Self-Assessment
Health is more than just physical. Research shows that all the parts of your life work together to contribute to your health and well being. Even things like social life and creativity can make a significant difference in how you feel and how well you are able to manage your health.
Section I: Did you know that...?
Read about some basic aspects of your life and print out this section so you can rate the role each plays on a scale from 1 to 5. As you learn more on this site and begin to make lifestyle changes, you might want to go back and rate yourself again to see what has changed.
Relaxation:
Learning to de-stress can improve mood, anxiety and depression. It can help you manage, quiet and even still pain. Relaxation decreases stress hormones which can help stabilize blood sugar and protect the heart. It works by improving your response to stress-slowing your heart rate, lowering blood pressure and reducing muscle tension.
| Rate how relaxed you feel on an average day? | ||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Not relaxed at all | very calm and at ease | |||
| When you want to relax more and de-stress, do you know how to do it? | ||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Not at all | have strong relaxation skills | |||
| Do you make time for relaxation? | ||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Never | Every day | |||
Laughter and Humor:
Laughter is a powerful positive force. It lowers blood pressure and cortisol levels (a stress hormone) and boosts the immune system. Laughter may relieve physical and emotional pain by triggering the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers that produce a sense of well-being. Try watching a comedy film - it can actually boost blood flow to your heart.
| Do you make time to do things you enjoy? | ||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Never | Every day | |||
Social Connection:
Connecting with others helps us cope with stress and challenges. Studies have shown that it's good for our health to have close friends, family and coworkers and to be part of community groups or religious organizations. People who have social support tend to handle stress better and live longer and healthier lives.
| Do you share meaningful time with friends, family, colleagues or others? | ||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Never | Every day | |||
| Do you participate in group activities that are important to you such as volunteering, playing basketball with friends, attending religious services or getting involved with your community? | ||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Never | Every day | |||
Healthy Eating:
Good nutrition plays a crucial role in healthy brain function by helping to repair damage caused by stress. A good diet can decrease the chances of heart attack or stroke, protect against a variety of cancers, lower blood pressure, improve digestion, protect your vision, and add variety to your diet and spice to your life!
| Do you eat foods that are good for your health? | ||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Never | Every day | |||
| Do you feel you need help figuring out what to eat or what supplements to take? | ||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| I'm totally confused | I feel confident in my choices | |||
Physical Activity:
Decades of research have shown that even moderate regular physical activity has impressive health benefits. It increases blood flow to the brain, helps you relax and improves your mood. It can help you manage high blood pressure and high cholesterol, keep your weight down, improve your balance, increase your energy, and fall asleep faster and sleep longer. The key is to be active every day. In other words, get moving and keep moving!
| How often are you physically active? | ||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Never | Every day | |||
| Have you found a way to get exercise that fits into your life and that you enjoy? | ||||
| Yes | No | |||
Sleep:
Getting enough sleep boosts your immune system and fine tunes your nervous system. Surprisingly, chronic sleep loss is associated with obesity, high blood pressure, depression, insulin resistance, and Type 2 diabetes. Research shows that reducing insomnia can improve heart health and improve your concentration, productivity and mood.
| How restful is your sleep? | ||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Not restful | Very restful | |||
Creativity:
When you explore a new idea, do an everyday activity in a different way, look at something through a new lens, or immerse yourself in an activity you enjoy it can help you feel vital and alive. Being creative keeps us mentally flexible, open to new experiences and more independent - traits that can keep our immune systems strong and are key to long term good health.
| Do you ever vary your daily routine? | ||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Never | Every day | |||
| How often do you do an enjoyable activity that absorbs your attention and makes you lose track of time? | ||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Never | Every day | |||
Spirituality:
How does spirituality improve health? By providing a sense of meaning in our lives, spirituality can give us greater strength to meet health challenges. It can help decrease fatigue, anxiety and sometimes even pain. Prayer, meditation or even a walk in nature can help us relax and feel more connected, more positive and more in control. Many studies, in turn, link these states with improved health and better physical functioning.
| Do you use a spiritual practice to help you gain strength, inner calm and support? | ||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Never | Every day | |||
Emotional Well-Being:
Your body responds to the way you think, feel and act. Psychological distress can weaken your body's immune system and make it harder for you to take good care of your health. Depression has been linked to heart disease through increased cortisol (a stress hormone) and increased platelet activity. Stress and depression may even lead to hyperglycemia in people with diabetes and can prolong and worsen pain. On the other hand, we now know that positive emotions contribute to significant improvements in health, vitality and quality of life.
| Do you take time to notice how you feel? | ||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Never | Every day | |||
| Do you find it helpful to sort out your thoughts and feelings with others? | ||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Not at all | Always | |||
Section II: The Power of Reflection
When we ask a question, we open to learning and change. Questions can help us become more aware of our feelings and thoughts and help us shift underlying beliefs. This can create new possibilities that inspire us to action.
Here are some questions that might be helpful to reflect on. You can print them out and think about the ones that interest you at your own pace.
- What part of the day do you feel best? What is going on at that time? What about it makes you feel good and how can you bring that feeling into other parts of your day?
- Regular physical activity can help us feel healthy and fit. What could you do for exercise that would make you feel good while doing it? What steps could you take to get started?
- Everyone has their own beliefs about what is possible for them. Look at one limiting belief you have and see where it came from. Is it realistic? Do you still need to hold on to it? Would letting go of that belief make a shift in your health?
- Think about one thing you've always wanted to do that you've held yourself back from doing. What could you do in your daily life that would provide you with a similar sense of pleasure or satisfaction? What simple step could you take to move closer to that goal?
- What do you feel grateful for? This can include anything - from a great job to an enjoyable moment such as feeling the warm rays of the sun on your face.
- What does it feel like to be stuck? How does it feel emotionally and in your body? Now, imagine what it feels like to be in the flow of things, moving with ease in the direction you want to go. The next time you feel stuck take a moment to remember the feeling of flow and see if it makes a difference.
- Identifying and labelling a specific health problem can be reassuring. Yet it can also be limiting to classify ourselves according to health issues we may have. For example, considering yourself "a diabetic" creates an identity around having diabetes, whereas seeing yourself as a person "with diabetes" recognizes that you are a full person who happens to have this health condition. How do you define yourself today? Would shifting this definition open up any new possibilities?
- The spirit of inquiry is asking the question but not knowing the answer. What could you do now to bring more pleasure and balance into your life? What could be easier? Lighter? Freer?