Most of us learn at an early age that life is not always going to be easy. By the time we’ve reached our teen years, most of us have experienced heartbreak, performance stress, peer pressure, and self-doubt.
We then manage to bumble our way to adulthood with no real understanding of how to keep our heads above water without feeling exhausted, stressed, and burnt out. So we end up living our lives with a tomorrow mentality, putting off our growth till tomorrow because we do not have the tools to tackle what is holding us back today. And before we know it, we’ve dug ourselves into a hole that is so deep that the thought of trying to pull ourselves up and out is exhausting.
So why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we let things get so far out of control before we decide to take action?
The truth is that most of us were never given the tools to recognize when an area of our lives needs attention, so we don’t understand how or what to work on.
We are not taught that our Emotional, Mental, Physical, and Spiritual Health and Wellness are connected. Each area is interwoven with the other, like a beautiful spiderweb. Each strand having a purpose. Each strand having a place, and each strand having a job that will help us catch our dreams and goals.
When we separate these four areas of who we are, we start to throw ourselves off balance. Don’t get me wrong -focusing on one area is good if it needs attention. But when we favor one area over the other, that’s when we start zapping ourselves from reaching our full potential emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually.
Checking in with ourselves regularly is an essential part of self-care and love. And the wellness wheel is there to help you take out the guesswork and help give you direction.
Remember, life is all about balance. With even the smallest of steps, you have the power to create the change you want in your life so you can truly live life with power, purpose, and fulfillment.
Personal Wellness Wheel
How to Use:
Rank your level of satisfaction from 1 (needs improvement) – 10 (Perfection) by shading into the line representing where you are at right now. If you are having trouble filling in the graph, use the questions on the next page to help you determine how you would rate each category in your life.
Interpreting Your Wellness Circle:
You are aiming for an evenly scored circle (or close) above 7 and as close to 10 as possible. If you have any low scores, you will want to focus on those areas first. However, it’s not always cut and dry. It’s important to see how your low scores may interact with other low scores so you can identify the area you should focus on first. The purpose is to determine if a low score in one category is the result of other factors.
Once you determine the areas you want to work deeper on, you can dig deeper to uncover your desired outcome and goals that will help improve the balance in your life.
Emotional
Self-Awareness: Do I recognize my emotions and understand them? Do I recognize that my emotions have a positive or negative influence on my relationships? Am I using alcohol/nicotine/other substances to manage stress?
Attitude: Do I focus on the positive in life? Do I see new situations as exciting or an inconvenience?
Self-Acceptance: Can I see that, like me, everyone has strengths and weaknesses, and I don’t judge them or myself for them? Do I recognize life has ups and downs, and I’m ok how life has gone so far? Can I see that I am an individual with my own life journey, apart from Family/ Friends/ Romantic Relationships?
Mental
Value: I feel a sense of belonging in a community? I feel I add value? I am able to reflect my core values? Do I struggle with Motivation? I am confident with my academic major decisions?
Relationships: I have caring, trusting, and supportive relationships? I feel I have a strong social network? I am able to be me?
Growth: I am continually learning new things and doing things that are growing me as a person and my career goals? I feel competent in my knowledge, skills, and abilities to solve problems and accomplish worthwhile tasks? Do I struggle with time management or prioritizing tasks? I feel my education is a priority?
Physical
Nutrition: Overall, I am eating Healthy? I am not skipping meals? I am getting enough fluids? Am I binge drinking regularly (Males: 5+ drinks Females 4+ drinks in 2 hours)? I am not abusing drugs?
Physical: I exercise regularly (3-5x min 30 min a week)? I am taking breaks from social media? I am stepping away from my desk?
Sleep: I am getting enough sleep that I feel rested and energetic? Am I able to focus on goals?
Spiritual
Relaxation: Do I know how to unwind? Do I have fun often or have hobbies or sports outside of work?
Meditation: Do I feel I have a connection to an energy source larger than myself? I can stay grounded and stable when dealing with high stress? I use relaxation techniques to manage stress. I engage in self-reflection
Purpose: I have a sense of direction? I have satisfaction in my goals and working to achieve them? I feel like my life has meaning.
How to Use the Seasonal Portion of the Wheel
I am a huge believer that there is a rhythm (just like the seasons) to our overall wellness, which can give us a greater return if focused on during these periods. If you find that you have good balance throughout your wheel, the seasonal aspect acts as a guide. And if there are areas that need a little TLC that does not fall within the current season, you need to address that 1st and touch on the seasonal aspect to help give you an added layer of support. For Example:
Physical Wellness is in Winter because it helps with seasonal depression, gets you up and moving when you want to curl up and hibernate, and naturally helps you towards those summer health goals.
Spiritual Wellness is in Spring because it’s naturally a time of rebirth, making us open to growth -we feel energized and more connected to the energy around us.
Emotional Wellness is in Summer because it’s naturally a time we release emotionally – we typically slow down and tap into our needs by taking vacations, spend time outdoors, and are better at unwinding to destress.
Mental Wellness is in Fall to help us stay motivated during winter when seasonal depression tends to show up, helps you to work through the holiday seasons, the demands of the year, and the reality checks we all experience when we count
Ghesi Stojanov
Ghesi Stojanov is a Certified Transformational Life Coach, NLP Practitioner, and Inspirational Speaker.
Ghesi's passion is to help individuals find balance in their lives by helping them focus on what they do have and tap into the power within, so they can see the beauty and opportunity that lies everywhere.
She is a huge believer that every person has purpose, and value, and is stronger, emotionally, physically, and mentally than they give themselves credit for. Which fuels her passion not just for herself, but to help others to stop settling for the mediocre and to live life with purpose, meaning, and Color!
