Designing a Stress Management Plan

Designing a Stress Management Plan

Individual well-being in society is dependent on their physical, mental, and social well-being. Stress has been linked to mental well-being. Its presence has been attributable to the development of various psychiatric disorders. Stress management is, therefore, critical in the preservation of emotional and cognitive functioning. Stress management, however, varies in technique, with mindfulness practices being one of the techniques that have been employed in stress reduction interventions. This paper outlines a stress management plan for a terminal cancer patient with 6-12 months to live and who just discovered that her daughter is pregnant. Get in touch with us at eminencepapers.com. We offer assignment help with high professionalism.

Terminally ill cancer patient undergoes several physical and psychological stressors related to their condition. Hopelessness, anger, stress, family anguish, self-blame, and suicidal ideations tend to be more common in this group of patients. Additionally, nutrition, sleep deprivation, and lack of or inadequate exercise are also common. Financial instability may also be apparent in some patients and is often due to the overutilization of available funds in the treatment process. In this case, the client’s case is compounded by the fact that her daughter is expectant. The client, in this regard, finds herself in a state of uncertainty as to whether or not she will make it to be a grandma. This may cause anger in the patient, and with only 6-12 months of her life remaining, hopelessness, self-blame, family anguish, and stress also ensue.

The problems experienced by terminal cancer patients are likely to have negative implications on their health. Stress has been linked with reduced immune functionalities. This may exacerbate the patient’s symptoms (Zafar et al., 2021). Anger and hopelessness may be contributory to her stress and, in turn, worsen her symptoms. Financial instability has also been implicated in the suffering of terminally ill patients. Suffering in these patients may be due to their incapability to obtain the medications required for their symptom management.

Several resources are available that address problems affecting terminally ill cancer patients. Hospice care in nursing homes or at home can offer relief for these patients. Additionally, specialist caregivers with specialties in handling terminally ill patients can be employed in this case. Medication use may also be necessary. Pain relievers have been used in terminally ill patients for symptomatic relief.

Improving the overall wellness of terminally ill cancer patients is key to enhancing their quality of life. A strategic plan that addresses their health needs is therefore necessary. Nutritional support is necessary for this patient. Nutrition should be tailored to meet the specific demands of the patient. Food and fluids should be administered to the patient upon their request. Symptoms of thirst may be apparent and should be monitored and alleviated promptly by administering small volumes of fluids (McCann, 2016). Food administration can be done orally or parenterally, depending on the patient’s ability to feed.

Exercise is also key among terminally ill cancer patients. Exercise can be used as a stress management technique for these patients. Exercise reduces psychological tension attributable to the development of stress, thereby causing relaxation. Exercise also raises these patients’ moods, reduces the severity of their symptoms, and increases the overall quality of their health. Tailored exercise should be encouraged in these patients. Exercise should be tailored to their needs and should be in smaller amounts. Before beginning exercising, the patient should be assessed to ascertain their exercise tolerance and suitability.

Sleep is also necessary for terminal patients. Sleep disturbance or deprivation among terminally ill patients has been implicated in the recurrence of underlying sleep disorders as well as other illnesses (Matthews, 2017). This will, in turn, lead to further deterioration of these patients’ health. Sleep should, therefore, be encouraged in these patients. The patient should be allowed to sleep whenever they feel like sleeping. They should also be accorded better sleeping conditions and adequate duration of sleep.

Stress management is key in terminally ill patients. Eliminating stressors is of significance in these patient groups. Mindfulness-based stress regulation can be used to reduce stress and suffering attributable to stress. Meditation, yoga, and attention-focusing interventions such as images can be used. These interventions should be rolled out gently over time. The patient should be assessed for the suitability of any of these choices. The physical characteristics of the patients should be considered before beginning these interventions.

Terminal-ill cancer patients encounter several problems attributable to their condition. Such problems as stress, nutrition, and sleep deprivation are common among these patients and may contribute to their suffering. Strategic planning addressing these problems should, therefore, be designed to enhance these patients’ well-being.

References

Matthews, E. (2017). Sleep Disturbances and Fatigue in Critically Ill Patients. AACN Advanced Critical Care, 22(3), 204-224. https://doi.org/10.4037/nci.0b013e31822052cb

McCann, R. (2016). Comfort care for terminally ill patients. The appropriate use of nutrition and hydration. JAMA: The Journal Of The American Medical Association, 272(16), 1263-1266. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.272.16.1263

Zafar, M., Nauman, M., Nauman, H., Nauman, S., Kabir, A., & Shahid, Z. et al. (2021). Impact of Stress on Human Body: A Review. European Journal Of Medical And Health Sciences, 3(3), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.24018/

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The assignment’s goal is to research the conditions of the scenario you chose. Find out the health implications of the scenario in all areas of wellness (physical, mental, emotional, social, financial, spiritual) and create a wellness/stress management plan that would help this person be their healthiest self during this difficult time in their life. Consider the challenges the individual may face, the available resources, and how he/she could apply a holistic mindset to his/her life despite unfortunate circumstances.

Designing a Stress Management Plan

This assignment will be graded on the thoroughness of your research into the scenario and a well-developed plan.

Things to Consider:
 Identify the “problem/problems”
 Assess the health implications of the problem/problems
 Identify resources available to support an individual in that circumstance
 Develop a plan to improve overall wellness (address nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress management techniques)