We are Drs. Saundra and Rakesh Jain, the co-creators of WILD 5 Wellness. We are excited to share the history of our wellness program with you.
We are mental health professionals who have spent the last decade studying wellness. Traditionally, professionals in the mental health field focus exclusively on mental illness, with the goal of either eliminating or lessening their patient’s symptoms. Initially our clinical work followed this traditional approach. However, over time we found this course too restrictive. We came to realize that mental wellness is what defines an optimum state of health, and that’s what we wanted to help our patients achieve.
We were interested in offering our patients a wellness program that was evidence-based, prescriptive and self-directed. We searched the scientific literature and discovered that such a program didn’t exist. Consequently, we set out to create an effective wellness program of our own, based on sound scientific findings. We reviewed the literature and discovered that there are five elements that are essential to a person’s sense of wellbeing – exercise, mindfulness, sleep, social connectedness and nutrition.
We scientifically studied these five elements in a variety of settings, over an extended period of time. Only “gold standard” measurement tools were used to test the efficacy of the program. Research results indicated that we succeeded in creating an effective, scientifically-based wellness program. People who completed our program had statistically significant increases in their levels of happiness, enthusiasm, resilience and optimism, which are important mental wellness indicators. They also showed significant decreases in their levels of depression, anxiety, insomnia, emotional eating, and chronic pain.
We named our program WILD 5 Wellness. WILD is an acronym, standing for Wellness Interventions for Life’s Demands. The 5 in WILD 5 Wellness represents the five wellness elements – exercise, mindfulness, sleep, social connectedness, and nutrition.
WILD 5 Wellness was researched as both 30- and 90-day programs. This led to two versions of WILD 5 Wellness – KickStart30 and LiveWell90. KickStart30 is the 30-day program, designed to jump start a person’s wellness journey by asking them to participate in WILD 5 Wellness activities every day for 30 days.
LiveWell90 is the 90-day program. The first 30 days of this program are the same as the KickStart30 program. While the actual wellness practices remain the same for months two and three, the frequency of practice changes. During the second month, participants engage in the wellness activities at least five days per week. The practices are completed at least three days per week during the third month.
WILD 5 Wellness is being successfully used in a variety of settings and circumstances. People with specific health concerns such as chronic pain, depression, anxiety, insomnia, emotional eating, and rheumatoid arthritis are benefiting from the program. And, people without any specific health concerns, who are interested in enhancing their overall sense of mental wellness are also finding success.