Exploring the Fun
in WRAP
Carol
Bailey
Floyd
February 23, 2011
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
WRAP Overview
• Wellness Tools
• Daily Maintenance
– What I’m Like When I’m Well
– Things I Want to Do Daily
– Things I Might Do Daily
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
•
•
•
•
•
Triggers and Action Plan
Early Warning Signs and Action Plan
Things Getting Worse and Action Plan
Crisis Plan/Advance Directive
Post Crisis Plan
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
People rarely succeed unless they
have fun in what they’re doing.
-- Dale Carnegie
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
Having a WRAP that is really active is a
wonderful demonstration of fun as an
empowering and constructive force.
Most Wellness Tools are fun, and
can often be inexpensive or free!
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
Wellness Tools are an invaluable resource
for the Daily Maintenance section, and for
all the Action Plans. Wellness tools work
even in the Crisis and Post Crisis sections.
If you have ever seen easel pad sheets full
of Wellness Tools hanging on the wall in a
WRAP workshop, you know what fun,
empowering, and creative resources they
can be.
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
Often people resist having fun because
they think they should have their chores
done first, their relationships aren’t quite
what they want them to be, or they’re too
tired.
The truth is our chores never get done,
our relationships are always a work in
progress, and fun gives us energy!
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
My friend Betty used to say –
“Don’t wait to get better to do things.
Do things to get better!”
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
I used to feel like I didn’t deserve to have
fun. I was embarrassed because I felt like
I wasn’t as accomplished as other people.
When I felt really low, I didn’t have the
energy to have fun. I also felt like I wasn’t
a very good friend because I didn’t feel
cheerful very often, so I felt awkward doing
things with other people.
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
As the years went by and my life improved, I
found that the more fun I had, by myself,
and with others, the more energy I had,
and my relationships improved.
When I developed a WRAP in 2002, I found
a way to make fun and creativity a regular
part of my life for a good cause – my own
balance and well-being!
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
Wellness Tools
I know I am having a good day if there are
some relaxing, cheerful, and fun activities
in it.
If I am feeling low, then I know that by
adding Wellness Tools, I can improve my
outlook and my overall well-being.
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
Wellness Tools
As a G-Ma, many of my Wellness
Tools involve my grandsons
Nate and Andrew.
One time, when he was 3 years
old, Nate was doing a craft
project and he said, “I’m an
artist and artists can do
anything!” And recently when
Andrew (age 5) couldn’t sleep,
he said, “I am going to have to
investigate why I can’t sleep.”
Needless to say, anything I do
with Nate and Andrew is a
Wellness Tool!
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
Hooray for Movies!
Many years ago, I trained
myself to go to the
movies by myself. I don’t
have to call anyone. I
can go on the spur of the
moment. I can pick any
movie I want. I love to go
to the movies with a
friend, but going alone, is
one of my favorite fun
Wellness Tools.
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
Daily Maintenance
“Life is too short to be taken seriously.”
-- unknown
Our laughing club has been dancing and laughing to the
“Beer Barrel Polka” for years. One day I realized that the
“roll out the barrel” part could be “roll out the Carol”. I
thought that was hilarious. Since I am not a morning
person, I start every morning, before I even get out of
bed, laughing (ha ha ha) to “roll out the Carol”.
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
Still Laughing in the Morning
My next morning wake up routine is to stand up
and do the Laughing Club cheer:
ha ha ho ho hee hee (three times with arms
reaching up) and then a hooray!
Then I do the Yoga Breath of Joy three times.
I am ready to get moving!
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
More Daily Maintenance
I love the colorful quilt
we have on our bed,
and I named the sock
monkey to be my
mascot for the
decade of my sixties,
so making my bed in
the morning is a
pleasure!
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
Journaling and Gratitude
I try to spontaneously journal at least 750
words each morning.
I do this on:
750words.com
I also post 10 things I am grateful for on:
goodlistdaily.com
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
Triggers
Now if I experience a Trigger, at first I might
not be very happy, but then I realize that it
is my responsibility to myself to do one or
more Action Plans. When I realize that I
might have to make time for a movie, a trip
to the library, a cup of tea with a friend, or
a walk, then the Trigger doesn’t seem to
have as much power any more!
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
Winter as a Trigger
I prefer Spring,
Summer, and Fall to
Winter. I appreciate
many aspects of
Winter, but it is not
my favorite season.
When the Winter
months start to drag
on, I start my Spring
countdown!
