Holistic Mental Health Approaches for Nurses: Top Tips

• If you are in the nursing profession, we know you’re tired, stressed, and feeling overwhelmed.
• This is a challenging time for healthcare workers.
• Let’s cover some of our top holistic mental health tips that you can practice both on and off the clock!

If you are in the nursing profession, we know you’re tired, stressed, and feeling overwhelmed – it is a challenging time for healthcare workers.  

A recent nursing burnout study determined that over half of its nurse respondents were experiencing both physical and emotional exhaustion; and things are not improving. 

Of course, the healthcare industry has always been a stressful one to work in, but the COVID-19 pandemic has most certainly exacerbated the already existing issue.  

With nurses feeling the wrath of burnout and high turnover rates left and right, it is safe to say that they are struggling mentally. Let’s address it.  

You can go beyond medicinal treatment of depression and anxiety to help alleviate your mental health disparities. 

Whether you have ten hours or just ten minutes per day, incorporating holistic mental health approaches into your daily routine may bring significant and positive improvements into your life!  

Here are our top tips! 

Recap: What is Holistic Care? How Does it Apply to Holistic Mental Health Approaches?

The term ‘holism,’ is defined as a big picture approach utilized to understand the human mind and behavior.  

When applied to nursing practice, The American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA) highlights that a provider should nurture a patient’s “wholeness, peace, and healing by valuing their physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and environmental strengths and challenges while honoring their values, health beliefs, and health experiences.” 

Now, you might ask, ‘What does this have to do with holistic mental health approaches for nurses?’ and the answer is this: 

Not only does practicing holistic approaches improve your chances of experiencing compassion fatigue, but it creates opportunities to develop coping mechanisms that work for you. 

Let’s check out some of the top modalities! 

Nutrition

Food affects your mood; yes, you read that correctly.  

With almost all the serotonin (a hormone that stabilizes mood and happiness) in your body originating in your gastrointestinal tract, it is true that the diet you follow can truly be impacting your happiness.  

Although the idea of completely abandoning overly processed or refined goods can present issues of inaccessibility or additional expenses, a Harvard nutritional psychology study revealed that the risk of depression in those who follow ‘traditional’ diets (such as Mediterranean or Japanese) is 25% to 35% lower.  

Begin incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your diet. Whether it is a snack, you eat in between patients or a quick lunch or dinner while on break – food can affect your mood!  

I know I probably sound like a broken record, but food is fuel. It is one of the best holistic mental health approaches, trust me on this.

Therefore, make sure that whatever you put into your body is healthy and gives you proper fuel.  

Although they may be tasty, birthday cake and fast food chicken are not proper fuel for a clear mind and energy source.  

Exercise

There are so many benefits to exercising. I don’t even know where to begin!  

I know that is probably the last thing you want to do after a long shift but dedicating just a few minutes of your day can truly make a difference in your mental health. Before shift is another option, but that’s up to your schedule.  

This holistic mental health approach strengthens and improves your mood, self-esteem, and cognitive function, as well as reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression.  

Seriously, just a little extra work can go a long way! 

Tip: Take your dog for a walk around the neighborhood or go lift some weights at the gym to blow off steam after a hard shift – any form of exercise works! 

Therapy

From talking to a professional to incorporating music or artistic therapies into your routine, this is a proven holistic mental health approach that is beneficial to everyone!  

You are in the nursing profession to care for others, but at times, you may feel like you are surrounded by so much loss that it is beginning to wear you down. 

Compassion fatigue and burnout are so common in the nursing field, and the ability to develop coping skills that are compatible with your personality is so important if you are going to continue working in this industry. 

Tip: Consider working with a nurse coach. They are there to listen, encourage and are focused on enhancing your well being.  

If this sounds like an opportunity you would be interested in, I am in the process of obtaining my nurse coaching certification and would love to chat with you about your goals!  

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