Wellness Services

What is Wellness?

Most people think of naturopathic medicine when they hear the word “wellness.” That’s probably because naturopathic doctors commonly use the word to describe their practices, which typically feature body work such as massage and acupuncture, as well as herbal medicine. Although we do not promote herbal “remedies” to treat diagnosed mental illness, we concur that body work can promote physical wellness. However, we believe it is crucial to attend to all eight dimensions of Wellness: social, emotional, occupational, environmental, physical, spiritual, intellectual, and financial. Extreme inattention to even one dimension can trigger the onset of mental illness, and, conversely, all eight dimensions of Wellness are affected when one is in the grip of illness, or struggling with the diagnosis and treatment of a close family member.

Many types of mental illness are preventable by living a Wellness-based lifestyle. Still other types of mental illness can be cured through proper diagnosis and treatment, and Wellness Education is often a key component of that treatment. So it is our hope that in addition to helping people already affected by mental illness, our Wellness services can help even more people avoid mental illness altogether.

How do I know if I’m “well” or not?

If your answer to any of the following questions is “No,” “I don’t know,” or negative in some other sense, you need Wellness work. If your answers are mostly “Yes,” “Very Recently,” or generally positive, keep doing what you’re doing!

Do you exercise? Eat right? Drink plenty of water? Get enough sleep? Are you a non-smoker? Are you comfortable with your weight?
Do you work too much, or not enough? Do you like your work? If not, why not?
What do you do for fun? Do you think this is a healthy way to have fun?
Do you like yourself? Do you know what you believe in/ stand for, and why? How do you connect with your spirit/ essence? Do you meditate? Spend time in nature?
What is your dream for your future? What are you doing today to help make that dream come true?
Do you often feel angry? If so, at whom? Why? Do you have friends? Do you spend time with people you love? Do you feel comfortable telling the people you care about how you feel about them?
When was the last time you helped someone out? The last time someone helped you out?
When was the last time you laughed so hard you felt like you would pee your pants?! When was the last time you tried something new and exciting?
Are you financially independent (even if you have loans)? Have you started a retirement fund? Do you have the recommended types of insurance for where you’re at in life? If not, why not? Do you feel comfortable talking openly about money with the people you love? If not, why not?
What’s stopping you from being happy RIGHT NOW?!

How can I get started improving my Wellness?

Here are five easy, yet powerful things you can do once a day, once a week, and once a month that will guarantee improvement in your overall Wellness.

Make time everyday to:

Check-in with yourself- how are you feeling?
Eat well and drink water.
Sleep (click here to see how much you need…everyone is different).
Be thankful about some aspect of your life.
Call, email, or Facebook with a friend.

Make time every week to:

Exercise.
Meditate, or connect with your spirit in a way that works for you.
Socialize in-person with someone you don’t live with.
Check-in with your close family members (spouse, children, others who live with you).
Do something nice for a stranger (could be as simple as holding a door open, or offering a big smile).

Make time every month to:

Spend “quality time” with someone you love. It could be date-night with your spouse, the museum with an Auntie, pedicures with your daughter, a ball-game with your son…just as long as you share an experience with that person.
Have a new experience! You could combine this with #1, too. The idea is to do mix up your routine and go somewhere new, or do something you’ve never done. It’s fun!
Organize. Clean-up your desk, clean-out your inbox, straighten-up your closet, vacuum your car. De-cluttering and streamlining your space improved efficiency and decreases anxiety.
Check your financials. Make sure your bill-pay is accurate so you don’t miss payments, review your checking account for inaccuracies, look at your savings and/or retirement portfolios to see your progress, and consider obtaining your credit score if you haven’t in awhile.
Write about what you’ve been doing and thinking and feeling. Whether you prefer a personal journal that nobody else will see or a public blog, writing can be very therapeutic. It helps us reflect, organize our thoughts, explore our feelings, and appreciate how capable and productive we are.

How can Mind’s Eye help me improve my Wellness?

Read our blog! We try to write about mental health and Wellness in an open, honest, personalized way, with the goal of raising awareness of the importance of caring for yourself, and normalizing/ de-stigmatizing mental illness.