I have recently been introduced to something called an Action Plan.
An Action Plan is doing something to manage your symptoms in a healthy way,
whether it be symptoms of a physical condition or an emotional one.
You can write up your Action Plan at the beginning of each week.
In writing your Action Plan, be sure it includes:
1. What you are going to do.
2. How much are you going to do.
3. When you are going to do it, and
4. How many days a week are you going to do it.
For example: This week, I will walk (what) around the block ( how much)
before lunch (when) three times ( how many ).
After your Action Plan is written down for the week, rate how confident you are
in successfully completing what you wrote down. On a scale of
1 to 10, 10 is the most confident. Make sure your confidence level for
your Action Plan is a 7 or over.
This week my Action Plan was targeted on improving my mental health symptoms,
those being anxiety and depression. My Action Plan was to Journal, listen to music
and read 5 days during the week for at least 1/2 hour for each thing I listed. Then I
tracked what I did each day on a piece of paper, this way I could be
reminded of what I had achieved.
I find that journaling, reading, doing some
kind of "art therapy, and listening to relaxing music in my home on an almost
daily basis really helps me to manage my symptoms. It relaxes me. It distracts me.
I am focused on something other that my worries and woes. I am doing something
creative.
Journaling helps me get my feelings and emotions down on paper and
out of my head/mind. Then I can close up the journal book and put it away for
the day.
I am just getting back to reading.
I have not read a book for probably
two years. Reading relaxes me and helps me to focus on the story in the book,
not on how much physical pain I am experiencing.
"Art Therapy" for me is
drawing paper, colored pencils, and crayons. It sounds like something a child
would do, but I draw and color at my dining room table. I am making something
colorful and I am creating something, I am using my mind and my imagination.
"Music Therapy" for me is two things. First, listening to relaxing music on my portable
CD player with my headphones really calms me down and lessens the
anxiety that I may be experiencing. This is a great thing to do if you have had
a busy, busy day...you can put on those headphones and lie back in your recliner
and de-stress for an hour. This really works ! Second, if I am depressed, I can listen
to music that is lively and uplifting. If you live alone you can even make up a
silly dance to the music. Yes, I have done a silly dance all by myself and it was
hilarious, I even laughed at myself out loud.
Try the Action Plan this week. You could make a commitment to exercise
more, or to eat properly to improve your physical health. You could make
a commitment to relax in order to lessen your anxiety. You could make
a commitment to leave your house or apartment at least three times a week
in order to get out of your isolation.
Thanks for listening. I wrote too much.
LyndaLu
Action Plans
This session shows the powerful, positive effects change can have in your life – if only we learn to embrace it, not resist it.
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