A recent study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology reveals a startling truth: despite the growing awareness of self-care’s importance, many of us still struggle to prioritize it in our lives.
The study conducted by researchers at Harvard University found that approximently 78% of people neglect self-care practices regularly.
These findings paint a sobering picture of a society grappling with the concept of self-nurturing amidst the relentless demands of modern living.
But fear not, because there is a beacon of hope to make self care a little easier: introducing the self care wheel. Join me on a journey as we explore this transformative tool, uncovering its secrets and reclaiming our right to holistic well-being.
What is the Self Care Wheel?
The self care wheel is a map divided into sections to help you plan a roadmap to care for yourself more efficiently. Like the wheel of life, each section represents different areas of your life that can contribute to your well-being.
By assessing each section, this tool will help you see what areas in your life you can improve on and how you can incorporate those areas into your daily life. It will also give you an idea of what areas are working in your favor.
Ultimately, it serves as a visual representation of the interconnectedness of different elements of well-being.
The History Behind the Self Care Wheel
To help people understand and prioritize different aspects of self care, Olga Phoenix, a psychologist, created the self care wheel.
Olga developed the wheel based on her work with trauma survivors, recognizing the importance of addressing various dimensions of well-being.
Since its creation, the self-care wheel has gained popularity as a comprehensive framework for self-care, utilized by therapists, counselors, educators, and individuals seeking to improve their self-care practices.
The wheel is known to be a holistic approach since it divides self-care into seven areas: physical, emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual, professional, and environmental. Each area represents different aspects of a person’s life that contribute to overall health, happiness, and positive mindset shifts.
The self care wheel encourages you to balance these aspects to improve your well-being.
Elements of the Self Care Wheel
Physical Health
The physical part of the self care wheel is all about taking care of your body. It includes eating healthy foods that help you obtain energy, repair your body, and stay strong.
It’s also about moving your body by exercising regularly and finding other means of physical fitness, whether playing sports, dancing, or going for a walk.
Getting enough sleep is super important too because it helps your body rest and recharge, so you feel good and have energy for the day ahead.
And don’t forget about learning more about natural healing methods when you’re sick or need help staying healthy. Taking care of your body is like giving it the fuel and maintenance it needs to keep running smoothly!
Mental Health
The mental health part of your life represents taking care of your thoughts and making sure that your thoughts are in a good place. It involves learning ways to cope with stress and difficult situations. It also means finding ways to stay positive and motivated.
The free coping skills kit works great for this as well.
Taking care of your mental health might mean talking to someone you trust when you’re feeling down or stressed out, like a friend, family member, or counselor.
Doing activities that relax and calm your mind, like practicing mindfulness or meditation, can also be helpful for your mental health. It’s like giving your brain a little vacation to recharge and reset.
Overall taking care of your mental health is about being kind to yourself and finding ways to keep your mind happy and healthy. Just like you take care of your body, it’s important to take care of your mind too!
Emotional Wellbeing
The emotional well-being part of the Self-Care Wheel is all about taking care of your feelings and mental health. This means paying attention to how you’re feeling and expressing your emotions in healthy ways, like talking to someone you trust or writing in a journal. It’s okay to feel sad, angry, or, stressed sometimes, but it’s important to deal with those feelings instead of ignoring them. Ignoring your feelings can also impede your manifesting results so paying attention to the part is critical.
Doing things that make you happy and relaxed, like spending time with friends, listening to music or calming sounds, or doing your favorite hobby, is also part of emotional self-care.
Remember, it’s okay to ask for help from someone if your emotions are getting too hard to handle. Taking care of your emotional well-being is like giving yourself the love and support you need to feel happy and healthy.
Professional Life
The professional part of the self care wheel is about taking care of yourself in your work or school life. It’s about making sure you’re doing well in your studies or job, but also making sure you’re not burning yourself out.
This means setting goals for yourself, like aiming for good grades, improving your professional skills, or working towards a promotion. It also means knowing when to take breaks and rest. To not get overwhelmed with too much work, it is essential to manage your time wisely.
Professional self-care also involves asking for help when you need it. This help can come from a teacher, boss, or mentor. And don’t forget to celebrate your achievements along the way!
Ultimately, it’s about finding a balance between working hard and taking care of yourself so you can be successful and happy in the professional part of your life. Taking care of your professional life can help lead the way to aligned actions for the manifesting process.
Personal Needs
Think of “personal needs” as all the things that are important to you as an individual. This could include your hobbies, interests, passions, and the things that make you unique.
Taking care of your personal needs means making time for the things you love and enjoy doing. It’s like helping you learn to love yourself.
It’s also like learning to do things that make you happy and fulfilled, whether playing a musical instrument, painting, playing sports, or spending time with pets.
Taking care of your personal needs helps you nurture your sense of identity and self-expression. It’s about honoring who you are and what brings you joy.
So, carve out time for your interests and activities amidst your other responsibilities because it is the biggest foundation of self-love that cultivates manifestation.
Spiritual Wellbeing
The spiritual part of the self care wheel is about finding meaning and purpose in life. It’s about connecting with something bigger than yourself through religion, nature, or personal beliefs.
For some people, spiritual well-being means praying or meditating to feel connected to a higher power or inner peace. For others, it could involve spending time in nature and feeling connected to the earth and the universe.
