A mental health wellness plan isn’t just a worksheet—it’s a lifeline. In this episode, co-hosts Terry and Dr. Anita Sanz walk through the first part of creating a Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP). This practical guide helps individuals living with depression and other mental health conditions identify the daily habits, warning signs, and stressors that affect their well-being.
Through personal reflection and clinical insight, they share how to identify what wellness looks like for you, what to avoid, and how to build a system of tools that supports your mental health. Whether you’re creating your first WRAP plan or revisiting one after a setback, this conversation offers a compassionate step-by-step foundation.
🎧 Part 2 will cover: crisis plans, signs of breakdown, and post-crisis strategies.
Here's a link to the plan outline we're following: https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/WRAP.pdf
Primary Topics Covered
- What a WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) is and why it matters
- How to define what “wellness” means for you
- Creating a daily maintenance plan for mental health
- Identifying personal warning signs and stressors
- Tools that help when living with depression
- Strategies for remembering and sustaining wellness practices
- The difference between triggers and early signs of relapse
- When and how to revise your mental health plan
Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro and episode overview
02:00 – Why building a mental health toolkit matters
03:51 – What is a WRAP plan and how to use it
05:11 – Defining what “well” looks like for you
08:29 – Simple, accessible wellness tools that help with depression
11:13 – Identifying meaning and values that inspire wellness
13:44 – New tools to try and expand your mental health support list
14:28 – What to avoid to stay well (habits that sabotage recovery)
18:14 – Depression logic and harmful thinking patterns
19:01 – Daily wellness practices that support stability
22:14 – Weekly or less frequent wellness maintenance (e.g., grocery shopping)
23:49 – Tools that work but need regular reminders or accountability
25:47 – External accountability and buddy systems for movement
26:10 – Identifying stressors that can derail mental health
29:54 – Early warning signs of a depressive episode
32:38 – Overreaction, irritability, and “everyone syndrome”
34:09 – What’s next: breakdown and crisis planning in Part 2
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Giving Voice to Depression