What does it mean to find balance? A common thing I hear and often say is that I am aiming to find a balance between work and life, so I do not feel burned out and am able to do the things I love. However, there are more components to consider when looking for balanced wellness. Adlerian psychologists use an integrative model – the wellness wheel –Â to address these components that will lead to a longer and higher quality of life (Sidi, 2022).
The Wellness Wheel: Seven Components of Wellness
The wellness wheel proposed here has seven components:
- emotional wellness
- intellectual wellness
- social wellness
- spiritual wellness
- environmental wellness
- physical wellness
- occupational wellness
Before we can attempt to find harmony between all these components, let’s dive into what each one means.Â
1. Emotional Wellness
First on the list of the wellness wheel is emotional wellness. What this refers to is the ability to check in with yourself, being able to ask for help when needed and avoiding burnout (Sidi, 2022). This involves giving yourself time to reflect on how you are feeling, what is making you feel that way and acknowledging your boundaries and capabilities for any given task. It goes beyond incorporating sharing these needs with those around you so you can obtain support when needed and avoid burnout from overworking in any aspect.
For example, I give myself 10 minutes prior to bed to reflect on my day and identify what times I felt overwhelmed, stressed or anxious and what made me feel that way. I then work to find techniques to reduce these negative symptoms, so it does not lead to burnout.
2. Intellectual Wellness
The second category on the wellness wheel is intellectual wellness. This is the act of expanding your knowledge and skills, staying updated on current events and being curious (Sidi, 2022). By expanding our knowledge, we can create new neural pathways in the brain that can reduce the likelihood of brain disease or ailments. It further acts as a way to increase our self-confidence and self-esteem. It also provides greater avenues for us to build relationships with others based on common ground.
For example, I increase my knowledge of cultures by reading research and books which allows me to widen my world knowledge, cultural intelligence and ability to connect with a more diverse population.
3. Social Wellness
The third category is social wellness which refers to the feeling of belonging to a group, having meaningful connections and leaning on support systems (Sidi, 2022). This becomes more difficult to foster as we age since we need to seek out activities that will allow us to fulfill this criterion. For example, in high school, students have their own cliques they belong to, relate to, have common interests and talk to consistently. In adulthood, this can be seen by forming work friends or joining an adult sports team.
4. Spiritual Wellness
The fourth is spiritual wellness which refers to your beliefs and values. It is the ethics which you use to guide your life and inform your actions (Sidi, 2022). This does not necessarily require organized religion; however, it is a way that people gain certain values to follow such as not stealing, lying or sexual encounter prior to marriage.
5. Environmental Wellness
The fifth is environmental wellness which is being able to exist in an environment in which you can thrive (Sidi, 2022). For example, someone who is happier when surfing and swimming may not thrive in Canada.
6. Physical Wellness
The sixth is physical wellness which refers to you taking care of your physical body through exercise, sleep, nutrition and medical care (Sidi, 2022). By doing this, we can ensure our bodies and minds remain optimal so we can perform actions we wish to and feel good.
7. Occupational Wellness
The last is occupational wellness which refers to finding fulfillment in work and financial stability (Sidi, 2022). As work often encapsulates the majority of our day, finding a place that fosters good mental health, balance and development is crucial.Â
Discover The Wellness Wheel For A Balanced Life
Being able to find a way to balance all areas of the wellness wheel allows someone to have an overall sense of well-being. The opposite also is true. One of these categories not being fulfilled can lead to a ripple effect that impacts other areas.Â
Looking to learn more about the wellness wheel and how you can achieve balance in life? Connect with a therapist who can work with you to help you on the road to balanced wellness.
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