• Some common issues relating to poor mental health can be anxiety, stress, and depression, in which they can appear from a variety of factors such as work, social life, financial stress, or even traumatic experiences.
  

• Barriers: However there can be barriers to mental health as well, and that can be lack of mental health resources, social stigma especially for men, and just overall poor self-care that can prevent someone from getting the care they need.
  

Key Areas for Improvement:

• Early recognition: Catching early symptoms of mental health issues or problems in general can speed up intervention which can prevent escalation of issues

  
  

• Self-Care: creating a self care plan or practicing it can help individuals better manage stress and emotional strain, by focusing on themselves instead of external factors causing them distress

  
  

• Resources: Even though resources for mental health may be hard to find, some areas like public health centres or everyday counselling groups do offer such services. Even if there are none in person, there is still quite a lot of information and therapists online to help.  
  

Strategies to Improve Mental Wellness:

• Counseling and Psychotherapy: Therapy and counseling are one and if not the top support systems for people in need of help. Getting another opinion and extra help can give others the support they can’t do by themselves. Techniques can be using DBT skills to help manage stress or find a balance with emotions, having a person be there just to let out pent up thoughts and feelings, and even giving advice or other resources needed to help a person.

• Medication: medication can help a person with stress, anxiety, and depression if it’s severe enough or ethically needed. For example, antidepressants can be prescribed to manage depression and anxiety, mood stabilizers can be used to help regulate emotions and uncontrollable mood swings. However non-prescription medication can be like essential oils, that others tend to find relaxing and help reduce stress. 

• Self-Care Practices: Self care is always known to be beneficial when dealing with mental health as it can relax the brain and make people more happy. For instance, eating healthy and getting enough sleep is proven to help with mood, and therefore help manage mental wellness. As well as deep breathing can help reduce heart rate, increase relaxation and in the end reduce stress, which can be done by watching a video guide on box breathing or as the name suggests “deep breathing”. 

• Chronic Stress: Oning stress can cause issues such as burnout, depression, activity, and can lead to physical health as not only does stress have to do with the mind, it also affects body regulation like cases of high blood pressure, stroke, heart diseases and even death. 

  
  

• Poor Emotional Regulation: Struggle to maintain a regulated mind, can cause issues such as uncontrollable anger, frustration or sadness, which can reduce well being, and even friendships. 

• Social Isolation: Not having people around, or interacting with others can cause a sense of loneliness from family, friends and community, which leads to anxiety and depression.

  
  

Key Areas for Improvement:

• Stress Management: Improving how one handles stress can be beneficial in a variety of ways, for instance it can help with sleep, overcoming barriers, and time management to name a few.

  
  

• Emotional Regulation: Having the ability to manage one’s own emotions and actions is important for emotional health. As this can balance emotions instead of letting them take over and causing escalation.

• Social Support: Improving communication skills to build a friend group or a social circle can help with emotional wellness by providing a sense of belonging which reduces loneliness and improves self esteem.

Techniques to Enhance Emotional Resilience, Self-Awareness, and Emotional Regulation:

Emotional Resilience:

• Setting goals: Goals are a great way to improve resilience, as it allows others to have a sense of direction in their daily lives and by doing so will allow others to bounce back and continue toward their objectives rather than failing and giving up. This in the end will motivate others to achieve greater things without giving up, as goals always have a reward at the end, making it more gravitating to reach for.

Self-Awareness:

• Mindfulness: Practicing mindfulness will allow others to observe their emotions in the present moment with no judgement, which gives greater awareness to one’s self by knowing why, what, and how these emotions developed. Which can overall improve the internal knowing of one’s mind.

Emotional Regulation:

• Deep Breathing: Doing deep breathing or breathing exercise in general can help calm the nervous system, physical body and prevent emotional overwhelm. One way to practice deep breathing in times of stress, anxiety or sadness, is to watch a video of said exercise. However one breathing exercise seems to work for the majority of people, which is box breathing. Box breathing videos are all similar in content, but may have different time intervals for inhaling and exhaling, it all depends on preferences. 

Social isolation: Lack of family, friends, and place of belonging, that led to loneliness, feelings of depression and anxiety

Communication Barriers: Inability to express feelings or words to understand others, can cause relationships to fail, and increase the stress with social wellness

Conflict With Relationships: Having unhealthy relationships can make a person feel disrespected, mistrusted, abused, and unwanted in society, making it hard to find a place where they belong or engage in relationships in fear of reliving past experiences

Areas for Improvement  

Strengthening Communication Skills: Practicing active listening can improve communication skills and help with understanding social interactions

Prioritizing Relationships: Dedicating time to relationships, can improve the bond between family, friends and overall connection. That can improve social wellness and a sense of belonging. As well as getting rid of relationships that don't provide or support positive outcomes.

