How to use a wellness wheel to boost your wellbeing
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Chris Mosunic, PhD, RD, CDCES, MBA
Learn what a wellness wheel is and the 8 different dimensions of a healthy lifestyle that it covers. Plus, 4 tips to boost your wellbeing with a wellness wheel.
When you hear the word “wellness,” what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Some people might think about their physical health and the importance of eating nutritious foods, exercising, and getting adequate sleep. Others might focus more on their emotional and mental wellbeing — feeling strong, resilient, and centered.
That’s the beautiful thing about wellness: it’s multidimensional. But because it’s so all-encompassing, managing it can feel overwhelming, especially when life gets busy.
Thankfully, when you break down your wellness into smaller pieces, you can see where you’re doing well (no pun intended)— and what you need to work on.
Enter: the wellness wheel.
What is a wellness wheel?
A wellness wheel is a simple tool that can help you see the bigger picture of your overall health by dividing it into several parts, or “dimensions”: social, occupational, environmental, intellectual, spiritual, emotional, physical, and financial.
When all the sections of your wheel are balanced and well-maintained, life tends to flow a bit more smoothly. But if one area is out of balance—maybe you’re feeling stressed about money, or you haven’t been taking care of your body—you may feel a little off.
The wellness wheel can help you drill down on the reasons you’re feeling stuck, down, or just not like yourself. Consider it a visual way to check in with yourself and see where you might need to focus more attention.
Who created the wellness wheel?
Dr. Bill Hettler, co-founder of the National Wellness Institute—an organization dedicated to promoting wellness in all aspects of life—is often credited with creating the first version of the wellness wheel. In the late 1970s, he developed a model that focused on six key areas of wellness: physical, social, intellectual, spiritual, emotional, and occupational. He aimed to show that true wellness means finding balance in all areas of life. He also wanted people to view wellness as a journey, not a destination.
Over time, other wellness experts built on Dr. Hettler’s original model to expand our understanding of what it means to live well. Today, many versions of the wellness wheel—like ours—include eight dimensions, adding financial and environmental wellness. The addition of these areas shows the growing understanding that things like financial stability and a healthy environment are just as important to our overall wellbeing as our physical and emotional wellness.
Exploring the 8 dimensions of the wellness wheel
The wellness wheel is made up of eight different dimensions, each representing a key part of life that contributes to your overall wellbeing. Each of these dimensions is important on its own, but they’re all interconnected — and when one is out of balance, it can affect the others. The wellness wheel helps you visualize and organize your life, allowing you to identify where you need to make changes to be happier and healthier.
Physical wellness
Taking care of your body is important for you to be able to show up in all other areas of your life. This means getting regular exercise, eating a balanced diet, sleeping enough, and going for regular check-ups with your doctor. When you prioritize your physical wellness, you’re laying the foundation for a healthy life filled with activities you love.
Social wellness
Having healthy relationships with friends, family members, and coworkers can make you happier, provide you with a support system, and help you feel more connected to the world around you. Of course, when life gets busy and overwhelming, it's easy to isolate yourself. So, maintaining these connections during times of stress is essential, as they offer necessary comfort and relief. Here are seven tips that can help you figure out how to ask for support.
Emotional wellness
Being aware of your feelings, learning how to cope with stress, and building resilience are needed to navigate life’s challenges. But emotional wellness is also about developing a positive self-image and finding ways to express your emotions constructively so you can stay grounded and balanced, even when things get tough. If you need help finding relief from stress, try these seven practical strategies.
Intellectual wellness
Challenging yourself to learn new things, think critically, and explore new ideas can help keep your mind active and engaged. Reading a book, trying a new hobby, or taking an interesting class are all ways to expand your horizons, which can lead to growth and increased satisfaction.
Spiritual wellness
Spiritual wellness is deeply personal and involves exploring your beliefs, values, and sense of purpose. For some people, this might mean practicing a religion or following a spiritual path. For others, it could be about finding meaning in life through personal reflection, meditation, or connecting with nature. Here are 12 essential mindfulness practices that can help you find inner peace.
Occupational wellness
Occupational wellness is about finding satisfaction and purpose in your work or daily activities. For many people, this means finding work that aligns with your values, interests, and skills, and striking a balance between your job and leisure time to avoid burnout.
Environmental wellness
When the place you live and work—and the broader environment like nature and the planet—feels safe, clean, and comfortable, you’ll feel better and more in control. Being mindful of your impact on the environment can also help you feel more connected and responsible.
Financial wellness
Financial wellness refers to how you organize and view your finances and the decisions you make with your money. Focusing on financial wellness can help you create stability and security, which can lead to a greater sense of peace and freedom. If you struggle with mindful spending—and many people do—try these 10 ways to save money and lower stress.
How to use a wellness wheel: 4 tips to boost your wellbeing
Using a wellness wheel can help you reflect on how you’re doing in each area of your life right now, and guide you toward where you want to be. It’s about being mindful of all the different parts of your life and taking proactive steps to create balance and fulfillment. And remember the goal is progress, not perfection as you take small, consistent steps toward improving your wellbeing.
