Is Your Wellness Wheel Balanced?

August is National Wellness Month! Although being overwhelmed and stressed is common, it should not be considered normal. Sometimes you can be so overwhelmed, it can be hard to know exactly why. A wellness wheel is something that looks at all dimensions of life to make sure you are spending enough or not too much time in one area of your life. The wellness wheel is made up of six different categories. Go through each of the categories and ask yourself the questions that follow.

SOCIAL WELLNESS: This considers how we relate to others, connect, communicate, and get along with the people around us.¹

ASK YOURSELF

• Do you surround yourself with people who you can trust to care and support you?
• Is there someone you can always count on?
• Can you communicate well when dealing with conflict?²

SPIRITUAL WELLNESS: This helps create peace and harmony in our lives along with discovering the meaning and purpose to our lives.¹

ASK YOURSELF

• Do you have daily activities that help you “slow down?”
• Do you take time without electronic devices to just be?
• Do you connect with a higher power?³

EMOTIONAL WELLNESS: This is the dimension when you feel in touch with your emotions such as love, joy, sorrow, and cope with the challenges of life.¹

ASK YOURSELF

• Do you allow yourself to experience the emotions that you are feeling?
• Do you find positive ways to cope with negative emotions?
• Are you able to overcome stress?⁴

OCCUPATIONAL WELLNESS: This involves finding fulfillment in our job, knowing that it has meaning and balancing time between work and leisure.¹

ASK YOURSELF

• Do you know how to find work/life balance?
• Do you feel fulfilled and accomplished at the end of the day?
• Are you interested, motivated and excited about the work you do each day?⁵

INTELLECTUAL WELLNESS: This section involves the desire to be a lifelong learner, open to new experiences and continue to grow each day.¹  

ASK YOURSELF

• Do you take time to challenge yourself?
• Do you introduce yourself to new ideas, beliefs and people that are different than you?
• Do you have your own ideas, views, and opinions?⁶

PHYSICAL WELLNESS: This considers overall health and what you need to do to maintain a healthy quality of life, take charge of your health and make conscious decisions to be healthy.¹

ASK YOURSELF

• Do you take time to move every day?
• Are you able to maintain a consistent sleep schedule of 7-9 hours a night?
• Do you maintain a balanced diet with healthy foods that fuel you?⁷

If you answered “no” to any of these questions, ask yourself “how can I make a conscious effort to make this a part of my life?” The wellness wheel should be a tool that is consistently used to keep you on track. Checking in with yourself at the start of every week is a good way to make sure you avoid stress and maintain all around health and wellness.

We are here to help with all your health and wellness needs. Contact us today to see how we can help you maintain your wellness wheel!

In health,

Hillary Rotunda

Hillary grew up being active her whole life. After playing many sports, she settled on volleyball and softball, which she played through college at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. While at Concordia, she earned a double major in exercise science and nutrition. After she moved to the MN twin cities area after college, she earned her certified personal trainer certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine along with a certified strength and conditioning coach through USA weightlifting. She found passion in motivating people to reach their goals by finding a personalized nutrition and exercise plan that worked best for them. She has worked with clients 1-on-1, as well as small group classes. She looks forward to continuing to grow her knowledge base and help people achieve their health and wellness goals through Live Your Life!

In her spare time, Hillary can usually be found at the gym, playing volleyball, or coaching softball. During the summer, she participates in many sand volleyball leagues and tournaments. She enjoys Minnesota summer activities, such as rollerblading, kayaking, paddle boarding and swimming. She loves playing board games with her friends and family and trying any new recipe she can find.

References

¹Norman, Eva. Balancing Your Wellness Wheel. April 2017. PowerPoint Presentation

¹“Social Wellness.” Health & Wellness, 27 May 2021, www.unh.edu/health/social-wellness.

³“Spiritual Wellness.” Health & Wellness, 27 May 2021, www.unh.edu/health/spiritual-wellness.

⁴“Emotional Wellness.” Health & Wellness, 1 July 2021, www.unh.edu/health/emotional-wellness.

⁵“Occupational Wellness.” Health & Wellness, 27 May 2021, www.unh.edu/health/occupational-wellness.

⁶“Intellectual Wellness.” Health & Wellness, 27 May 2021, www.unh.edu/health/intellectual-wellness.

⁷“Physical Wellness.” Health & Wellness, 27 May 2021, www.unh.edu/health/physical-wellness.