People encounter several transitions from illness to well-being during their lives. Polacsek et al. (2019) acknowledge that transitions are passages from one life stage, state, or condition to another that express a natural feeling of movement, purpose, and fluidity through time. While transitions occur throughout time, the moving from one circumstance or life phase to another is precipitated by an event that necessitates acquiring new abilities (Polacsek et al., 2019). A health or illness status change, primarily one requiring formal assessment and treatment, is perceived as a health-illness-related transition.
There are options and resources available to help me shift toward wellness on the health-illness spectrum. Essentially, a transition may begin with a choice, diagnosis, symptom, or event; it concludes with a much more dynamic approach when a new skill is acquired, or a feeling of well-being is gained (Polacsek et al., 2019). Farina et al. (2018) mention that self-care is essential for nurses to a person’s health and includes lifestyle practices such as weight control, fitness, and managing stress. These resources can assist me with chronic disease management, sickness recovery, and self-actualization. Self-care incorporates mindfulness practices, emphasizing purposeful attention to the current moment with a nonjudgmental acceptance and awareness mindset (Farina et al., 2018). Additionally, mindfulness activities have been demonstrated to reduce anxiety levels and depression, attain an inner state of tranquility, sense compassion, experience empathy, and facilitate communication with others.
Embracing the health-illness continuum enables nursing professionals to promote the value and dignity of people and groups while assisting others in ways that improve human well-being. Excessive stress can weaken the immune system and cause sickness. Health is a way of life that necessitates constant investigation, inquiry, questioning, and solution-finding while functioning in the physical, psychological, and social aspects. Healthcare providers should support patients in creating a sense of balance and teach them to take care of their physical self, communicate emotions effectively, and be aware of their psychological and spiritual conditions. Hence, wellness practices, such as mindfulness, socializing, healthy eating, and exercising, enhance the patient’s well-being.
Farina, S. M., Minerva, E., Glunt, J., & Bernardo, L. M. (2018). Introducing mindfulness practices for self-care. Journal for Nurses in Professional Development, 34(4), 194–198. Web.
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Olde Rikkert, M. G., Melis, R. J., Cohen, A. A., & Peeters, G. M. E. E. (2022). Why illness is more important than disease in old age. Age and Ageing, 51(1). Web.
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