Do you feel like things are off-balance in your life, but you can’t quite pinpoint what’s off? Do you sense something might be missing, but you’re not quite sure what it is you need?
It’s important to periodically evaluate whether your life is balanced…especially as things change in your life.
Balance becomes even more crucial when you’re going through a tough time, like trauma, stress, illness, or emotional challenges. When life shifts, you need to adjust.
It’s also helpful to know that “balance” looks different for everyone. What works for your mom or your best friend might not feel quite as balanced to you.
I want to share with you a simple wholistic tool to help you identify aspects of your life where you’re thriving and other aspects where you might be lacking.
This can help you determine which area(s) to focus on moving forward to get you feeling balanced and headed in the direction you want to go!
WHEEL OF WELLNESS
It’s called the Wheel of Wellness, and it was originally created by the SAMHSA. This assessment tool helps you evaluate and visually see how you’re doing in 8 main categories of wellness.
You can use this as a guide to identify where you might be out of balance and then incorporate activities and habits to improve your health and sense of fulfillment in specific categories.
Ready to see how balanced your life is? Let me briefly introduce each of the 8 dimensions of wellness:
1. Social Wellness
Do you have a strong support system? What’s the quality of your connections and relationships? Do you have a sense of belonging? How involved are you in places you might find new and supportive people, such as church, work, volunteer positions, etc?
2. Emotional Wellness
How well are you coping with big feelings…and with life in general? How satisfying are your relationships? How well are you able to bounce back from set backs?
3. Spiritual Wellness
How would you rate your faith as a source of purpose and meaning in life? How are you incorporating spiritual disciplines (ex. Bible reading, prayer, silence and solitude, etc) to promote your spiritual growth?
4. Intellectual Wellness
How well are you growing your knowledge and skills? How are you using your creative talents? Consider personal interests and hobbies you engage in, as well as continuing education, brain games, and stimulating conversations.
5. Physical Wellness
How’s your sleep, nutrition, and physical activity? How’s your physical and mental health? Are you managing medications (and alcohol) responsibly?
6. Environmental Wellness
How safe are you? How safe do you feel? How about your access to basics, such as clean air, water, and groceries? Do you have habits and routines that serve you well? How well do your work and home environments encourage and support your well-being?
7. Financial Wellness
How content are you with your present (and future) financial situation? How well are your decisions supporting your financial goals?
8. Occupational Wellness
What level of satisfaction do you derive from work (paid or not)? What’s feeding your sense of accomplishment? How well do you balance work, rest, and play?
WHAT'S YOUR SCORE?
Now, take a minute to rate yourself from 1-5 in each of the 8 categories, with 1 being “Not so great” and 5 being “Best possible.”
FIND YOUR BALANCE
Finally, look at your rating for each category and note which one(s) needs some improvement. Brainstorm and determine what you need in order to raise your score for that wellness category and feel more balanced overall.
If you need help brainstorming ideas, habits, and activities to improve a specific category, you can find that here. It’s a great resource!
I hope you find this exercise helpful as you evaluate your balance in 8 key areas of your life and seek to improve your overall wellness this year. Feel free to drop me a DM and let me know how it goes.
Resources:
https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/sma16-4958.pdf
https://www.siue.edu/pharmacy/pharmacists/preceptors/mentoring/pdf/Wellnesswheelworksheet.pdf