Paste your essay in here..Introduction
Self-care refers to what individuals do for themselves with the aim of establishing and maintaining good health. Self-care also plays a role in preventing and dealing with illness. In nursing, holistic care is the treatment of the whole person, taking into account mental and social factors, not just the disease. Therefore, holistic self-care is the taking of personal responsibility to place individual health towards optimum health (Hertz & Anschutz, 2002). Holistic self-care classifies health into three categories: physical health, emotional health, and spiritual health. This research paper aims to study how the three categories of health improve through good holistic self-care practices. The research will develop healthy living guidelines that are intended to be part of the orientation packet for incoming college first-year students. The study will cover various areas, which are:
1. Healthy eating guidelines
2. Health lifestyle guidelines
3. Stress reduction techniques
4. Optimal student living
Healthy Eating Guidelines
Healthy eating refers to consumption of different foods that provide the body with the nutrients it requires to sustain good health. The nutrients are fats, carbohydrates, proteins, water, vitamins, and minerals. Eating well is a great method to keep the body fit (Willett, 2017). Interestingly, food always affects our mood. Though it might sound strange, different foods affect our moods in different ways. Long-term exposure to unhealthy diet is one of the risk factors for depression (Oliver, Wardle & Gibson, 2000). Change in appetite is one of the symptoms used to diagnose depression. When under stress the body seeks sugar to cater for the surge in need of energy, this may be the reason why people under stress tend to consume sugary food like sweets. Poor and imbalanced diet may result in anxiety, depression, irritability, and lethargy. Health diet results in happy moods.
Stress affects people differently: while some can cope, others buckle under pressure. Stress leads to changes in emotions and moods of individuals. For example, when one is under stress, the mood is typically foul, and everything seems to be against them (Oliver, Wardle & Gibson, 2000). However, under no stress, individuals are happy, and everything appears to be going according to the plan. Stress leads to anxiety, restlessness, and lack of motivation, anger, and sadness.
Nutritional deficiencies have immediate effects on behavior and the ability to respond to stimulation. Brain and neurotransmitter function is affected by changes in nutrients. A lack of essential nutrients damages the nerves in the brain, which causes changes in memory, limits problem-solving abilities, and impairs brain function (Prado & Dewey, 2014). Deficiency of essential nutrients in the body leads to the slow development of the neurotransmitters in the body; this leads to slow transmissions of impulses in the body and slows body coordination.
A successful eating plan consists of the following key components:
• Eat enough – always ensure to eat just enough of every meal, avoid over or under eating.
• Eat often – regular eating spread out throughout day wards off extreme hunger and keeps the body metabolism ticking.
• Eat the right foods – eating does not mean filling the stomach. A successful eating plan demands one to eat a balanced diet.
• Consider cleanse and detox – regular eating of fruits and vegetables is healthy for the body as they help cleanse and detoxify the body.
• Regular exercise – exercising regularly keeps the body healthy and fit.
• Hydration – sufficient water intake helps detoxify the body and acts as appetite suppressant.
The above components lead to a successful eating plan.
Healthy Lifestyle Guidelines
The engagement in regular physical activities has several benefits in that it helps reduce stress, manage weight, reduce cholesterol level, and lowers blood pressure. Other benefits are stronger bones, muscles and joints, and mood improvement. Restful sleep is vital in self-care because body self-repair takes place during sleep. It is also during this time when physical activity is low the the memory consolidates, and appetite is regulated (Sarafino & Smith, 2014). For a healthy lifestyle, experts in the field recommend seven to nine hours of sleep during the night.
Effective time management is an essential aspect of a healthy lifestyle. Effective time management reduces stress, allows for more time to complete tasks, and ensures less work needs repeated (Sarafino & Smith, 2014). Being organized enables one to plan their day and be able to get what they had planned done and with fewer mistakes. Accomplishing daily plans and achieving goals for the day leads to less stress, depression and improves one's mood. This replicates in one's health.
Exposure to nature not only improves one’s emotions but also contributes to physical wellbeing, reduces hypertension, and reduces production of stress hormones. Connecting with nature also has cognitive benefits such as restoring attention, reducing brain lethargy, improving performance in academics and improving the performance of daily tasks (Sarafino & Smith, 2014). All of these are positive impacts to health.
Laughter is good for self-care as it serves as an antidote to stress and physical pain. Laughter reduces the production of the stress hormones and improves immune cell production, which results in higher resistance to disease. Laughter also activates the feel-good hormones of the body called endorphins, which promotes overall well-being (Gu, Strauss, Bond & Cavanagh, 2015). It also improves the function of the blood vessels and increases blood flow thus reducing the chances of a heart attack. Laughing also helps burn calories. All of these lifestyle guidelines are crucial in holistic self-care and when put into practice, they can improve individual health.
Stress Reduction Techniques
Stress is a biological reaction to a potentially dangerous situation. When the body senses danger, it responds through stress response, which is the body’s self-protection measure. Excessive pressure is unhealthy and needs to be reduced to the minimal level. Some stress management techniques are meditation, yoga, tai chi, and massage.
Meditation is a form of attention and awareness training that involves far more than emphasis on breathing. The main principle of meditation is improving concentration and awareness. It helps to put the mind at ease by controlling the focus of attention. Meditation is a technique of stress reduction that changes the brain's stress patterns. Meditation eliminates jumbled thoughts that may be causing stress in the body (Gu, Strauss, Bond & Cavanagh, 2015). Through meditation one gains a new perspective of dealing with stress, builds skills to manage stress, increases patience and tolerance, and reduces negative emotions.
