Personal Wellness Inventory and Reflection

¶ … Wellness

The Inventories

Inventories and self-reflection surveys can be tremendously helpful for encouraging honesty and self-awareness. The "Are You Burned Out?" survey focuses specifically on stress and burnout issues, which can be detrimental to overall well-being as well as to one's ability to be helpful to others. The "Emotionally Healthy Church Inventory" is broader in scope, taking into account one's spiritual, emotional, and cognitive states of mind. These states of mind contribute also to personal well-being as well as to one's ability to serve the community. My results of these two inventories show that while there may be some areas of growth necessary, my overall emotional and spiritual states are healthy.

The "Are You Burned Out?" inventory reveals that I am not at risk for developing problems related to burnout. The survey includes several questions related to things like feelings of exhaustion, sleep disorders, feeling frustrated, and feeling empty. There are no areas indicated in this survey that I felt like, "This is totally me." The highest I scored in any single inventory item was a 3, which indicates some stress in those areas. I can use this inventory to remind myself of where I do need some stress relief. Although stress is not "inherently deleterious," stress certainly can be an "occupational hazard" as well as a "significant health problem," (Jennings, n.d., p. 1). Therefore, it can be important to frequently take stock and identify the signs and symptoms of stress in order to prevent burnout.

Burnout is something that builds up over time, as a person takes on too much work for his or her ability, or refuses the benevolent help of others. However, burnout can also come from those who do not place their work within a Christian perspective, which would allow for prayer and other tools to alleviate stress. It is important to remember that the busier I become with my work and ministry, the greater the potential for burnout. Reading the items on the "Are You Burned Out?" survey will help remind me of the signs and symptoms of burnout. Some of those signs I can be aware of include feeling empty, guilty, or angry. Because the current burnout inventory relates to the burnout of compassion, I intend to especially be aware of how I am doing when I have been working with people in need.

In fact, the "Emotionally Healthy Church Inventory" offers an even more in-depth examination of my current emotional and spiritual states. This inventory was insightful, because it divides the questions into key areas including the emotional areas of discipleship, the ability to break free of the past, the recognition of God-given gifts, and the ability to embrace grief and loss in a healthy way. Surprisingly, I scored well in most of these categories. After totaling my scores at the bottom of the survey as suggested, the ensuring graph revealed that I fall somewhere between an emotional adolescent and an emotional adult in almost every area. The area in which I am strongest relates to general discipleship and my sense of commitment to God. The area in which I am weakest, though not by much, is the ability to slow down and lead with integrity. Knowing this, I can improve my ability to lead and guide others. For example, one of the questions related to placing my family before matters related to work or ministry. I need to sometimes step back and spend more time with my family. I also sometimes struggle with asking for help or appearing vulnerable. It is my desire to project strength, but I need to learn that the strongest people are ones who are never afraid to ask for help when they need it. The key is to ask for help from the right people at the right time, and to always ask God first.

Part Two: Plans for Self-Improvement

Based on these two helpful inventories, I have developed personal plans for fatigue, burnout, and promoting my own spiritual growth. In terms of preventing fatigue, it is critical to get enough exercise, eat well, and take a day off. As the "Emotionally Healthy Church Inventory" points out, there is a reason why God mandates the Sabbath day, and that reason is partly to prevent burnout. We all need to recharge the batteries. Taking a day off allows me to take care of household chores and errands that might otherwise suffer if I work continually. Exercise is a proven intervention to minimize stress and maximize health. Other methods of preventing fatigue include developing self-awareness and honesty. I can ask my friends and loved ones to let me know when I appear stressed out. With their honest input, I can perhaps take a vacation before I get burned out.