Engaging in Conversation: Just like communication skills, engaging in conversation can help with anxiety around talking, and improve one’s own barriers around social interactions. Doing so will allow more opportunities to participate in activities, communications and even relationships. 

Cultural or Social Barriers: Language, other cultural norms, and societal expectations can interfere with conversations/participation as it can be limited by these barriers.

Mental Health Challenges: Depression, anxiety or even stress can interfere with social  interactions, as individuals might avoid social activities due to such issues.

Social Media: Overuse of social media or online interactions can deduce the meaningful relationships an in person one might have. As well as POMO which is the fear of missing out, and that leads to people becoming less happy and decreasing the interactions because of their poor self esteem or loneliness. 

Area of Improvement 

Encouraging Diversity in Engagement: Creating opportunities to appeal to a wide range of cultures and age groups to create and build inclusive connections, to not only build one's own social interaction, but a cultural one as well.

Balancing Online and Offline Engagement: Engaging in the balance between in person and offline interactions can help with social wellness, as online interactions can give a sense of isolation and not as much meaningful interactions, as well as misunderstandings can arise.

Practicing Self Care: Self care lowers the increase of stress, and sense of loneliness as it makes an individual more capable of participating in social activities because of their mindset.

o   Regular check-ups – Completing yearly physicals to monitor health, being mindful of your risk factors both genetic and nonmodifiable including family history of illness, age, gender, and lifestyle habits. Be forth coming with new symptoms and seek appropriate providers.

o   Screening/Testing- When ordered tests/screening be sure to complete at the appropriate time and following up with findings. Early findings and monitoring can make impactful outcomes to your overall health.

o   Vaccinations- Following age-appropriate guidelines to vaccination programs to minimize severe/deadly illness. Understanding your risk ( age, immunocompromised, place of residence.

o   Health Clinics- Finding health clinics that might be appropriate for you. There are free sexual health clinics for education, testing and treatments, clinics such as Diabetic clinics, walk in clinics for patients who may not have a family physician as examples.

• Importance of balanced diet- A balanced diet will look different for all individuals, (Diabetic, Vegan, Healthy heart, Gluten Free, Vegetarian exc) ensuring you are keeping a healthy balance of all categories appropriate for you and consuming foods and fluids that help fuel and regenerate your body is key to optimal health.

• Regular physical activity- Moving your body is important for your muscles, your circulation, skin, internal organs but also for your mental health and well being. Physical activity has a great impact on overall health.

• Mindful lifestyle choices- Avoid smoking and when possible second hand smoke, drinking alcohol, using drugs, following an appropriate sleep schedule, and practicing safe sex

• Stress Management and Mental health Awareness- Being aware of your stress level and practicing self care, also seeking assistance and support when your mental health might be at a low

• Genetic/Hereditary Risks- Knowing your family history and risk factors are important to seeks out appropriate screening and implementation of preventative measures. For example knowing you have a family history of heart disease would allow you to follow a healthy heart diet, exercise regularly, complete appropriate screening and testing and knowing the symptoms to be on the look out for.

Implementation- This care plan will be implemented in an educational setting. In the form of a Power point presentation link in a email for all students and staff to access. In order to ensure students and faculty have seen and read through the materials there will be a three-question quiz at the end with a completion badge. This care plan will have a print option to make it easily accessible for all recipients.

Evaluation- To evaluate the information was seen and understood there will be a three-question quiz at the end of the presentation. There is also a completion badge that will be given for participants completing the presentation, so we are able to keep track of the number of participants. One month following the completion of the presentation there will be another follow up survey this time seeking feedback and use of the care plan with a section for comments and improvement suggestions. Upon the completion of surveys, the feedback will be reviewed and the care plan can be adjusted for each individual interested. This process will be completed every four months for the benefits of new students/employees and for the promotion of taking control to a healthy fulfilling life.

Methods

• Positive Affirmations - This practice involves repeating certain positive phrases to yourself throughout the day. These phrases can be personalized to target certain areas of insecurity (ex -  I am brave, I am beautiful, I am strong, I am powerful). Choosing to replace negative thoughts with positive affirmations can help break the negative spiralling of thoughts during difficult times and can benefit one's self-esteem.

• Recognizing Accomplishments - Sometimes when you are struggling with low self-esteem, it is hard to recognize your own worth. Actively trying to find accomplishments in your own life can help uplift your thoughts. This can look different to each individual. You could focus on bigger accomplishments in your life such as winning awards, doing well in school or achieving goals that you have set out for yourself. But, it can also look like recognizing everyday accomplishments such as going to the gym, eating healthy, or even just being kind to someone. Recognising wins, both big and small, can help uplift one's perception of themselves, overall benefiting their self-esteem.

