WRAP Your Way

WRAP stands for Wellness Recovery Action Plan. It’s an evidence-based wellness tool that gives you a framework to thoughtfully consider the ways you can support your own wellness. The idea is to grab the self-knowledge we have and lock it down. We do this when we are well, so we have the resources to support us when we are struggling. WRAP was developed by Mary Ellen Copeland. As she struggled with her own anxiety and depression, she worked with other peers to seek out tools and strategies for recovery. WRAP is centered around five key concepts: hope, personal responsibility, education, self-advocacy, and support. At its most basic, WRAP is a series of lists covering topics such as: · Ways to get better and stay well · Tools that can be used every day to maintain wellness · Words to describe wellness · Unexpected things that can be “triggers” (what we now call “stressors”) · Early warning signs that things are “off” · How to know when things have gotten much worse and what to do · Action plans for times that are overwhelming · What to include in a crisis plan or advance directive The original WRAP is premade booklet where you just fill in the blanks. There is even a pocket-sized version that you can carry with you on the go. Some folks like the simplicity of this plug and play option. Everything is set up for you in one place ready to add your thoughts. But as WRAP has become more popular, folks have experimented with different styles and formats to meet their needs. There are many ways to make this your own. An important part of this process is thinking about what will work for you. On the next page, we will take a look at some of the WRAP variations we’ve seen. Perhaps it will inspire you to create or update your own. 1) If you currently use a planner, you can integrate your WRAP Here is an example of using WRAP in a bullet journal. If you bullet journal, you are already familiar with habit trackers; these are a natural for tracking you Daily Maintenance Plan. Here is an example from the blog at wellnessrecoveryactionplan.com https://www.wellnessrecoveryactionplan.com/wrap-and-bullet-journaling/ 2) Or your WRAP can be a work of art! Some love the idea of their WRAP being beautiful. There can be a great sense of satisfaction in adding color and pattern. Here are a few examples from our workshops with Janet Laird from Art for Insight:

http://janetlaird.blogspot.com/ 3) And because we live in the 21st century, there’s app for that! The WRAP app is free, available for iOS or Android and is easy to use. A nifty feature is that you can choose to share individual pages with your supporters with just a click.

https://www.wellnessrecoveryactionplan.com/wrap-in-action/wrap-app/

Each month we have groups at Connections that work on WRAP topics. Learning from each other is a great way to expand our thinking about what is possible. We would love to have you add your insights.