1. Assess your eight areas of wellness
Take an honest look at all of these dimensions in your life and rate your satisfaction in each one on a scale from one to 10. There’s no right or wrong here, as your eight may be someone else’s four. The goal is for you to get clear on how things feel in your life.
Be gentle with your approach — it’s not about judging yourself. Go in with the goal of understanding where you’re thriving and where you might need to focus a little more attention.
💙 Using a wellness wheel can help you better understand yourself and develop more self-compassion. Tamara Levitt’s Relationship with Self series can help you on that journey.
2. Set specific goals for each wellness dimension
Take a look at the lower scores you found and try to create goals to boost your wellness in these dimensions. But make sure they are specific and achievable to keep from feeling overwhelmed.
For example, if your physical wellness score is lower than you’d like, think about a fitness-related goal you’re interested in reaching. If you want to walk more, adding a 20 minute walk to your morning routine twice a week could be a good place to start..
💙 On your path to self-improvement, you’ll want to create long-term changes. Listen to Dr. Julie Smith’s series, Build Habits that Actually Stick to learn more about how to get in that mindset.
3. Create a plan to help you get intentional
Think about what steps you need to take and what resources you might need. For example, to prepare for the morning walks, you can figure out a new wake-up time to accommodate your walk, put out your clothes the night before, or even invite a friend to join you to keep you accountable.
Similarly, if you’re working on your social wellness, you can plan to reconnect with an old friend or join a local group to meet new ones. You might even decide to connect with a different person each week of the month to make sure you continue strengthening your friendships.
💙 Being thoughtful about your growth to ensure it aligns with who you really are. Actor Matthew McConaughey discusses how to find your core values in his Living with Intention installment of The Spark.
4. Reassess regularly to stay on track
Schedule regular check-ins to track your progress and make adjustments as you need, so your goals stay realistic and aligned to your life. Also, be sure to revisit your wellness wheel every few months, or whenever you experience a significant life change. This can help you see how far you’ve come and identify new areas for focus, which can help you continue making positive changes.
💙 You’re always growing and changing, so it’s important to make sure your goals are dynamic too. In Accepting Change, Harvard professor Arthur Brooks digs into how to stay positive during transitions.
Wellness wheel FAQs
What are the 8 dimensions of the wellness wheel?
The wellness wheel has eight dimensions that together create a holistic picture of what it means to live a balanced and fulfilling life.
Physical: Taking care of your body through exercise, nutrition, and rest
Social: Building healthy relationships and a sense of connection with others
Emotional: Understanding and managing your emotions
Intellectual: Keeping your mind active and engaged through learning and creativity
Spiritual: Exploring your beliefs, values, and sense of purpose
Occupational: Finding fulfillment in your work or daily activities
Environmental: Being aware of the impact your surroundings have on your health
Financial wellness: Managing your money to support your life goals and reduce stress
Can a wellness wheel be customized to include other dimensions?
The wellness wheel can be customized to fit your life and priorities. While the traditional wellness wheel includes eight dimensions, you might find that other areas are important to your wellbeing as well.
For example, some people like to add creative wellness, which focuses on self-expression through art, music, or writing, or cultural wellness, which emphasizes connection to your heritage and community.
Think about what aspects of your life are most meaningful to you and include those to make it even more relevant to your personal happiness and health.
How often should you reassess your wellness using the wheel?
Reassess your wellness using the wheel every few months, or whenever you go through a significant change in your life.
Your needs and priorities can shift over time. When you start a new job, move to a different city, or experience changes in your health, these shifts each affect your wellbeing in different ways. By checking in with your wellness wheel regularly, you can stay aware of how you’re doing in each dimension so you can see where you’re thriving and where you might need to put in some extra effort. This can help you continuously move toward a balanced, fulfilling life.
How can wellness wheels be used in a group or organizational setting?
Wellness wheels can be used in group or organizational settings such as schools, workplaces, or community groups, to help people and teams identify areas where they need more support. When everyone works together to improve their collective wellbeing, this can help build a sense of community and shared responsibility.
For example, in a workplace, employees can use the wellness wheel to assess their work-life balance, identify stress points, and discuss ways to improve their overall wellbeing. Having this awareness can lead to a more supportive, collaborative, and productive work environment.
In a school or community group, the wellness wheel might be used to prompt discussions about different aspects of health and wellness, encouraging participants to support one another in achieving their goals.
What are some common challenges people face when using a wellness wheel?
Some people struggle to be completely honest with themselves during the self-assessment process. It can be difficult to admit when a certain area of your life needs improvement, especially if it’s something you’ve been avoiding or struggling with for a while.
Another challenge can be setting realistic goals. It’s easy to feel motivated at first, but it’s important to break those down into smaller, manageable steps to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
To overcome these challenges, approach the wellness wheel with a mindset of self-compassion and patience. Here are seven ways to cultivate more patience in your life.
Calm your mind. Change your life.
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