Creating a Wellness Team

To effectively create and manage a Wellness Team, following these structured steps can help ensure smooth setup and operation:

1. Invite Team Members: Reach out to potential team members by sharing this website link and inviting them to join. Often team members are existing friends or family members. Choose individuals who are supportive and interested in personal and group wellness goals. Explain the purpose and benefits of participating in the Wellness Team to encourage their commitment.

2. Assign Roles: Determine specific roles for each team member to streamline the management of activities. Possible roles include a Coordinator who sends out weekly content links, a Facilitator who leads discussions, and a Tech manager who handles the digital meeting platform. Decide if these roles will rotate among members or remain static to keep everyone engaged and distribute leadership.

3. Create Norms and Rules: Establish clear norms and rules for how the team will operate. This could include regular meeting times, expected behaviors during discussions, and methods for decision-making. Setting these guidelines early helps prevent conflicts and ensures that all team members are on the same page.

4. Choose a Challenge: As a team, review the available challenges and decide on one to start with. Consider factors such as the interests and needs of the team members, the challenge's duration, and the goals you hope to achieve. Engaging the team in this decision-making process promotes a sense of ownership and commitment to the challenge.

   • The Support Network Challenge: Focuses on building a knowledgeable healthcare team experienced with bipolar disorder, including psychiatrists, psychologists, and primary care physicians, and forming a wellness team and awareness circle for enhanced support and early episode detection.

   • The Treatment Plan Challenge: Involves creating a comprehensive daily management plan, tracking mood fluctuations and sleep patterns, and developing strategies for stress management and circadian rhythm stabilization to maintain day-to-day stability.

   • The Life Practices Challenge: Build beneficial practices around nutrition, activity, rest, social connection, self-regulation, and rhythms, supported by your support system, surroundings, systems, skills, and supplies.

   • The Life Story Challenge: Explore your identity by crafting a narrative of your past, present, and future, gaining clarity on who you are.

   • The Life Complexities Challenges: Targets the disorder's impact on personal and professional life, requiring tailored strategies for navigating complexities in relationships, careers, education, and personal goals to ensure a fulfilling life despite bipolar challenges.

5. Begin Your Challenge: Once a challenge is chosen and roles are assigned, begin your challenge according to the agreed schedule. In initial meetings focus on setting a positive tone, building rapport among members, and reinforcing the purpose and benefits of the challenge.

By following these steps, your Wellness Team will be well-prepared to embark on a journey of personal and collective growth, helping each member move closer to their wellness goals in a structured and supportive environment as you complete team challenges together.