BANATAO, Micah Angela Beatriz, F.

2018-04137
PE 1 THK

REFLECTION PAPER
Wellness Dimensions and Positive Change
After a thorough study of the different aspects of the Wellness Dimensions, I realized
that I never pay much attention to my physical and emotional states; unless they involve
intellectual activities. For example, the only time I eat vegetables and fruits is when I know
that I have an exam a few days later. In the same perspective, I only feel the need to manage
my time wisely when I cram several requirements. Moreover, I have always been a
pessimist with a low self-esteem. These two dimensions are what I need to change the most
in myself and in order to do so, I have to allot equal amounts of time for each dimension
to ensure that they work together cohesively without affecting me in a negative manner.

My social connections vary due to the different surroundings I experience every day; in
which my spiritual and occupational dimensions usually benefit from. During Thursdays
and Sundays, I spend quite a number of hours with friends from church— on Thursdays, I
go to Bible Study groups and on Sundays, I spend my whole morning in church. In the
subjects I enlisted in, I gain numerous friends and I end up having several notifications and
messages because of such.

Environmental awareness and intellectual activities are what I tend to focus most on.
I’ve developed a keen sense of responsibility for human actions and their specific
consequences; which keeps me fully conscious about how I use daily resources. After I’ve
finished sorting out my trash and storing materials that can be recycled and given
alternative purpose in my room, I use my spare time to read fictional books and magazines;
immersing myself in an imaginative simulation of the worlds I learn about. Sometimes, I
play Mobile Legends on my phone (an online, multi-player battle arena) and use different
“avatars” (characters that have various abilities) to polish my knowledge on strategies and
team coordination.

Once I’ve chopped up my activities and placed them into their respective categories in
the Wellness Dimensions, I clearly saw how much my lifestyle needs improvement. All of
these dimensions contribute to my personal identity and having an imbalance among them
would guarantee a negative consequence in the way I act and view certain matters.
Changing what I eat, exercising, allowing time for self-reflection and making sure that I
can be independent and socially amenable at the same time are goals that I’ll be sure to
obtain if I balance my time wisely and give myself the freedom to experience new
milestones and experiences.
Realizations About My Physical Wellness
First Thought: I was extremely unfit for physical activity. When I heard the Filipino
words, “Malayang Paglaro”, I was too confident in thinking that the games in class would
be simple and could be played with a minimal amount of energy. I was utterly wrong. My
muscles would burn even before the game would start— the warm-ups, such as jogging
and stretching across and around the court, were enough to tire me out. I couldn’t last the
entire duration. I had to take a time-out for myself, with my lungs screaming for help.
However, as my body became accustomed to such activities, I found my stamina growing
steadily.

Second Thought: I am very competitive. I remember the “dodging ball” game, wherein
we were divided into two groups and we alternated positions as the “hitters” and the
“avoiders”. It was the second day of my period during that day and I had menstrual cramps.
I could have just asked my professor if I could be excused from playing; but I refused. I
wanted our team to win and having one less member may potentially risk our chances of
doing so. As expected, I wasn’t able to perform to the extent that I wanted to. I was happy
that I did my best though; I was one of the people who was eliminated last. What I did was
unadvisable, but I learned how to act as a part of the team.

Third Thought: Scoliosis is a bummer. I discovered that I had scoliosis when I was a
12 Grade Student, after several months of endless back pains. It wasn’t even natural; it
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developed in my spine because I liked carrying heavy backpacks and using it wrongly— I
often used one shoulder blade. During PE activities, I feel the scoliosis affecting my
movements. On a specific occasion, muscular endurance was being discussed and there
were mini games, such as “crawling” and “piggy-back racing”, that sought to highlight it.
The “crawling” game was excruciating. I immediately felt my spinal column twisting some
degrees to the left; as because of scoliosis, it became deformed and shaped like a question
mark. After the activity, I realized that I had to engage in physical exercises to strengthen
my back. The scoliosis may never disappear, but I need to look past its hindrance to be able
to live each day to the fullest.

Fourth Thought: Nostalgia. College seemed to be a time for maturity and serious,
academic discussions. After grueling hours of philosophic thoughts and literary theories, I
always look forward to attending my PE classes because they are therapeutic, in the sense
that they managed to introduce me to my childhood once again. I come from the province,
and I miss the days of running through fields of palay and corn husks, climbing trees and
playing Chinese garter, luksong tinik and patintero. I’m a long way from home; but
surrounded by the huge smiles of my classmates and the squeak of our shoes on the
basketball court, I feel like a 10-year old version of myself, freely playing to my heart’s
content.
 Engaging in Physical Activity: Agree or
Disagree?
A common misconception about physical activity is that its effect can only be seen at an
external level, that it just focuses on strengthening the joints and muscles. However, I
strongly believe that everyone should actively participate in such because it has the ability
to improve one’s emotional health as well. Physical activity shouldn’t be seen as a burden.
It isn’t as rigorous as what is mainly believed. It extends beyond sit-ups, bicep curls and
leg squats— it can be as enjoyable as you want it to be.

First and foremost, physical activity is integral in metabolizing the food you consume.
Just the simple acts of 15-minute walks and 5-minute brisk jogs allows your body to burn
calories and use your energy efficiently. As someone who isn’t fond of strenuous exercises,
I use window shopping to distract me from being bothered about the slight pain in my
calves.

Second, it serves as a form of release from daily frustrations. Doing physical activity
stimulates the brain to release chemicals (such as endorphins) that reduces stress and cheers
you up.

Third, physical activity keeps you intellectually aware as well, when applied to games.
In games, your physical stance increases the chances of winning, but the strategy you’ll
use to gain points matters the most. Instead of sizing and choosing team mates according
to their stature, you utilize the characteristics and profiles of both your “allies” and
“enemies” to figure out the best option.

Lastly, physical activity allows you to form various social circles and makes you
internally aware of yourself. You learn your weaknesses and strengths through
experiencing various physical activities. After playing the “Quidditch” game in class, I
realized that I needed to strengthen my upper body, especially my arms. In another game,
wherein my classmates and I acted like a chicken and needed to pass the ball to our team
mates or towards the goal, I observed that my legs were quite strong and fast when it comes
to kicking the ball.

Physical activity improves your health and lifestyle, helps you become sociable with
others, allows you to have new experiences and insights and keeps you immensely
conscious of your emotional state. It functions as a multi-directional tool that fixes and
develops several aspects of yourself. What more can you ask for?