4 Ways to Maintain Positive Mental Health for Nursing Students
NurseRois.com
In today's generation, mental health has become a significant concern. It is widespread in the lives of students nowadays, particularly nursing students, that their schooling has changed from the traditional style of learning. Students suffer severely from the pandemic-related social restriction. In respect to future pandemic outbreaks or other crises leading to social isolation, the dramatic consequences of social lockdowns should be taken into account. (Holm-Hadulla et al., 2021)
A considerable number of nursing students reported mental symptoms of PTSD and insomnia, though few reported mental symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Appropriate psychological interventions should be implemented to assure the mental health of nursing students (Gao et al., 2021). A nursing student may experience stress, anxiety, or depression for various reasons. It could be a family issue, school troubles, societal concerns, or even the victim's inability to identify. If you're a nursing student who suffers from mental health issues like stress, anxiety, or depression, these tips may help you stay in good mental health.
1. Avoid Unhealthy Eating
Unhealthy eating entails consuming unhealthy foods such as junk food, fast food, and foods high in sugar and cholesterol and eating late or, worse, skipping meals. This could have an impact on how your body works. Unhealthy eating habits can make you feel sluggish, leading to stress. Always keep in mind that your brain, like the rest of your body, is interconnected. If you don't take care of one part, another will suffer as a result.
2. Have an Enough Sleep
This is also true when it comes to avoiding unhealthy eating because it can negatively impact your body and your brain, perhaps resulting in mental health issues. Most people with anxiety and depression spend a lot of time at night, and sleeping early is one of the most challenging things for them to do. To cope with this, consider several methods for falling asleep, such as listening to music. Getting enough sleep allows your brain to feel energized and optimistic all of the time. However, some people, particularly nursing students who deal with mental health concerns, have developed a sleeping mechanism to help them escape the demons in their heads. This is bad since your body will become more weary and exhausted as a result. Just get adequate sleep and remember that too much of anything is harmful.
3. Minimize Social Media Activities
This platform appears advantageous to nursing students with mental health issues since it allows them to be entertained. However, as we saw in the previous number, too much of anything is harmful. Social media can sometimes be a source of melancholy and worry. When a person is experiencing emotional distress, he spends a lot of time on social media, reading or watching many sad videos and postings. Instead of being motivated, he becomes even more depressed. Instead of utilizing social media to cope with your anxiety and sadness, try engaging in other positive activities such as reading books, painting, cooking, or attempting new things unrelated to your hobbies. Yes, you are always studying as a nursing student. However, prioritize your happiness by doing things that make you happy.
4. Practice Journal Writing
Not everyone has someone they can talk to about their concerns. One of the reasons people commit suicide is that they can no longer bear the burden. Having a friend or family member with whom you can express your troubles is wonderful, but let us acknowledge that not everyone has one. As a solution, consider practicing writing in a journal. It's something you can do every night. You have the freedom to write whatever you want, including how you feel or what you're going through. You can also rest assured that your problems are secure and that no one will publicize them. Writing in a journal may assist you in reducing the weight of your mental burdens. This is one of the most effective methods for maintaining good mental health.
Takeaway
Always remember as a nursing student that you have a great purpose in life and that you will have a great career as a nurse. It would be best to look for yourself, especially your emotional well-being. As a result, you will assist your patients in the near future. Keep in mind that you can't give what you don't have. So, how will you take care of your future patients if you can't take care of yourself? Avoiding unhealthy eating, having enough sleep, minimizing social media activities, and practicing journal writing can all help you maintain positive mental health as a nursing student. Keep in mind that while depression and anxiety are real, they should not be ignored. Instead, you should use these methods to overcome it.
References:
Gao, J., Wang, F., Guo, S., & Hu, F. (2021). Mental Health of Nursing Students amid Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic. Frontiers in psychology, 12.
Holm-Hadulla, R. M., Klimov, M., Juche, T., Möltner, A., & Herpertz, S. C. (2021). Well-Being and Mental Health of Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Psychopathology, 54(6), 291-297.
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