Chapter 5
Wellness Tools
Wellness tools are things you can use to stay well by managing your emotions and wellbeing. It is helpful to use these tools every day, including trying out new ones, so you learn which ones work best for you.
Doing this will help you care for yourself and better manage in times of stress.
Worksheet 5: Your Daily/Weekly Planner
Planning your day and routine is a great way of building new skills and habits. Remember to include some self-care activities and your SMART goals.
Ways to Improve Your Wellbeing:
Eat a Healthy, Well-Balanced Diet
Increase your intake of fresh vegetables (5 serves daily) and fruit, home cooked meals, avoid high sugar, processed and fried foods.
Set and Keep Clear Boundaries
Know your boundaries. It’s ok to say No.
Maintain Relationships
Time with friends, families, community groups.
5 Senses Grounding Exercise
Is a helpful tool to connect with your senses. It also helps for
regulating emotional and physical responses during/after an unpleasant experience.
• 5 things you can SEE.
• 4 things you can HEAR.
• 3 things you can FEEL.
• 2 things you can SMELL.
• 1 thing you can TASTE.
Journal
Journaling can help you “let go” of unpleasant thoughts and feelings and capture your
reflections and progress. We recommend you have a specific notebook for this. Once you write
in your notebook, close it and do something you enjoy.
Start a gratitude diary
Write down 3 things you are grateful for every day.
Mindfulness/Meditation/Yoga/Visualisation
Practice at home, attend a class, or use smartphone apps such as Smiling Mind.
Exercise
A simple 15 minutes a day outside, can totally change your perspective.
Take a Quiet Break — sometimes distance can help you look at things in other ways. It may also help to limit screen time.
Warm bath/shower
Add essential oils /Epsom salts/bubble bath/candles/music.
Self-pampering
Massage, facial, aromatherapy, manicure, weighted/heated blanket.
Hobbies
Listening to music that lifts your mood or soothes your soul.
Time with Pets
Walking and cuddling your pet.
Use Free Wellness apps
On each page of this Wellness Toolkit, you will find some apps that relate to each topic in the Resource sections. You can also find all these options in Chapter 12: Resource Directory and Helpful Tools
Contents
Welcome Page
1 Strengths & Values
2 What are my Hopes?
3 Setting Goals
4 Being Motivated
5 Wellness Tools
6 Managing Stress, Triggers &
Unhelpful Thinking
7 Making Social Connections
8 Understanding Relapse Prevention
9 Asking for Help
10 What to do if You Become Unwell
11 My Wellness & Discharge Plan
12 Resources Directory & Helpful
Tools
Other Resources
Downloadable Resources:
Websites:
- Health and Wellness – Podcast List
- BeyondBlue: Look after your mental health and wellbeing
- BeyondBlue Wellbeing Action Tool
- BlackDogInstitute: Bite Back – mental health and wellbeing site for youth.
- Headspace: Eating Well for a Healthy Headspace
- Headspace: Creating Connections for a Healthy Headspace
- Headspace: Staying Active for a Healthy Headspace
- Headspace: Tips for a Healthy Headspace
Smart Phone Apps:
- Happify – An app that has effective tools and programs to help you take control of your emotional well being.
- Onlyhuman – An app that uses short films and simple tasks to boost wellbeing.
- MoodMission – Helps you learn new ways of coping with low moods and anxiety
- Smiling Mind – Meditation Made Simple