Yoga is a divine and abstinent discipline, which is practiced for health and relaxation. It encompasses breath regulation, meditation, and embracing of particular bodily positions. The main principle of yoga is that the body and mind are one and connected, and stress on either affects the other. Yoga helps balance the connection between the body and the brain (Gu, Strauss, Bond & Cavanagh, 2015). Yoga trains the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the counter-stress response of the body.
The skill of Tai chi relies on five simple principles; relaxation, the philosophy of opposites of nature (also referred to as separation of ‘yin’ and ‘yang’), rotating the waist, keeping the back perpendicular, and whole-body movement (Khoury, Sharma, Rush, & Fournier, 2015). Effective practices of Tai chi have beneficial outcomes such as reprieve from muscle stiffness, low anxiety level, stress levels and pain, improved balance, and self-awareness.
The basic principle of massage therapy is the improvement of blood circulation and relief of muscle tension. Other principles are the movement of lymphatic fluid, the release of toxins, and enhancement of all bodily systems (Khoury, Sharma, Rush, & Fournier, 2015). The beneficial outcomes of massage are the reduction of stress, depression, and anxiety. Massage therapy also relaxes the muscles and improves the immune and digestive systems.
Optimal Student Living
Buckle (2014) defined aromatherapy as a holistic treatment that uses ordinary plant extracts to promote well-being. It enhances both physical and emotional health by use of aromatic essential oils medicinally. Some of the essential aromatherapy oils are peppermint and eucalyptus oils. Eucalyptus oil is made from eucalyptus tree leaves. The leaves are dried, crushed, and distilled to release the oil. After the oil extraction, it is then diluted and used as an inhalant (Buckle, 2014). Eucalyptus oil offers the following benefits:
• It relieves a cough
• Clears the throat and soothes colds
• Disinfects wounds
• Helps ease breathing for asthmatic people
• Controls blood sugar
Peppermint is a natural culinary and healing herb and has been used as food and medicine for many years. Peppermint oil is extracted from the leaves and flowering tops of the plant. The health benefits of peppermint oils are:
• Anti-inflammatory properties
• Promotes nerve growth
• Improves blood circulation
• Provides natural energy
Herbal medicines are naturally available, plant-derived ingredients used to cure diseases. They are complex concoctions of organic chemicals derived from either raw or processed parts of an herb. Their benefits are; they are more affordable than conventional medicines, they are easier to obtain than prescription medicines, and they have more beneficial healing properties than regular medication with less severe side effects (Wink, 2015). Some of the herbs that produce herbal medicines are raw garlic, ginger, and turmeric.
Research by Wink (2015) identified ginger as a nutritional condiment, which is commonly used in the world today. Its healing benefits are from gingerols, which is the oil from the roots. Ginger is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. Ginger can also relieve indigestion, nausea, and boosts immunity, fights infections from bacteria or fungi; cures stomach ulcers, and can suppress pain.
Raw garlic contains vital nutrients such as flavonoids and allicin. When garlic is consumed, whether natural or cooked, it helps control diabetes and inflammation, improves immunity, controls blood pressure and reduces heart diseases (Wink, 2015).
Nutritional supplementation is the intake of dietary supplements with the intention of providing to the body nutrients that may not be consumed in sufficient quantities (Willett, 2017). These supplements are ingested in capsule, tablet, or liquid form. Some of the common supplements are multivitamin, calcium, vitamin D, and fish oil.
Fish oil can be acquired from consumption of fish or by ingesting supplements. Fish oil comprises omega-3 fatty acids, which are very beneficial oils. Fish oil reduces triglyceride levels, lowers hypertension, prevents heart diseases, and reducing chest pains (Willett, 2017). Multivitamins are a preparation, which serve as a dietary supplement. It contains vitamins, minerals, and other nutritional elements. Multivitamins can be in the form of tablets, capsules, powder, or liquid form (Willett, 2017). Multivitamins can help supplement ordinary diets with additional vitamins and minerals especially for the elderly or pregnant women who may have different nutritional needs than other adults.
Spirituality is about being apprehensive of the human spirit and not to the material or physical things. The body, mind, and the soul seem to be connected, and the health of any element affects the others. Positive beliefs, comfort, and strength gained from religion contribute to well-being (Lahrach & Furnham, 2017). Spiritual health promotes healing and can help one feel better. Spiritual health also helps human beings cope with illness, stress, or death.
Self-awareness denotes the understanding of one's character and emotion. It involves being mindful of individual thoughts and feelings, personal strengths and vulnerabilities, and the values that promote one's goals and actions (Gu, Strauss, Bond & Cavanagh, 2015). Self-awareness and self-care always improve the mental health of an individual.
Conclusion
In overview, it is clear that holistic self-care which involves taking personal responsibility of individual health is vital to maintain a healthy well-being. Holistic self-care relies on healthy eating habits, healthy lifestyle habits, stress reduction, and optimal living to improve personal health. Through research, it is clear human being's moods are affected by both stress level and the food consumed. For well-rounded healthy living, individuals need to practice healthy lifestyle habits such as engaging in exercise, getting enough sleep, managing time effectively, connecting with nature, and to remember to laugh as often as possible. The research also highlights various methods of stress management such as meditation, yoga, massage therapy, and Tai chi; these methods are effective in reducing both mental and physical stress. The research also highlights the importance of aromatherapy, herbal medicine, nutritional supplementation, spirituality, and self-awareness in holistic self-care.