• Challenging Negative Thoughts - Sometimes it is hard to recognize that your thoughts are not always true. When negative thoughts arise, try to challenge these ideas by questioning the validity of the statement.

Methods

• SMART goals - a method that provides specific aspects of a goal to make it more achievable. The S stands for specific, meaning that this goal has some guidelines on how it will be achieved. The M stands for measurable, meaning that there are ways to track the progress of your goal. The A stands for achievable, requiring setting reasonable goals. The R stands for relevant, meaning that there is some useful context in which achieving this goal will be beneficial. The T stands for timely, meaning that there is a timeframe for when this goal can be achieved. Using this method will allow the user to create goals within their life that are more applicable and trackable. (Herrity, 2024)

• Long Term Goals - A long-term goal is a larger-scale goal that may take a while to achieve. At this phase in Nursing, it may include professional goals such as “I want to work in cardiology”, “I want to graduate with an 80% average” or “I want to get a Master's degree”. Setting these types of goals may guide you to work harder and inspire you throughout your journey. It will also provide you with a sense of accomplishment when they are finally completed.

• Short-term goals - these types of goals are smaller, and can be achieved within a shorter time frame. Setting short-term goals can help guide certain aspects of a long-term goal. For example, if your long-term goal was to graduate with an 80% average, setting goals such as “I want to get an 85% on this project (or exam)” is a reasonable short-term goal. Setting short-term goals can also provide a sense of accomplishment and help keep you on track to follow through with long-term goals.

Spiritual health is an important part of overall health because it shows how personal ideals, beliefs, and actions are linked. It gives people a feeling of purpose and peace, and it helps them be emotionally strong and flexible when things go wrong. People can make their lives feel more balanced and harmonious by doing things that are good for their mental health.

Spiritual practices

• Meditation: Meditation is a simple but effective way to improve your mental health. One suggested exercise is to do guided meditation for 10 minutes every morning. Some ways to do this are to focus on your breath, picture good things happening, or say affirmations over and over, like "I am calm and grounded" or "I approach today with gratitude."

For example, someone who is stressed out by all of their daily tasks might meditate to calm down and center themselves. This can help them focus and feel less stressed. Studies have shown that daily meditation lowers cortisol levels and raises mindfulness, both of which are good for your health.

• Mindfulness: Being fully present in the present moment is what mindfulness is all about. Mentally walking by focused on each step or eating meals without distractions are examples of things that can be done every day.

For example, people can set aside 10 minutes during their lunch breaks to eat thoughtfully, paying attention to the tastes, textures, and signs that their body is hungry. This practice not only helps you understand yourself better, but it also makes the link between your mind, body, and spirit stronger.

• Prayer and reflection: For religious or spiritual people, prayer is an important way to connect with a higher power or say thank you. Writing about your day, feelings, or areas of growth in a reflective book is another easy-to-do activity.

For example, writing in your journal with questions like "What made me happy today?" or "How did I act in line with my values?" can help you learn more about yourself and feel more grateful.

Someone who cares about being kind might promise to donate once a month or do random acts of kindness, like complimenting a friend or helping a coworker. These small acts not only help other people, but they also improve the person's own mental health.

Benefits Based on Evidence: Living in line with your values has been shown to lower stress, make you more emotionally strong, and give you a sense of purpose, all of which are good for your overall health.

Possible Difficulties

1. Time Constraints: Due to rigorous job schedules, caregiving obligations, or academic expectations, many people find it difficult to prioritize wellness activities like exercise, meditation, or going to social gatherings.

2. Financial Barriers: For certain individuals or groups, the cost and affordability of certain wellness plan components, such as accessing therapy, holistic health therapies, or gym memberships, may be prohibitive.

3. Absence of Motivation or Awareness: It is possible that individuals are unaware of the significance of wellness practices or are unmotivated to adopt new behaviors. Resistance can also be influenced by misconceptions regarding specific interventions, such as mindfulness or counseling.

4. Cultural and Personal Diversity: It can be difficult to develop wellness measures that are accepted by everybody since people in a diverse population may hold varying values, beliefs, and preferences.

5. Sustainability of Behavior Change: Even after adopting wellness behaviors, it may be challenging to sustain long-term behavior change because of failures, a lack of accountability, or a lack of support.

Encourage the implementation of small, practical wellness activities that can be accommodated into hectic schedules, such as brief workouts, mindfulness exercises, or virtual social gatherings.

