The wellness wheel: What it means and how you can use it to press 'reset'.
Every part of your wellness is interconnected, but the whole picture can be harder to approach than its individual parts.
The wellness wheel is an eight-part modality that's been defined by Princeton University and other noteworthy institutions to describe the different dimensions of wellness.
The wellness wheel takes into consideration the following dimensions: emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social, and spiritual.
We'll dig into each one—but at its core, the wellness wheel acts as a framework for a total reset. You can use it to build an action plan addressing the different aspects of your life. Unlike a one-sided goal, approaching wellness through the wellness wheel allows you to reset your life and build real momentum for sustained wellbeing.
Emotional wellness: Dealing with life's ups and downs in a healthy, constructive way.
Why it's important: Amy Reed, owner of Lancaster's Alternative Healing of PA, says
it best: "People are overwhelmed. That's why they seek out treatment." According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 51.5 million Americans (or 20.6%) lived with a mental illness in 2019. Using healthy mechanisms to cope with life's fluctuations keeps out destructive habits like substance use, media overconsumption, and more.
How to incorporate it: Platforms like Psychology Today and ZocDoc can help you find a licensed therapist or counselor. If you want to explore medication, know that 15.8% of your fellow Americans have also used medication to treat their mental health. Natural alternatives like yoga, meditation, and CBD have become increasingly popular in western communities.
Environmental wellness: A thriving relationship between you and your natural and social environments.
Why it's important: According to Keith Williams, Community Engagement Coordinator for Lancaster Conservancy, being out
in nature without an agenda is healing. He says, "We share DNA with all living things, and that DNA is often more similar than it is different."
How to incorporate it: Lancaster Conservancy's 40 miles of trail and 49 nature preserves help people enjoy the outdoors—and that's just the start of places to explore in south central PA. Therapy patients can take advantage of a rising form of therapy called ecotherapy, which takes patients directly out in nature. Keith adds it's important to consider the health of our planet and our role in it. "As we look at the challenge of climate change facing our planet, the more compassion we can develop for the whole living world, the better off we'll all be."
Occupational wellness: Feeling fulfilled in your work and continuing to grow.
Why it's important: Thrivient financial advisor Conner Brady of Harrisburg says, "Seeking money just for the sake of money can be pretty destructive." He notes that it's important to find a job that allows you to pursue your goals and passions—whether it's through the job directly or through benefits that make your out-of-work ventures possible.
How to incorporate it: "People are realizing that they don't necessarily have to have the same idea of work as they had in the past," says Conner. "And people are ready to explore what that looks like." Define your life goals, and figure out if your current career helps you achieve them. When asking for a raise, be prepared to quantify your contributions to the company. If your LinkedIn and resume are dusty, refresh them—because you never know when opportunity will strike."
Intellectual wellness: Pushing the boundaries of your knowledge and creativity. Being open-minded.
Why it's important: An often forgotten sector of health, intellectual wellness helps people tap into new viewpoints and improve critical thinking skills. It's important to get out of your comfort zone and enter your growth zone.
How to incorporate it: Find activities that are artistic, inspiring, and thought-proving. How can you spend your time in ways that promote personal growth? Audiobooks make reading easier than ever before (and podcasts are a solid alternative). Platforms like Coursera offer free courses from Ivy League universities. Now's the chance to dive into new disciplines, from music to the stock market and beyond.
Financial wellness: Familiarizing yourself with your finances and managing your money for the short- and long-term.
Why it's important: Brady says, "Money is a tool, not the ultimate goal. Generally, we use our tools to build something else." According to the 2021 PwC Employee Financial Wellness survey, 63% of employees are experiencing increased financial stress since the start of the pandemic. Much of this is out of our control, like rapid inflation and a plethora of low-wage jobs without benefits. However, embarking on financial wellness can help create control when everything feels unpredictable.
How to incorporate it: Conner talks about financial clarity, which just means boiling down your goals and finding out how your finances can help you achieve them. He says all financial plans need a budget, but "instead of looking at a budget that's limiting you from spending, think about it as something that'll help you achieve your purposes in life." Get specific with your goals (like achieving an early retirement, paying for your children's college tuition, or becoming free of student debt) and sit down with a financial advisor to figure out the best plan of action. Conner says, "When you find the right advisor for you, you can live with more purpose and more clarity in your finances than if you're going it alone."
Spiritual wellness: Identifying your values and beliefs and living in line with them. Finding meaning in life.
Why it's important: For people who may be scared to try a new-to-them spiritual practice, Reed says, "The best thing you can do is just jump off and take the leap." More than anything, spiritual wellness helps you figure out who you are and what you plan to do with your one wild and precious life.
How to incorporate it: According to Reed, some spiritual wellness services require an open mind. She performs energy work like Reiki and quantum touch magnified healing, which are becoming more popular. Other services, like spiritual coaching, help people find their purpose in life. For hesitant folks, group meditation classes (even virtual ones on platforms like MindBody) may be an easy entry point into spiritual wellness.
Physical wellness: Enriching yourself with healthy activity and nutrition.
Why it's important: Our physical health is more than what we eat and how we move. It's built from our social and economic environments, plus our personal characteristics. All of this plays into physical wellness, which just so happens to impact other areas of our life—like emotional and spiritual wellness, for instance.
How to incorporate it: Reed's alternative healing practice highly recommends chiropractic care for its patients. While her facility doesn't offer it, the team recognizes that it keeps "our bodies in alignment and our muscles calm." Find a form of exercise that ignites you (like ultimate frisbee and rock climbing, both of which you can do at Manheim's Spooky Nook Sports). Eat whole, unprocessed foods that speak to your palate—without restricting yourself from your body's wants and needs.
Social wellness: Building a strong support system and nourishing your relationships.
Why it's important: During the COVID-19 pandemic, people experienced "social atrophy," or the loss of social skills when not used. For many, rebuilding those social muscles is hard. However, a strong support system can improve the quality of your life, even lowering the risk of diseases, dementia, depression, and anxiety.
How to incorporate it: If you're struggling to build or nourish your social net, block out a bit of time every day for socialization (at the least, a text conversation, but preferably a phone call, video chat, or in-person hang). For the Susquehanna Valley transplants without firm circles, meet-ups and events are back—if not in full swing, at least enough to flex your social muscles.
The wellness wheel from a bird's eye view
It's not too late to look deeper. Even if you've already set a New Year's goal for yourself, you can see how that vision fits into the greater wellness wheel. As Reed puts it, "Unless we treat everything as a whole, nothing will feel complete."
