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LEARN: Reflective Note

Harleen Taneja

Department of Nursing, Seneca College

NUR 101: Health and Wellness Across the Lifespan

Danielle Sanvido, RN

October 26, 2020

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LEARN: Reflective Note

According to recent research from the Canadian Mental Health Association, “In any given year, 1

in 5 people in Canada will personally experience a mental health problem or illness” (2019).​ ​
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determinant of health which will be the focus of the following reflection is “individual health practices

and coping skills” (Potter et al., 2019), which focuses on an individual’s behavioural lifestyle. Discussion

on this topic during the lecture, intrigued me as I struggle with mental health and stress management.

Last year, I went through a very depressive episode and did not manage my anxiety levels effectively, as

I was constantly obsessing over deadlines and the quality of my work. Currently, I would like to believe

that my mental health is a lot better, but it still needs improvement. What sparked my interest was that

coping skills can continuously be improved and refined. A person commonly associates their health as an

individual concept, however, society and community support can directly influence it. During the

lecture, I felt a need to improve my mental health and well-being further. It made me realize that

developing effective coping skills, working on yourself and reflecting is a never-ending journey.

The negative aspect of this experience is the fact that I used to stress about minor issues and

managed my time ineffectively as I did not develop the necessary skill set to lower my anxiety levels. I

look back at my situation and realize that I was not doing what was best for me. In my culture, getting

good grades and making your parents proud can sometimes lead to sacrificing one’s mental health. The

mindset of kids in my generation is that our parents came to Canada for an excellent educational

system, hoping that we will become intellectual individuals that prosper in the future. With this mindset,

I can imagine how it contributed to the degradation of my mental health. I have always taken difficult

courses in school as I liked to challenge myself and I valued education more than anything else. Starting

nursing school, I knew of the challenges that many students face, including an increase in anxiety levels,

contributing to high dropout rates. I was determined to set clear goals and not let anything get in the

way of becoming the best student that I can possibly be by developing effective learning techniques and
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not drowning in the stigma of mental health issues in healthcare professions. A study done in the UK

analyzed the narrative answers of 100 first-year students on the topic of health and well-being. In order

to prevent burn-out and loss of mental health, it is fundamental for students to “be aware of their own

feelings and well-being to ensure that their own needs were respected, valued and considered...” (Mills

et al., 2020). Another coping strategy that was mentioned was ensuring that students have a support

system in place (Mills et al., 2020). This includes supportive friends, family and students that share

similar experiences. Moreover, creating goals that are achievable without inducing psychological distress

will effectively prevent mental health issues from arising. I plan to practice breathing exercises and

remove myself from anxiety-inducing situations.

To ensure my mental well-being, I will not procrastinate in terms of school-work. So far, I have

achieved the best results using this method. Moreover, I recognize that I need to spend more time with

friends and family, in an engaging environment, in order to achieve a balance of work and play.

Furthermore, in order to approach mental health as a student nurse, I will not stigmatize it! Instead, I

will embrace it and be proud of myself that I have chosen a profession in which I get to help patients

every day. The strengths that I have recognized in myself include courage and resilience, as you cannot

hope to reflect on your behaviour without the bravery of accepting the consequences and changes that

need to be made. The challenging areas within myself that I would benefit from addressing include my

stress levels. I have identified that I get anxious very easily, thus, disrupting my academic performance.

This reflection will influence my future nursing practice as it will help me with my personal and

professional growth. I believe that an individual cannot holistically take care of their patients if they are

not well themselves. Although it is difficult to overcome the hard battle against your inner thoughts and

expectations, the day will come when I realize that I am a healthier person now that I’ve set goals and

reflected on what needs to be improved. Also, I will be able to advance in the nursing profession as an

experienced and self-aware nurse that recognizes that the ability to heal comes from one’s self.
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References

Canadian Mental Health Association. (2019, June 26). ​Fast facts about mental illness.​ CMHA National.

Retrieved from

https://cmha.ca/fast-facts-about-mental-illness#:%7E:text=In%20any%20given%20year%2C%20

1,some%20time%20in%20their%20lives

Mills, A., Ryden, J., & Knight, A. (2020). Juggling to find balance: hearing the voices of undergraduate

student nurses. ​British Journal of Nursing (Mark Allen Publishing)​, 2

​ 9​(15), 897–903.

https://doi-org.libaccess.senecacollege.ca/10.12968/bjon.2020.29.15.897

Potter, P.A., Perry, A.G., Stockert, P. A., Hall, A.M., Astle, B.J., & Duggleby, W. (Eds.). (2019). ​Canadian

fundamentals of nursing​ (6th ed). Milton, ON: Elsevier Canada.

Quik component-Please follow the link

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https://youtu.be/rQfn1OBRrc0