Wellness is Maintained by . . . Making a Plan to Conquer MDD & GAD
“Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence is the key to unlocking our potential.” – Winston Churchill.
The chart below is a list of items that help me to maintain wellness…
For me wellness is being in a state of good health with a feeling of wellbeing. It is an absence of pain and suffering. It is an absence of being weighed down. It is being able to function in a satisfying way each day. It is being able to feel the full range of all emotions, in such a way that are normal reactions to life’s events. It is being able to live my life fully realizing my hopes and dreams.
I think most people agree that wellness is multifaceted. I believe these seven concepts make up wellness: physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, financial, environmental and social – each one affecting the other.
Depression adversely affects each facet of wellness. Evidence based research states that the most effective way to combat depression and find wellness is through a combination of medication and counseling. (Different types of depression may respond to different treatments.) For me medication and therapy were the first steps to becoming well. Then as I began to feel a little better, I could concentrate on each of these seven areas a little at a time. As you learn more about depression, anxiety and yourself, you can begin to make a wellness plan adapted just for you. Below in the box are some suggestions to use as part of your plan. These work for me. Then when you have a plan, begin to slowly (depending on how severe your depression is) step by step follow that plan. I write out my plan, so it is easier for me to remember and follow. This thought by Winston Churchill… “Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence is the key to unlocking our potential.” makes a lot of sense to me and motivates me to never give up, and to just keep moving forward a little bit continuously each day. I am careful not to push too hard or to be too harsh on myself and at the same time challenge myself.
I have found that now and then for a number of different reasons, I stop doing some of these things and it really takes its toll on my over all wellness. At those times I regroup and begin again to do the things I know I should be doing. This list is a guideline to help me and is not meant to cause stress. As I said before, I just keep moving forward doing the best I can.
