How’s your beautiful life today? What does your Wellness Wheel look like? What’s that, you don’t have one? Let’s do one up for you now.
What is a Wellness Wheel?
The Wellness Wheel originates from the Aboriginal Medicine Wheel. Native American ceremonial use of the Medicine Wheel dates back 7,000 years. These early Medicine Wheels–made by arranging stones in the shape of a bicycle wheel–have been discovered in the northern United States (Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming) and southern Canada (Alberta and Saskatchewan). Archeologists speculate that the function and meaning of the Medicine Wheel changed over time and the specifics surrounding their original purpose, so far, are lost to time.
Today, Medicine Wheels are used in Native American spirituality and the meaning behind them can differ from nation to nation. It’s also known as a Wellness Wheel and is used by non-Aboriginals outside of spiritual practices. The Wellness Wheel is incorporated into some health and wellness care and education among the general population.
How Do I Make a Wellness Wheel?
The basic Wellness Wheel is a circle divided into four equal parts, representing the four parts of a person: emotional; mental; physical; and, spiritual.
Wellness Wheels can also have six parts: career; emotional; intellectual; physical; social; and, spiritual. Your Wellness Wheel can have more parts, if you like.
So, go ahead and draw a circle and divide it into four (or five, or six, or more) equal-ish sections and label them accordingly. As you consider the different parts, shade or color them in: the center of the circle is the lowest point on the scale (or, least “well”) and the outer rim of the circle is the highest point on the scale (or, most “well”).
What Is the Purpose of a Wellness Wheel?
We often think of wellness as physical health and the absence of illness. Physical health is an important component of wellness, but it is only one component. Our overall wellness is comprised of all of the components outlined above.
The Wellness Wheel illustrates your balanced lifestyle. As you look at your Wellness Wheel, you’ll notice that the components, while distinct, are interconnected. The illustration is a tool that: 1) makes us aware of the different components of our wellness, and 2) helps us make adjustments as needed. The goal is for us to create the healthiest (or, most “well”) life possible where all our parts are full and equal.
Completing Your Wellness Wheel
Here’s an overview of what your Wellness Wheel might contain, in alphabetical order: career; emotional; intellectual; physical; social; and, spiritual.
Career wellness focuses on finding a satisfying job or career where we contribute in a meaningful way. It also includes achieving a balance between our work and personal lives.
Emotional wellness focuses on our ability to understand, manage and share our feelings. It also includes our ability to cope with life’s challenges as well as our outlook and enthusiasm for life.
Intellectual wellness focuses on our ability to continuously learn. It includes challenging our minds with new ideas and experiences. For example, we can expand our existing skill-set or learn something new.
Physical wellness focuses on our physical health. It includes our fitness and exercise, nutrition and daily routines.
Social wellness focuses on our ability to interact and relate to others. It includes our ability to establish and maintain positive relationships, as well as our ability to contribute to our community and environment.
Spiritual wellness focuses on our ability to find purpose and meaning in life. It includes understanding our values and behaving in ways that are consistent with these beliefs.
My Wellness Wheel is Broken!
It isn’t broken! There is no perfectly formed Wellness Wheel if we’re being honest. So, this is good! If your Wellness Wheel appears out of balance (or flat or broken), it means that you were honest in this exercise. Now you can see where you can make adjustments to your life by making choices that contribute to maximizing your wellness.
Your Every Day Wellness Wheel
Your Wellness Wheel can be used every day. We make lifestyle choices every day, although we may only notice results over the longer term. Referring to our Wellness Wheel every day can help us see results every day, which encourages us as significant changes develop in our desired areas. It can also be effective when used every year.
It Keeps Changing Shape!
You’ll notice that the shape of your Wellness Wheel changes, and can change every time you use it. What may appear broken today can appear perfect tomorrow. You’ll also notice that making changes in one area will expand into other areas.
What Do You Mean, Jellybean?
Let’s say you decide that you want to achieve more physical fitness. This doesn’t mean that you have to train to run marathons. You can take a walk in the evenings, gradually increasing your time and perhaps pace. As you take your walks, you’ll notice an improvement in your physical fitness. And what else? Hey, you’re in a better mood and feel less stressed. That’s the emotional wellness component. Maybe you meditate or pray while you walk. That’s the spiritual component. Maybe you go for walks with your friend or neighbor. That’s the social wellness component.
Roll It, Beautiful!
It’s your Wellness Wheel — grab hold of it and fill it up. You can fill it up by increments or by massive life changes. However you choose, roll it to your more beautiful life!