had a health problem that was negatively affecting my life , but after previous failed attempts, I was contempt to see this through. With time, I realized that I was making healthier choices than before. I noticed that my afternoon headaches ha d completely disappeared, I was feeling more energetic, and I was getting more of vegetables and fruits on my plate instead of the usual juices, soda, and alcoholic beverages.
3. What was your most significant motivator? Thoroughly describe below and include two examples as written in your journal. (15 points)
I started seeing the benefits of drinking water in the second week of my health promotion goal. I am not good at waking up in the mornings, but during this week, I woke up feeling excited and full of energy. I did not stay longer in bed before I woke up or snooze my alarm for 30 minutes more. I sometimes felt a little bit tired when I was waking up in the morning, and this had disappeared as well. Drinking water daily helped me achieve a night of more restful sleep. This became my strongest motivator to continue drinking 3 liters of water despite the challenges that I was having. I also realized that I was not getting hungry as I used to, and I was having smaller food potions at a time which helped with digestion. I was motivated and I made a promise to myself not to stop regardless of the challenges that I was experiencing.
4. What was your most significant stumbling block? Thoroughly describe below and include two examples as written in your journal. (15 points)
The most significant stumbling block during my experience was the fact that I had to stop taking tea. This led to headaches and feeling dull during the day because my body was used to caffeine. I never liked the headaches, but I was advised that the feeling will go away if I stayed focused on achieving my daily water intake. With time, I noticed that my tea intake had greatly reduced, the headaches had gone, and I could go for a day without any tea breaks. Initially, I could stay for longer without having any bathroom breaks, but now that I started drinking water, I had regular bathroom visits, which made me feel very uncomfortable. After every 30 minutes and sometimes within an hour, I had to visit the bathroom, and sometimes this was embarrassing when I was with my family and colleagues.
5. Did your journaling help you stay focused on the issue on which you were working? Thoroughly describe below, explaining why or why not, and give two examples as written in your journal. (10 points)
Without journaling, I do not think that I would have remained focused on the health issue that I was working on. Documenting my wins and challenges helped a lot in achieving the results of the health issue. During the first week, I was more concerned about my stomach being bloated and how it was making me feel uncomfortable. When I started experiencing changes in my body and the healthy food choices that I was making, I realized that I was making substantial progress, and this became my greatest motivator. It was not easy having to win something today and lose another thing on the next day, but this was the motivation that I needed to stay focused.
6. Did you find yourself journaling on topics other than your issue? Thoroughly describe below. (5 points)
I have not journaled on any other topic apart from my health issue. I found it easier documenting the good and the bad experiences that I was having based on the health issue that I had selected. I did not want to stray away from my health issue, but now that I have decided to pursue it for the next six months, I believe that I will find myself journaling on other topics, but they will have to be related to my health issue.
7. In your attempts to reach a goal (intermediate or end-goal), what was your self-talk? (Self-talk is defined as your ongoing internal dialogue with yourself. Self-talk can be accurate, positive and supportive, or exaggerated and negative.) Give two examples as written in your journal and thoroughly describe below. (10 points)
I was used to taking about 4 cups of tea in a day and sometimes even more, depending on the tasks that I was working on. I never thought that it was going to be easy to break the routine. It felt amazing that days after I had started working on my health issue, my tea intake had reduced from four cups to only one. I was not convinced that the headaches I was having would be gone, and I had a sudden increase in my concentration and energy levels. I never thought that this would be possible by drinking 3 liters of water in a day. This was part of my internal dialogue that kept me motivated in achieving my end goal.
8. Will the results of the JAMA article (in Module 1 Readings), as to the efficacy of journaling, influence you to continue to journal? Why or why not? (Be honest with yourself in answering this.) Thoroughly describe below. (10 points)
My focus was on drinking 3 liters of water a day for four weeks as my health issue and now that I experienced the health benefits of water firsthand, I have decided to make it part of my routine for the next six months. I have seen the efficacy in journaling from my own experienc e and the results from the JAMA articl e have influenced me to continue journaling. Not only does journaling help in keeping track of your daily activities, but it also helps in staying focused and achieving your objectives . Without journaling, I do not think it would have been possible for me to continue focusing on my health promotion plan . Documenting everything that happened to my body, the setbacks I was experiencing, and the healthy food choices and habits that I was making helped me realize the importance of journaling.
9. Would you take a medication that purported to have similar health improvement benefits as journaling? Why or why not? Thoroughly describe below. (10 points)
Journaling helped in achieving a healthier me. I am not sure that I would be willing to take any medication that is said to have similar health benefits to journaling. I have experienced the positive impacts that journaling has had on my health for the past four weeks, and I do not think that I am willing to substitute journaling with a n y type of medication. I feel a sense of accomplishment now that I have experienced the benefits of drinking 3 liters of water in a day and how journaling has helped in staying focused towards achieving my health promotion goal . I am choosing to stick journaling, and I will not be taking any medication as a substitute to it.