2. Accessible and Reasonably Priced Choices

Use free or low-cost tools, like community fitness classes, mental health apps, and meal plans that are easy on the wallet, to get past financial problems.

3. Campaigns for Education

Use webinars, workshops, and social media campaigns to raise awareness and inspire people. To keep people interested, incorporate wellness challenges, goal trackers, and success stories.

4. Adaptable and Culturally Inclusive Plans

Make wellness plans that are flexible and take into account the wants and preferences of people from different cultures, including those who follow traditional and nonreligious practices.

5. Responsibility and Ongoing Assistance

Maintain engagement by incorporating gamified elements, such as rewards for milestones, regular check-ins, and peer support systems.

1. Personal Attitude - this is our personal biases, ideas and attitudes surrounding a behaviour

   1. Ex: “I don't like going to the gym, it makes my body hurt afterwards and it's so loud there.”

2. Subjective Norms - this is the influence that the people around us, such as friends or family, have on our behaviour

   1. Ex: “None of my friends work out, why should I?”

3. Perceived Behavioural Control - this is how much control we believe that we have over the implementation of a behaviour. This can be influenced by internal factors (such as the motivation or willingness to do something) or external factors (such as resource availability). The more control we believe we have over behaviour, the more likely we are to complete it.

   1. Ex: “I just don't see myself going to the gym, my schedules are too busy.” or “Getting a gym membership just isn't in my budget right now.” (Brookes, 2023)

Together, these 3 factors affect how likely we are to have intentions to complete a behaviour, and thus how likely we are to actually implement or change a behavior. If someone has more negative influences on a behaviour (such as in the examples given) they are less likely to change it. On the other hand, if someone has more positive influences toward a behaviour, they are a lot more likely to follow through with it.

This can be useful when creating wellness plans, as it can help determine how likely it is someone will change their behaviours. As well, it gives a path to help with creating a wellness plan. Changing a few of the factors listed will make someone more likely to implement health changes.

For example, if you want someone to start eating healthier you could…

• Personal Attitude - Educate them on the importance of eating healthy foods on the body, and the impact that a poor diet has on the body. This could help change their personal beliefs on said topic

• Subjective Norms - If you are educating a group of people, creating a culture that influences healthy eating.

• Perceived Behavioural Control - For internal factors, such as a low likelihood to implement behaviour due to cooking taking too much time, you could give resources that help guide people to healthy eating such as simple recipes or meal prepping. For external factors, such as lack of access to healthy foods, you could link them to resources that may help them access more healthy foods or help them choose less expensive meals.

Overall, this theory can help guide the user to create more healthy changes in their life. By looking at the multitudes of factors that influence behaviour, you are better able to understand why certain behaviours occur, and the possible routes you can use to change them. (TheoryHub, n.d.)

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) - Structured events/interventions that help people experiencing high stress levels or stress in general, become more mindful and process emotions, thoughts, and sensations including; (Worthen, et al. 2023)

• Meditation: breathing techniques

• Body Scanning Techniques: an attention-focused technique that directly focuses on regions of the body to encourage relaxed awareness and acceptance (Worthen, et al. 2023).

• Yoga: gentle movement and stretching sequences to promote awareness of movement and positions (Worthen, et al. 2023).

• Physical exercises: staying active and getting the weekly intake of physical exercise and produce endorphins.

• Balanced schedule: implementing an effective schedule where sleep, nutrition, hobbies, physical health, and mental health are taken into consideration and have an appropriate amount of designated time.

• Self-care: ensuring that you leave time for yourself to do things that you like and can help you unwind. Things like hobbies (i.e. a sport, cooking, sewing, dancing, being social, other interests).

• Coping mechanisms: create a visual plan/schedule to eliminate overwhelmingness, highlight important tasks/events, altering tasks to avoid high stress levels, and avoid situations that can cause high stress like procrastination.

  
  

Brookes, E. (2023, October 11). The Theory of Planned Behavior: Behavioral Intention. Simply Psychology. Retrieved November 20, 2024, from https://www.simplypsychology.org/theory-of-planned-behavior.html

Herrity, J. (2024, April 9). How To Write SMART Goals in 5 Steps (With Examples). Indeed. Retrieved November 17, 2024, from https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-write-smart-goals

LaMorte, W. W. (2022, November 3). The Theory of Planned Behavior. sph.bu.edu. Retrieved November 20, 2024, from https://sphweb.bumc.bu.edu/otlt/mph-modules/sb/behavioralchangetheories/BehavioralChangeTheories3.html

TheoryHub. (n.d.). Theory of Planned Behaviour. TheoryHub. Retrieved November 20, 2024, from https://open.ncl.ac.uk/academic-theories/17/theory-of-planned-behaviour/