Chapter Four Reflection

I found chapter four to be very intriguing and relatable. Being healthy and living healthy is something that everyone can relate to at some point in their lives, whether they live that lifestyle is another story. This chapter talked about eating healthy and working out as well as being healthy emotionally and mentally. It was very helpful for me to get a professional look at what healthy means and how to achieve those goals. 

This chapter relates to the profession of social work because you cannot take care of others until you take care of yourself. In a high stress job, where people are looking to you for guidance and support, it is of utter most importance to make sure that you are feeling your best. It is hard to focus all your attention on someone else’s stresses when you yourself are not one hundred percent. To be the best social worker that I can be, I will need to keep up with my daily exercises as well as eating healthier foods and getting the right amounts of sleep. This combination will help me feel better, keep my mind sharp, and my body fueled. I found the consequences to not taking care of yourself to be very interesting. It is crazy to think that your body contracts illnesses and diseases just from not eating right and not getting enough sleep.The book says that “some chronic diseases emerge after years of poor eating, over eating or drinking, smoking, and lack of exercise” (p. 96). Working out may be a pain, but it could save your life. I agreed with all that the book said; I did not find anything to be controversial. This chapter was very straight forward and to the point, very realistic, and helpful. When the chapter discussed all the different health issues that arise with being unhealthy, it caused me to look at myself and determine what I need to do to change my life around. As a social worker who is working with people who have health issues, it is important to be mindful of their feelings as a person. On a mezzo level, keep in mind the family dynamics as well as how many health issues are inherited from family. These people cannot help the problems they have and they are looking for support and ways to make life easier for them. On a macro level it is good to look at the community they live in, the resources available to them, and the lifestyle of the area surrounding them. 

This chapter opened my eyes to how serious it is to take care of your body. We only have one body and it is worth taking care of. This chapter also made me aware of the different issues people have and how to cater to their needs. 

Hillier, S., & Barrow, G. (2011). Aging, the individual, and society. (9th ed., pp. 3-28). California: WADSWORTH.