Enhancing Wellness in
School Mental Health

Shoot for the Moon,
Settle for the Stars

Goal-setting and Wellness

The wellness literature highlights the relationship between expectancy and outcomes (Kawada, 2004). By contrasting a desired future with a less ideal present, one develops a deeper commitment to their goals.
On the other hand, low expectations make it much more difficult for individuals to persevere. This month we outline steps for effective and meaningful goal-setting:
1. Develop your desire
Think about the importance of wellness and how it relates to your role as a clinician. How does your health influence your ability to help students? Do you provide better counseling services when healthy and happy?
2. Write it down
Sounds simple enough, but most people never get to this stage. Don’t worry about prioritizing; write what comes to mind when you think about wellness. Be clear and concise since you can always redefine your goals later.
3. Benefits and obstacles Before starting on the path to wellness, assess your current situation. Ask yourself how you may benefit from being healthier at home, at work and in other social contexts. More importantly, though, consider what stands in your way to wellness: time, money, patience, etc. Knowing what you’re up against allows you to prepare ahead of time for potential roadblocks.
4. List possible resources As a clinician participating in this study, you enjoy access to a variety of personnel and information support. Not only can the research team in Baltimore provide you with wellness literature, but they can also guide you in the process of clearly articulating your goals.
5. Make a plan
Be specific about how and when you will obtain your wellness goals. Remember that effective goals walk a fine line between being too difficult or too simple; often it takes time to learn how to challenge yourself without setting yourself up for failure.
We hope this description points you in a positive and productive direction.
Kawada, Christie L. K. (2004). Self-regulatory thought in goal-setting: Perceptual and cognitive processes. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences & Engineering, 64(12B), 6377.

Goal-setting begins first by knowing where you are now; only then can you say know where you want to go.

Fewer than 3 percent of adults have written goals and plans that they work on every single day. When you sit down and write out your goals, you move yourself in to the top 3 percent of people in our society.
You will soon start to get the same type of results that they do.

7 Ways to Wellness

Maintain healthy relationships. Communicate honestly and treat every person with respect. Surround yourself with those who bring out your best.
Maintain a fit body. Balance food intake with exercise routine. Avoid addictions to the fullest extent possible. Remain mindful of your body’s limits.
Maintain a positive self-concept. Recognize your feelings and realize your limitations as an individual. Learn to express a full range of emotions in a appropriate, adult manner.
Maintain a meaningful work community. Listen to others’ ideas and continue developing marketable job skills Find work that benefits you and those around you most.
Maintain an understanding of yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask tough questions of yourself or society. Save time for self-reflection and critical thinking; take time to stop and smell the roses.
Maintain a sustainable environment. Learn to live in harmony with your natural surroundings. Take responsibility for protecting the air, water and soil.
Maintain a consistent purpose in life. Recognize the multiple paths to happiness and choose one that best suits your belief system.
School of Health Promotion and Human Development: University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (2004). Are you balancing the 7 dimensions of wellness?. Retrieved March 8, 2004 from http://www.uwsp.edu/HPHD/empwell/wellQuiz/

It is difficult at times to stay motivated. During times like these, it is easy to lose sight of your goals.
Here some ways for clinicians to stay motivated and to motivate their clients:
Make a commitment to stay motivated.
Define a motive — Decide what matters most and focus on it by writing an action plan with clear goals.
Find a passion — Discover the force that drives you and use it to fuel your efforts at work.
Cultivate an awareness — Listen to every success story you hear and learn from it.
Center on others — Gravitate toward positive, productive people, and you, too, will be one.