If you’ve been following Tillamook County Wellness this year, there’s a good chance that you heard about our “This Way to Well-Being” map activity that we’ve been sharing the last few months. This map stemmed from many discussions of wanting to create something fun and engaging that highlights a broader range of wellness – where the focus is not just on benefiting our physical health, but also our mental and emotional health. (And as an extra bonus, we handed out prizes such as Hydro Flasks, county / state parks passes, fair tickets, and local business certificates to randomly selected participants!)
We created this map of local activities with no set starting point or finish line based on the idea that there is no “right” path to wellness. We all have different interests that motivate us (as well as different challenges that may create barriers) so this map was created to serve as a guide for ideas when thinking about what we find exciting and what we might want to try here in Tillamook County. The “This Way to Well-Being” map included local ideas for enjoying the outdoors, connecting with friends and family, trying new foods, prioritizing your mental health, and more. You can view the map here on the Tillamook County Wellness website.
But we also wanted to hear from participants about what we might be missing – What did you enjoy? And what should we add? The survey responses we received were thoughtful and energizing. Here are a few suggestions that we received about what could be added to the map:
“Create art”
“Start recycling / composting”
“Practice meditation”
“I’d like more ways to meet like-minded people. Perhaps something like sharing a meal with a new friend.”
“Maybe something about sleep, laughter, mental health?”
“Yoga practice. Fostering homeless animals for United Paws or adopting a cat or dog from the Tillamook Animal Shelter”
Not only do we want to thank our participants for their excitement and engagement, but also our community partners who helped spread the word about the “This Way to Well-Being” map. This wouldn’t have reached nearly as many people without the support of the Tillamook Family YMCA, Food Roots, Tillamook County Community Health Center, North Coast Recreation District, Rinehart Clinic, Tillamook Bay Community College, Tillamook Library branches, Tillamook Food Pantries, Kiawanda Community Center, and local worksites. These organizations shared our printed maps with community members and helped distribute prizes to those who were taking steps to prioritize their health. (For example, the picture with this article shows YMCA instructors Kelly Benson and Sarah Patterson awarding one of the prizes to Megan, a new YMCA member!)
Although we’re wrapping up our printed map and prize distribution at the end of October, we are planning on keeping the map up on our webpage and adding a section about the suggestions we received in the survey. We hope it can continue to be used by anyone in Tillamook County who is looking for a little inspiration in starting up their own journey towards a happier, healthier life.
Other wellness questions? Email us at info@tillamookcountywellness.org. For more local health and wellness information, visit www.tillamookcountywellness.org or follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook and Instagram.