Summary
Problems often define our interactions with health care providers. Wellbeing is another way to think of our health. Dr. Saundra Jain and Dr. Rakesh Jain have developed a set of interventions we can use to achieve wellness, that is to feel happy, to feel enthusiastic about life, to be resilient in life, and to be optimistic in life. The interventions together are called the WILD 5 Wellness programme. Research has shown the benefits of practicing the WILD 5 interventions.
Wellbeing Focused Instead of Problem Focused
Pictures can convey a thousand words, so the saying goes. But words can lead us to create images in our minds. When we hear someone say they are going to the doctor, many of us will imagine an image of someone who is ill and in need of healthcare services.
Is that really the purpose of healthcare?
That is a loaded question which will not be answered in this brief blog, except to suggest another approach. Wellbeing focused.
Being well is how most of want to feel. And, what if we embraced a being well thought process in our day-to-day life?
Why not live a life of optimal mental health and wellbeing?
What if this approach had been validated by research studies?
A Wellness Programme
The WILD 5 Wellness programme was developed by Drs. Saundra Jain and Rakesh Jain, based on a review of the literature. They realized that psychiatric care in standard treatment was insufficient to meet the goals of their clients. Although clients experienced improvement of their psychiatric symptoms with standard care, clients reported they did not necessarily feel happy, optimistic, resilient, or enthusiastic about their lives.
Drs. Jain and their team reviewed the literature to identify elements other than psychotherapy (talk therapy) and psychopharmacology (psychiatric medications) which lead to people feeling well. Based on their research, they developed the WILD 5 Wellness programme.
WILD 5 Wellness
WILD is an acronym for Wellness Interventions for Life’s Demands. The supposition is that there is a wellness deficit which can be rectified by implementing interventions.
Words are impactful.
A wellness deficit implies we can replenish the deficit. And, that is encouraging. I may have a disorder and I can still apply techniques to experience wellbeing. The disorder does not go away. The disorder does not define how well I feel.
Five Elements
The five elements identified through their literature search are Nutrition; Social Connectedness; Mindfulness; Sleep; and Exercise.
Based on what their clients had told them, Drs. Jain developed a scale to assess for the desired outcomes of their clients: Happiness; Enthusiasm; Resilience; and Optimism. The acronym from these words is HERO and Drs. Jain developed a scale to assess for these feelings.
The HERO scale was used to test for the effects of including, in treatment, the strategies to address nutrition; social connectedness; mindfulness; sleep; and exercise. The data collected demonstrate the benefits of integrating interventions to promote the five elements.
SMART Goals and Wellness
Changing habits is not simply a matter of wanting to make a change. A habit is a behaviour we have developed over time. Changing that behaviour is a process.
And, we want to maintain our desire to reach our goal. If we witness no change, we may become discouraged.
SMART goals can be a strategy to assist us with effecting change. Our goal should be Specific. It should be Measurable. It should be Achievable. It should be Relevant to what we wish to accomplish. It should be Timely.
A goal of ice skating would be specific if we identify that we want to be able to get on the ice wearing ice skates, stay upright, learn to glide on the ice, and learn a basic snowplough stop, in two weeks. A goal of doing a double axel in two weeks is not a SMART goal for most people.
WILD 5 Wellness Phases
I believe the WILD 5 Wellness programme successfully integrates the SMART goal strategy.
The phases of the WILD 5 Wellness programme are:
Phase 1: START- Days 1 through 30 Do the activity every day.
Phase 2: SOLIDIFY- Days 31 through 60 Do the activity 5 out of 7 days.
Phase 3: SUSTAIN- Days 61 through 90 Do the activity 3 out of 7 days.
Doesn’t that sound doable?
Takeaways
We can train ourselves to conceptualize the glass as half full rather than half empty, by our choice of words. Elliott Connie, a titan in the field of Solution Focused Brief Therapy, has phrased the half full option far more poetically. He has offered the concept of espousing a life of abundance.
We can work towards reaching optimal mental health and wellbeing.
We can effect change if we are SMART about it.
We can embrace Happiness, Enthusiasm, Resilience, and Optimism. It may take some work and the work will be worth it in the end.
Life is a Process. Be Well. Be Present. Be Happy.
Resources
Please consult the following for additional information:
WILD 5: A Proven Path to Wellness
https://wild5wellnessprogram.com/
WILD 5 Wellness Jain Uplift Report
https://www.jainuplift.com/wild-5-wellness
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