Wellness

Why You Must Stop Smoking

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I’ve worked with many people over the years to help them with challenges related to mental illness and addiction to drugs and alcohol. Unfortunately, a large percentage of these folks have also struggled with another tough addiction: nicotine from tobacco products. I’m always careful to ask if someone smokes or uses other forms of tobacco, and to encourage them to quit. Here are several good reasons to quit and some points to consider to help you stop smoking. 1) Smoking …

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8 ‘Rules of the Road’ for Better Mental Health

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I drive to and from work several days per week and I have well over a half million miles as a driver under my belt since learning to drive as a teenager. Over the years, I’ve certainly seen my share of both good and bad driving behaviors. And yes, I’ve been in a handful of minor fender-benders (and that one time when I almost drove up under an eighteen-wheeler on the interstate). Lately, for whatever reason, I’ve become more aware …

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How to Manage Obstacles that Keep You from Achieving Your Personal Goals

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When we think about setting personal goals, they’re usually in two categories. The first category of personal goals is to “start doing something positive.” These might look like: Lose weight Exercise more Read more non-fiction Get a pet Find more time for friends and family The second category of personal goals is to “stop doing something negative.” This list might include: Quit eating high-fat foods Stop using nicotine Reduce alcohol use Decrease stress Waste less time online You might assume …

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Do You Have a Healthy Lifestyle?

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What constitutes a healthy lifestyle? Perhaps even more importantly, is your lifestyle healthy? Also, how are healthy lifestyle factors associated with health markers such as cholesterol level, blood sugar, and blood pressure? In a study of 4,745 US adults recently published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, researchers assessed for the presence or absence of four “healthy lifestyle” factors, as defined below. 1) Smoking status A blood test was used to test for cotinine, a by-product of nicotine, to determine if participants were …

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10 Healthy Benefits from Your Next Vacation

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Are you ready for a break, a holiday, a sabbatical, or a vacation? Whatever you like to call it, I know I could sometimes use one. It’s interesting to look at the comparison between the amount of vacation typically offered in the US (about two weeks per year) versus the averages in other countries, with several nations having an average of 4 to 6 weeks of “holiday” each year. Also, the US is in the clear minority with no federally mandated …

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Let’s Resolve to Save a Life This Year

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As a new year starts, it’s a tradition for many of us to make resolutions about changes we want to make in the coming year. Usually, the top resolutions reflect personal health goals. Be more physically fit, lose weight, be less stressed, stop smoking, or drink less alcohol. Another big category is personal improvement. It seems we all want to get more organized, spend less (or save more) money, read more and learn something new. Then there are the fun …

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That’s a WRAP! How You Can Benefit from a Wellness Recovery Action Plan

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An incredibly useful tool for someone who is coping with a mental illness or other significant health challenges is the WRAP, or Wellness Recovery Action Plan. If you’re not already familiar with WRAP, you’re really missing out on a wonderful resource. Let’s review some of the basics about this very helpful approach. What is WRAP? The Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) is an effective, structured intervention created by educator and mental health advocate Mary Ellen Copeland. It was designed as a …

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The ‘ABC’s of Recovery’

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Quite a while ago, I came across a terrific blog called “Romancing the Road to Recovery” by Jo Baltodano. In her blog, Jo says she suffered from an eating disorder since the 4th grade, but she didn’t seek help until age 25 when she was near death. She decided to engage in treatment and chose to fight to live. Jo’s blog is an amazing account of her ongoing journey of recovery. In one of her posts, Jo outlines the ‘ABC’s of …

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