Achieving Life Balance with the Wellness Wheel
When was the last time you took a moment to pause and check in on your overall wellness? We often rush from one commitment to the next, driven by tight timeframes and distractions, leaving little room for reflection. Yet, these moments of stillness are vital for our wellbeing. The Wellness Wheel is a powerful tool for self-assessing a holistic view of your wellbeing. It helps you look beyond just physical health and gives you a chance to align your emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual needs.
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What is the Wellness Wheel?
The Wellness Wheel is a visual tool that helps you assess and achieve balance in various aspects of your life. It is a holistic approach to well-being that considers emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual, environmental, physical, occupational and financial aspects of wellness. The wheel is divided into multiple segments, each representing a different aspect of wellness - highlighting the importance of wellness as dynamic and multilayered.
By rating each of the wellness wheel categories, the model helps you quickly and graphically identify areas where you may devote more energy to raise satisfaction and overall happiness levels. It provides an overarching view of each segment, side-by-side, to help direct focus.
History of the Wellness Wheel
The history of the wellness wheel has evolved significantly over the years, initially focusing on enhancing the quality of life for university and college students. The concept was first articulated by Halbert Dunn in 1959, who introduced the idea of “high-level wellness.” Dunn defined this as “an integrated method of functioning which is oriented toward maximizing the potential of which the individual is capable.” His pioneering model laid the groundwork for understanding wellness as a holistic approach to health.
In the 1970s, Bill Hettler expanded on Dunns’s foundational work by proposing a more comprehensive model that included six dimensions of wellness. Hettler’s hexagonal framework comprises the intellectual, physical, emotional, social, spiritual and occupational dimensions. Over time, the model has evolved to include two more dimensions – environmental and financial – and has become a widely used tool for personal growth and development.
Why is a Wellness Wheel Helpful as a Life-Balance Assessment Tool?
Achieving balance in your life is crucial for overall wellbeing. When you neglect one or more areas of your life, it can lead to stress, burnout, and negative impacts on your mental health. Regular self-assessment using the Wellness Wheel can help you identify areas of imbalance and take proactive steps to address them. The wellness wheel is:
A holistic guide to reflect on and check in with your overall wellness
A powerful tool to help direct where to focus your energy and target your goals
A benchmark to measure a snapshot of before and after
A great conversation starter for coaching sessions.
Key Dimensions of the Wellness Wheel
The Wellness Wheel typically includes the following dimensions:
Intellectual: includes learning, growth, and stimulating the mind.
Physical: encompasses aspects such as nutrition, exercise, and sleep.
Emotional: includes feelings, coping mechanisms, and mental health.
Social: focuses on relationships, social support, and community involvement.
Spiritual: involves finding meaning, purpose, and connection to something larger than oneself.
Occupational: focuses on job satisfaction, work-life balance, and career development.
Environmental: encompasses the physical and social environments in which one lives and works.
Financial: includes financial stability, security, and management.
Each dimension is interconnected and contributes to your overall wellbeing. Achieving balance across all dimensions is the ultimate goal of the Wellness Wheel.
Using the Wellness Wheel Tool for Self-Assessment of Life-Balance
To use the Wellness Wheel for self-assessment, follow these steps:
Step 1. Draw or visualise the wheel, dividing it into the desired number of segments (typically 8), or choose from one of the many templates available online:
Explore our Free Interactive Wellness Wheel; or
Print our Wellness Wheel template, coaching questions and resource guide.
Step 2. Rate each dimension on a scale of 1 to 100, with 100 being the most satisfied. For example, under Occupational, ask yourself how satisfied you are with your work-life balance (on a scale of 1 to 100).
Step 3. Once you have completed the ratings, shade in each section of the wheel to get a clear picture of the overall look of your wheel. Alternatively, you can complete an interactive wellness wheel online that shades the segments automatically. You can then create a PDF and download your Wellness Wheel Report.
Step 4. Use coaching questions to explore the insights from your completed wheel. For example: What’s the biggest gap that stands out? Where do you want to direct your focus to create shifts? What do you want your wheel to look like in 3-6 months time?
Step 5: Given your current Wellness Wheel, list the top three goals within your areas of focus. Set a time to review your Wellness Wheel in 3-6 months’ time.
Interpreting the results involves recognising areas that need improvement and prioritising them based on your individual needs and goals. The goal is to create a more balanced and harmonious wheel.
Strategies for Improving Life Balance
To address imbalances identified through your Wellness Wheel assessment, consider the following strategies:
Set SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) for each dimension that you want to focus on.
Prioritise self-care practices such as exercise, meditation, and social connection.
Delegate tasks and learn to say “no” to maintain a manageable workload.
Seek support from friends, family, or professionals when needed.
Buddy up for accountability, and leverage a network of support that can hold you accountable to your goals.
Regularly review and adjust goals based on changing circumstances and needs.
Tracking Progress on Your Wellness Wheel and Adjusting Your Goals
Ongoing assessments and reflection are crucial for maintaining life balance. Consider the following methods for tracking progress and adjusting goals:
Regularly reassess using the Wellness Wheel tool (e.g. quarterly)
Keep a journal to record your thoughts, feelings, and progress
Celebrate small wins and acknowledge the progress you’ve made
Be flexible and willing to adjust your goals as needed
Remember, achieving life balance is an ongoing journey, not a destination. It is okay for the ride to be bumpy at times, and it’s okay not to be okay. The key is to consciously understand what might be playing out and to take charge of where you might create change. By regularly assessing and addressing imbalances using the Wellness Wheel, you can work towards a more fulfilling and balanced life.
Looking for some help to get started? Download our Wellness Wheel Resource Pack.