Taking care of your spiritual well-being might also mean doing things that make you happy and fulfilled, like helping others, volunteering, or pursuing your passions and interests.
To sum it up, spiritual well-being is about finding what makes you feel alive, inspired, and connected to the world around you. It’s like feeding your soul and finding joy in the things that matter to you!
Benefits of Using a Self Care Wheel
Fine-tune your self care routine
Have you ever been unsure of how to start your morning? Well, the self care wheel can help with that very thing. With this tool, you can decide what’s needed to feel your best as soon as you wake up.
Better Manifestation Results
When you feel good physically, emotionally, and mentally, you can attract positive things into your life more often.
By practicing self-care regularly, you’re sending a message to the universe that you value yourself and your goals. This positive energy attracts more positivity and helps you to manifest your desires more effectively.
Reduced likelihood of mental health issues
By using the Self-Care Wheel to guide your self-care routine, you’re not only taking care of your body and mind, but you’re also reducing your risk of mental health issues.
Research backs this up too! A study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders in 2019 found a strong link between self-care practices and mental health.
The study showed that people who engaged in regular self-care activities, like exercise, meditation, and spending time with loved ones, were less likely to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Improved mental wellbeing and self-love
The self care wheel can help you feel happier, healthier, and more fulfilled in all areas of your life. By paying attention to each part of the wheel and practicing self-care regularly, you’re giving yourself the love and attention you need to thrive.
Promotes self-awareness and self-reflection
When you use the self care wheel to guide your self-care practices, you’re encouraged to pay attention to different aspects of your well-being which helps you become more self-aware. This means you’ll be able to recognize your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors significantly better.
Research supports this idea too! A study published in the Journal of Psychological Inquiry in 2017 found that engaging in self-care activities, like journaling and mindfulness, was linked to increased self-awareness and self-reflection.
These practices help you become more mindful of your thoughts and actions, leading to greater self-awareness.
Tailored to your daily life
The great thing about the self care wheel is that it’s adaptable to whatever you need on any given day. You can mix and match different sustainable self-care practices based on your feelings and what’s happening in your life.
This makes it easy to incorporate your unique needs into your daily routine, no matter how busy you are!
How to Use the Self Care Wheel to Assess Your Current Needs for Manifestation and Wellbeing
Step 1: Draw or print a blank self care wheel.
Step 2: Understand your goals
Start by clarifying your desires or goals. You can also incorporate the practice of the wheel of life by asking yourself which areas are lacking from a 1 (lacking the most) to a 10 (not lacking at all).
What do you want to manifest in your life? It could be anything from improved relationships to better health, career success, or personal growth.
Step 3: Review the self care wheel
Look at the different sections of the self care wheel. Which ones have a score over 6 and which areas have a score below? This will give you an idea of where you can improve.
Step 4: Creating a positive mindset shift
Creating a positive mindset shift helps you become more aligned with the energy needed so that the things that you want will come your way.
To do this, formulate positive affirmations that reflect your desired outcomes and the areas of the self care wheel that need improvement.
For example, “I am healthy and full of energy,” or “I am successful and fulfilled in my career.”. Write it down right next to the part of the section outside the wheel.
You can also do this by remembering to practice positive thoughts and reminding yourself to remain open to opportunities for growth and manifestation. Trust in the process and believe in your ability to create the life you desire.
Write down this as a reminder and place it as your phone screensaver or somewhere you will see it every day.
Step 5: Develop Self Care Practices
Based on the sections of the wheel you’ve identified, brainstorm self-care practices that you can do to support your goals for improvement and manifesting.
For instance, if your goal is improved relationships, self-care practices in the social section could include spending quality time with loved ones or practicing effective communication. Write down these ideas inside the section of the wheel.
This will help you see the tasks you can do to help you in your daily life.
Incorporate these self-care practices into your daily or weekly routine. Make time for activities that nurture each aspect of your well-being while also aligning with your goals.
Step 6: Visualization
Picture how each aspect of the wheel contributes to the manifestation of your goals. Imagine yourself engaging in self-care activities while moving closer to achieving your desires.
Step 7: Monitor progress
Keep track of your progress toward both your self-care and manifestation goals. I recommend coming back to it once a month. Celebrate milestones along the way and adjust your approach as needed.
Final Thoughts
The self care wheel is a powerful tool for enhancing overall life satisfaction and manifesting results.
By dividing self-care into different areas and providing guidance on prioritizing and incorporating it into your daily routine, the self care wheel empowers you to take control of your health and happiness.
Ready to take the actionable steps toward your mental health?
Click here to download your coping skills kit. You will receive a FREE actionable PDF guide straight to your inbox!
Sabrina Valdivia
Spiritual Holistic Limited Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Coach
With a wealth of experience spanning more than 10 years, I have become a guiding light for those struggling with low self-esteem and anxiety, helping them rediscover their inner strength and self-worth.
My journey into holistic therapy and life coaching began as a personal quest for healing and self-discovery and a spiritual background from my determined single mother.
Having faced my own battles with low self-esteem and anxiety during my younger years, I intimately understood the challenges that many young women encounter in their lives.
This personal struggle ignited a passionate flame within me, inspiring me to delve into the realms of spirituality, self-help, and holistic healing modalities.
To read more about my story, click here.
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