Since the mid-20th century, science has demonstrated the impact of stress on human health, especially on the immune system. Although stress is a fact of modern life, many health professionals experience it regularly in
their work. Fosarelli states that “for the health professional, the experience of bad situations and events is almost constant, depending on the medical specialty in which he or she practices” (2012, p. 41). She further emphasizes that in order to protect themselves, some health professionals will:

Nurses cannot avoid stressful situations because they are part of nursing practice. Stress mastery goes beyond stress management as an understanding of stress mechanisms, the effect of stress on the human body, and how to develop the knowledge and skill that are needed to master stress. These are part of everyday life for nurses and other health professionals in the 21st century.

Understanding the toll of constant stress on one’s body/mind is essential to learning stress mastery. In the animal world, threatened animals have extremely high adrenaline levels; however, levels decline rapidly and return to normal as soon as the threat passes. The mechanism for recovery from stress is inherent in animals. Human beings, on the other hand, can remain stressed, so the body/mind is in a constant state of threat. When this happens, the body’s cells go into a protective modality that prevents growth because the two are mutually exclusive (Lipton, 2005). Because emotions link our physical body and our consciousness, consciousness and cells are intimately connected. For example, if one engages in reviewing old traumas, the brain goes into the protective mode that inhibits growth. The brain treats the old hurt as though it were current. Lipton emphasizes that eliminating stressors only puts one at the neutral point; to thrive one must not only eliminate stressors but also actively seek joyful, loving, fulfilling lives that stimulate growth processes.

Similarly, Hanson’s (2008) research revealed that the human brain evolved to accentuate negative experiences for survival purposes. Even fleeting negative experiences leave traces in the brain. Monitoring one’s thinking and practicing mindfulness are helpful in reducing stress. Hanson recommends that human beings store positive experiences in the brain by highlighting them through conscious attention. He suggests that individuals should let a good experience register deeply in emotional memory. One method for doing this is to imagine a positive experience soaking into one’s chest, back, and brainstem or imagining a treasure chest in the heart where positive images are stored. Warm, good experiences have important benefits because they promote optimism, a bulwark against depression. Over time positive experiences counteract
the effects of trauma or other painful experiences. They help to increase resilience, promote optimism, and identify key states of mind so one can find one’s way back to peace, contentment, strength, well-being, and loving kindness.

Aspects of self-care involve basic activities such as eating a balanced diet, exercising, getting adequate sleep and rest, praying and/or meditating, keeping a sense of humor, and learning stress mastery skills. These general areas of health are the foundation for holistic health; they are by no means trivial. Holistic nurses are aware of the interrelationship among the body’s systems: body, mind, and spirit. Pert states that “awareness is the property of the whole organism; and in the psychosomatic network, we see the conscious and the unconscious mind infusing every aspect of the physical body” (2008, p. 18). The term body/mind/spirit suggests that the cells of the entire body are always interrelating. Unlike the Cartesian philosophy in which the mind and body are separated, in the philosophy underlying holistic care, all systems affect each other. For example, a person with a headache is less interested in interacting with others, the appetite is often decreased, the ability to concentrate is lessened, and the spirit is less drawn to prayer. Similarly, if one’s spirit is deadened, social, physical, and mental realms are impacted.

One strategy suggested for improving health is for the person to set goals and to keep track of progress toward these goals. Helpful information for setting goals can be found at the website (takingcharge.csh.umn. edu/create-healthy-lifestyle/your-healthy-lifestyle-tools). This site contains scientifically based information to assess and implement lifestyle improvements in physical activity, emotions, diet and nutrition, self-care, stress mastery, life purpose, relationships, and environment. Self-tests allow the individual to assess and determine areas in which changes are needed and how to set realistic goals in particular spheres.

The work of nurses requires that they are intentional about living holistically. No one integrative health modality can substitute for the kinds of daily holistic behaviors needed to remain whole in body, mind, and spirit. Buettner (2010) studied four geographic areas around the world— in which a disproportionate number of centenarians were found—to discover factors contributing to their vitality and longevity. Factors differed across the four areas; however, based on their findings, the researchers found commonalities to arrive at the following recommendations:

These can be found on (www.bluezones.com/live-longer/power-9). These findings provide a holistic approach to life and address physical, spiritual, mental, and social aspects of living. The nine recommendations complement the website (takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/create-healthy-lifestyle/your-healthy-lifestyle-tools) that discusses lifestyle changes.

It is important to remember that basic, daily, good health practices are the foundation for holistic health. The right amount of sleep, for example, is essential not only for physical health but for spiritual, emotional, and mental health as well. During deep sleep the brain stores into long-term memory in the hippocampus the preceding day’s events. Without deep sleep, memory is affected negatively. Likewise, regular exercise is needed for memory just as it is for myriad other health benefits. Sleep is essential for emotional health as well. Glozier et al. (2010) demonstrated with almost 3,000 young adults that for each hour of sleep lost, levels of psychological stress rose by 5%. Those getting the least amount of sleep were 14 times more likely to report symptoms of psychological stress. The researchers found that if the subjects were not anxious to begin with, those who slept less than 5 hours per night tripled their odds of becoming psychologically stressed. Something as basic as loss of sleep can have an extraordinary impact on a person’s health. Sleep is but one of the necessary components in achieving holistic health.