The basis of existentialism is the assumption that human beings are influenced by their past, present and future, which affect their actions and being and that they are not predetermined (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). People usually have different degrees of freedom. However, different factors such as perceived boundaries, physical, emotional and practicality usually affect that freedom. The philosophy of existentialism asserts that existence precedes essence in the sense that there can be no essence without an individual existing first (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Existential issues include conditions such as freedom, death, and loneliness. The philosophy further argues that since we are born we therefore exist. Consequently, human beings are to some extent co-architects of who and what they are since they are constantly moving and aiming at a particular thing as they navigate through the process of creating an essence of their existence.
The same relationship between existence and essence exists between the mind and body. Poor physical health is a possible cause of mental health problems (Mental Health Foundation). Similarly, when an individual has poor mental health it can greatly impact negatively the physical wellbeing leading to an increased risk of some health conditions. During the project physical activities such as short ten minutes, brisk walk helped improved my mental wellbeing. For instance, I noticed that after the short exercises, I became alert and could focus more on my studio work. I also had energy and could go for long hours without getting tired. I also noticed that I had positive moods and interacted more with people. My friends also noticed that the exercise boosts my self-esteem and therefore I could network more.
In the project, I also had to change my diet to include more bananas and almonds to help reduce constipation. So far, the progress has been great. I used to fill dizzy and anemic after using the bathroom but currently, the hematochezia has subsided. I noticed that good diet is an essential factor that influences the body’s well-being. Food can influence the management, development, and prevents other mental health disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and depression (Mental Health Foundation).
Consequently, the way a person takes care of their body determines the physical and the mental well-being of the individual. the existence of an individual precedes the essence. In the quest to try an individual’s essence in life, human beings also determine their physical and their mental state of mind. When individual focuses so much on accomplishing an essence such as reaching a certain career goal in life and forgets about taking care of himself or herself, they threaten their existence (Udo). Therefore, existential issues are usually present in an individual’s life. However, these issues are usually in the background until something happens then human beings are forced to face the forgotten issues. For instance, in the project, the hematochezia triggered the existential issues.
The threat to my existence by the poor condition of my health made me question the essence of my life. An individual need to live to pursue different goals in life. I was sick and had difficulty authoring the essence of my existence, therefore, I could not perform tasks optimally. Therefore, I had to start taking care of my physical and mental state first to achieve my essence in life. The project was successful as it helped improve my overall physical and mental health status. The cases of hematochezia reduced and I am now able to concentrate more on my studio work as I stick to the fiber-filled diet and continue with routine physical exercises.
Works Cited
Mental Health Foundation. Physical health and mental health. n.d.. https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/p/physical-health-and-mental-health. Accessed 9 May 2018
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Existentialism. 23 August 2004, https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/existentialism/ Accessed 9 May 2018
Udo, Camilla. "The concept and relevance of existential issues in nursing." European journal of oncology nursing, vol.18, no.4, 2014 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262811129_The_concept_and_relevance_of_existential_issues_in_nursing. Accessed 9 May 2018
