Finding harmony in today’s hustle culture can feel like a full-time job for many of us. Juggling work, family life, self-care, and fun takes a delicate balance, and letting one area slip when you get caught up in another is easy. This is where the wellness wheel comes in handy. What’s the wellness wheel? It’s not an actual wheel, but it is the real deal if you want a framework for striking a balance in your day-to-day life.
Read on to learn about how this concept came to be, what it’s all about, and, best of all, how to build your own!
Enter the wellness wheel—a tool that’s all about creating harmony across different parts of life.
A Little Backstory: The Origins and Evolution of the Wellness Wheel
The wellness wheel as we know it has deep roots in Indigenous teachings that have long emphasized balance among the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual parts of life. Indigenous cultures, particularly those in North America, have used the Medicine Wheel for centuries as a symbol of harmony and interconnectedness. In these traditions, each direction on the wheel—north, south, east, and west—represents a different aspect of life, from personal growth and physical health to community and spirituality.
Fast forward to the 1970s, and the wellness wheel began popping up in wellness practices, with public health and psychology experts incorporating more dimensions. By the 2000s, it was widely used in education, therapy, and even corporate wellness programs as people recognized that achieving a balanced life means looking beyond just physical health. In the last 10-15 years, dimensions like environmental and financial wellness have come into play, reflecting our ever-evolving view of what “healthy” really means.
What the Wellness Wheel Is All About
So, what exactly goes into the wellness wheel? You can think of it like a pie, each slice representing an essential piece of life. Here’s a breakdown of the key dimensions and what they mean:
- Physical Wellness: This is about keeping your body in shape, managing energy, and fueling it with good nutrition. Physical wellness includes everything from exercise and diet to regular check-ups. Think of it as laying the foundation for your other wellness goals!
- Emotional Wellness: Here, we’re talking feelings—knowing them, expressing them, and dealing with them in healthy ways. Emotional wellness involves self-care, resilience, and therapy.
- Intellectual Wellness: A healthy mind craves learning! Intellectual wellness means engaging in activities that stimulate your brain by reading, solving puzzles, or learning new skills.
- Social Wellness: Humans are social beings, so building connections and supportive relationships is essential for a balanced life. Social wellness can mean anything from catching up with friends to participating in community groups or volunteering.
- Spiritual Wellness: What does it all mean?! Finding a sense of purpose through meditation, time in nature, or personal beliefs is what spiritual wellness is all about. This dimension encourages you to connect with something bigger than yourself.
- Occupational Wellness: Since much of our lives are spent at work, finding fulfillment is essential to keeping the wheel in check. Occupational wellness is about aligning your career with your values, enjoying your work, and maintaining a work-life balance.
- Environmental Wellness: Our surroundings can significantly impact our well-being. Environmental wellness involves making sure your spaces are clean, safe, and as eco-friendly as possible.
- Financial Wellness: Stressing over money is no fun, so financial wellness focuses on keeping finances in order, budgeting and planning for future stability.
The main thing to remember is that since this is a “wheel” and all the areas are interconnected when one element is thrown off, it can affect the functionality of the whole wheel. The wheel’s purpose is to be aware of each segment and maintain your balance so you can cruise through life as smoothly as possible.
How to Create Your Own Wellness Wheel
Now, the fun part: creating a wellness wheel that’s all yours! This is an engaging way to check in with your well-being and set goals to keep you grounded.
Step 1: Choose Your Dimensions
Start by choosing the wellness areas that matter most to you. If the physical, emotional, and financial slices resonate, great! You can also add your own—maybe a “creative” dimension if you need regular artistic outlets to feel centred.
Step 2: Define Your Dimensions
Take a moment to define each dimension. What does each area of wellness look like in your daily life? Don’t overthink it! Here are some examples:
- Physical Wellness: Staying active, nourishing my body, and getting enough sleep.
- Emotional Wellness: Taking time for self-care and checking in with my emotions daily.
This step is about creating a framework of what balance means to you.
Step 3: Assess Where You’re at Right Now
Check in with where you’re currently sitting. Give it a satisfaction rating from 1-10 to get an idea of the areas you’re killing it at and the ones that could use some extra love. For example, if you feel great about your social life, give it a 9. But if your finances are causing stress, maybe it’s more of a 4.
Step 4: Finalize Your Wheel
You could keep it simple and keep your areas in a list in your Notes App OR you could get artsy, grab a piece of paper and draw your wheel. Think of it like a pie chart and colour in your dimensions based on ratings. If your physical wellness is sitting at an 8, give it an 80% slice. The goal is to make the wheel harmonious across all the slices, and this visual can be an eye-opener on where the work is.
Step 5: Set Goals for Each Dimension
For the areas that need more TLC, develop 1-2 goals that you think could boost your rating based on your life and what you like to do. Here’s a list to help put you in the right direction:
- Physical Wellness: Take a daily walk or try a new workout class.
- Emotional Wellness: Start journaling each morning or incorporate meditation into your routine.
- Intellectual Wellness: Pick a book you’ve been meaning to read or watch a documentary.
- Social Wellness: Schedule a coffee date with a friend or join a local club.
- Spiritual Wellness: Spend time outdoors or start a daily gratitude practice.
- Occupational Wellness: Brush up on a skill that could help you at work or set a boundary with your work hours.
- Environmental Wellness: Organize a part of your living space, or add a few plants to your home.
- Financial Wellness: Set up a monthly budget or start a savings account.
Rocking and Rolling
Once you’ve designed your blueprint for balance, remember to check in! Set aside a little time each month to see how each slice of your wheel is shaping up, and make adjustments as you go. Wellness isn’t about perfection but feeling grounded, energized, and content. Life has its ups and downs, and finding a perfect balance 24/7? That’s near impossible. Give yourself some grace, and celebrate the progress you’re making!
So, what’s in your wellness wheel? We’d love to hear which dimensions you chose and how you’re levelling up in your well-being!
