Ram Dass and the teachers/teachings of Stephen Levine, Kubler-Ross, Mindfulness Insight Meditation, guided my career. Here is a synthesis I came up with from seeing and listening to 7 sometimes very sick patients a day in the hospital for stress management education for over 30 years as a nurse healer. www.jonvasu.com
While reflecting on this nursing work, I identified the most common stress and healing themes i would hear from people. Learning about all this was my stress management education.
- There are changes in life because of health problems.
- Supportive listening needed, perhaps problem solving, or communication issues with family or medical team.
- “Waiting and not knowing.”
- Pain
- Grieving loss of health, loss of control.
- “The economy.”
- Sick and tired of being sick and tired.
- Patient or family member is interested or motivated in health and healing promotion: Vital Quartet to improve quality of life and physical functioning so the person will do better with the medical plan.
- Wanting to learn how to relax and decrease worry.
- “How to live” with an illness?
- Needing to “catch your breath.”
- Personal stress cup is near full or overflowing, whether one thrives on stress or not.
- “Dark night of the soul.”
- “God is the best stress management.”
- Symptom management. (pain, fatigue, nausea, low energy.)
- Receiving support from others is difficult.
