Thursday, April 27, 2017

Journaling: W = Wellness Wheel

The Wellness Wheel is not a new concept.

The idea is to review the various components of our lives - the roles we play and the work we do - and align them in perfect harmony. Everything is moderation would be the motto of the Wellness Wheel.
To quickly review, the five key areas of the wellness wheel include:
  • Emotional well-being: our mental health is optimum. We are not excessively agitated or anxious; we are comfortable in our own skin. We enjoy a healthy self-esteem, and we also exhibit appropriate feelings of compassion and empathy for others.
  • Physical well-being: our bodies are healthy. We eat right and exercise regularly to maintain good heart health and body strength.
  • Vocational well-being: we are content in our jobs. We are doing what we are skilled and called to do. We work hard, but we also know when to stop and take a necessary break. We avoid workaholism as much as we avoid boredom.
  • Intellectual well-being: we intentionally engage our brains on a daily basis. Just as we exercise our bodies, we also recognize the need to exercise our minds. We embrace the concept of life-long learning.
  • Social well-being: we are created to be relational. We purposefully engage with others for whom we care deeply. We make time to spend time with others face-to-face and cultivate bonds of friendship. We are quick to forgive and slow to criticize.
The large outer circle represents our Spiritual Well-being. To the degree that these five components of life are working well together determines the extent of our spiritual health.

While it is difficult to maintain an equilibrium on a daily basis (the job sometimes demands overtime or a wave of the flu causes a breakdown in our physical health), the idea is to try to keep these various components in balance over the long-term.

If you feel yourself out-of-sorts, considering journaling from the Wellness Wheel perspective.

Ask yourself: where is my Wellness Wheel out of balance?

Once that is identified, then ask, what one thing can I do today that would have the greatest impact towards bringing balance back into my life? 

Just one thing. Don’t think big. Think small, baby steps. 

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Up Next - Journaling: X is for eXercise


6 comments:

  1. What a great guide to self-care! And with some spokes I really hadn't considered in the larger scheme of things.

    A to Z Challenge: Wolf

    Isa-Lee Wolf

    A Bit 2 Read
    @IsaLeeWolf

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  2. I like that wheel. I have heard of it but forgotten about it.
    Boy, has that wheel changed for me over the last 10 years! It used to be overly consumed by my job (which I liked but clearly took a toll on my health)

    We really should ask ourselves this question every day. Of course we should also make it happen, even if we can't go to the beach every day ;-) (I made a sandy zen garden for that purpose!! Remind me to e-mail a picture if you like)

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    Replies
    1. The sandy zen garden sounds wonderful! I'd love to see a picture :)

      Yes, my vocation consumed my life for way too long and while I loved it, my physical and mental health definitely suffered.

      While I don't think I have my wheel in perfect balance, I am much more content.

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  3. Thank you for your thoughts on an area I often neglect. When I do think about trying to restore balance, I think big.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, I often think too big and have to remind myself to take baby steps :)

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