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
Early Warning Signs and
When Things are Getting Worse
You can diminish or eliminate Early Warning
signs or even indications that Things are
Getting Worse by putting effective Action
Plans into motion.
If Things are Getting Worse, your supporters
can help you coordinate your Action Plans
to help assure that you don’t go into crisis.
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
Crisis Plan
When I am facilitating, I love
to point out that there is
fun all the way through
WRAP, and when the
section on Crisis comes
up, I am always happy to
point out the slide that
says: “provide materials
so I can draw or paint”.
Fun and creativity are
comforting and healing.
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
Post Crisis Plan
During this time of transition from Crisis to
getting back to being able to coordinate
your life again, your supporters can help
you gradually resume using your WRAP.
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
Supporters
Some people have lots of supporters, and others, who are
starting out with their WRAPs, may have none. The
good news is that getting supporters is always a
possibility and developing a system of support is often
fun!
Going to community events, special interest meetings,
volunteering, renewing friendships, spending time with
family members, and being supportive of others are a
few ways of increasing the chances of having friends
and family to support you.
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
Supporters
Supporters are not just there for the tough
times – reach out and suggest some fun
things to do, too!
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
Fun with A WRAP Supporter
and a Dear Friend
My friend Jean (on the left) is an
Advanced Level WRAP
facilitator and is one of my best
WRAP supporters. We
support and encourage each
other through good times and
bad, but most of all, we have
LOTS of fun!
Maria, who along with Jean and
me, is a Certified Zentangle
Teacher (zentangle.com), is
talented, fun, and loving – a
great combination in a terrific
friend!
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
The Power of Choice
WRAP is all about the power of choice. You can
change parts of your WRAP any time you want.
If a Wellness Tool has gotten boring, you can
add a new one, you can make your Daily
Maintenance more interesting, you can do
exchange listening, change negative thoughts to
positive ones, and try focusing.
Every time something difficult happens, you can do
something positive in response. And the
positive thing can be fun and creative!
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
Fun and Creativity
Doing enjoyable, cheerful, fun and creative
things helps you to be more open to the
possibilities of life and helps to you feel
more hopeful about your future!
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
WRAP Creativity
The most beautiful WRAP I ever saw was done in a
scrapbook format, with pictures, fun lettering, and lots of
love!
Some people decorate their WRAP notebooks. My first
WRAP was in a hot pink and orange flowered notebook
so I could find it fast!
Recently I saw a personal WRAP done on PowerPoint! It
was amazing -- with charts, photographs, and an
enormous amount of creativity.
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
Fun and Creative Hotel Room
I love to travel and facilitate
WRAP workshops. I
enjoy meeting new
people and any time I get
to talk about WRAP is a
privilege.
I always travel with a lot of
art supplies, and make
my room a fun place to
come home to at night. It
makes traveling even
more of a pleasure.
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
WRAP Kits and Bags
One person who uses WRAP travels with a
Wellness Tool kit. She has a relaxation CD,
crossword puzzles, a copy of her WRAP, her
journal and other fun and comforting things
ready to access.
Another woman designed a WRAP tote bag
with the Key Concepts on the outside, and
gave them to the participants in her WRAP
workshop for them to put in some of their
tangible Wellness Tools!
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
WRAP
We all deserve to have a great life! Having
a WRAP helps assure that we can have
that happen. WRAP is friendly, common
sense, accessible, empowering, and can
be as fun and creative as we chose it to
be.
Thank you to Mary Ellen Copeland, PhD,
and all the people who helped coordinate
its’ development!
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
In honor of fun, creativity, and possibilities,
I have started a fairly new blog –
celebratepossibilities.blogspot.com
where a new challenge has been issued to
identify:
1,000 Fun Things to Do!
Let’s reach this goal together!
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
Wellness Tools Webinar
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
1 – 2 p.m.
Go to www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
And make sure you click “sign up to receive our newsletter” to
make sure you are on our mailing list.
Look out for registration information!
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
Mary Ellen Copeland - Mental Health Recovery &
WRAP®
Mental Health Recovery and WRAP® - Wellness
Recovery Action Plan
WRAP Facilitators
Copeland Center for Wellness and Recovery
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
Resources
750wordsdaily.com
goodlistdaily.com
zentangle.com
celebratepossibilities.blogspot.com
mentalhealthrecovery.com
copelandcenter.com
carol@mentalhealthrecovery.com
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com