Life Skills Curricula for Mental Wellness and Personal Growth

Today, we recognize that there is a powerful mind-body connection through which emotional, mental, social, spiritual, and behavioral factors can have a direct impact on our health. The Whole Person’s Mind-Body Wellness Series utilizes mind-body wellness techniques and reproducible wellness workbooks and worksheets to address the daily physical and mental challenges that individuals face.

Fully reproducible activities for facilitators to use with groups or individuals

The Mind-Body Wellness Series comprises behavior modification workbooks designed to help individuals learn how to discontinue old, unhealthy habits and adopt new, healthy lifestyle choices. The model, known as Motivated Behavior Modification (MBM), examines specific learned behaviors and the influence of environmental stimuli on these behaviors. It focuses on helping participants change undesirable and unhealthy lifestyle behaviors by objectively identifying unrealistic behaviors and replacing them with healthier, more effective behaviors.

STEP 1: Self-Assessment – The first step in modifying behavior utilizing mind-body wellness techniques involves determining the frequency, circumstances, and outcomes of the emotions to be altered or enhanced. MBM relies on objective self-assessment to determine each participant’s unhealthy emotions and to establish a baseline for their strengths and limitations. Once a baseline is established, facilitators can use the collected data to track a participant’s progress in replacing unhealthy emotions with healthier ones. The self-assessments contained in this workbook are referred to as “formative assessments.” They can be used to assess participants’ current functioning levels and measure emotional change over time. In this stage, people acknowledge that they have a problem and consider making healthier lifestyle changes. They want to explore in depth the level of their difficulties in changing negative emotions. Self-assessments are powerful tools for helping participants gain valuable insights into their constructive and destructive emotions. Participants use self-assessments to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and acquire valuable insights into their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Self-assessments enable facilitators to gather information about participants, providing a comprehensive picture of each individual.

STEP 2: Support System – The next step in behavior modification involves participants recognizing who is in their support system and identifying which people are supportive of which topics. This requires participants to consider who can support them through each particular behavior modification, what their supporters can do, and how they will help. Support people may vary for each behavior. The person being supportive about low self-esteem can be different from the one being supportive about balancing work and personal life.

STEP 3: Journaling – The next step in behavior modification is journaling answers to specific questions.

Journaling can be very effective in helping people to think critically about themselves and the issues they are coping with. Reminding participants not to concern themselves with grammar or spelling is wise. Free-writing thoughts and ideas is the purpose of the journal.

STEP 4: Goal Setting – The next step in behavior modification is to set goals to modify behavior. Goals initiate an action plan and are necessary to motivate behavioral change. Participants will set goals to replace their old, negative habits with new, healthier ones. It is crucial to help participants determine which specific behaviors they want to change. This will help to give order and context to the change process. Goals provide participants with direction, priorities and a well-conceived action plan for MBM.

STEP 5: Monitoring – The next step is to monitor behaviors until desired outcomes are reached. Sections will be included for participants to keep a regular record of their activities and progress. Motivation is the intrinsic drive that prompts participants to take action and leads to lasting behavioral changes. Motivation is enhanced when participants work toward specific goals and monitor their progress as they continue to make motivated behavioral modifications. By watching their progress as they move toward goals, participants reinforce MBM.

STEP 6: Rewards – This step outlines the rewards for achieving behavioral goals. Healthy rewards will vary from person to person. Participants will benefit by rewarding themselves for positive steps to change unhealthy behaviors.

STEP 7: Tips – This final step offers insights into ways people can manage unwanted behaviors.

The bottom line is that you can improve your health by understanding and using a mind-body wellness approach and CBT-informed strategies for lasting lifestyle change.

Break the ice, encourage thinking, or help introduce a specific topic. The Discussion Starter Card Decks that correlate with each of the books in our Mind-Body Wellness Series will encourage open-ended, thought-provoking questions and lively discussions. These counseling card decks can be used as a stand-alone activity or in conjunction with the corresponding page of the book. 

To purchase the reproducible workbooks or the card set, go to Whole Person Associates at:

 Mind-Body Wellness Series Workbooks & Resources | Whole Person Associates