I’ve been writing about a balanced meaningful life – one where we do the things that need to be done and the things we’d like to do. But how to fit it all in?  I know for me, when I’m discouraged or depressed, it’s so easy for me to forget about the important things and spend time on things that don’t matter.  When life feels disappointing or even pointless, it’s easy to just wait for time to pass.  How about for you?

My therapist at ACCFS showed me a video about doing the important things in life first.  Here is a link to a similar video. (Feel free to watch on mute if you aren’t fond of the annoying music!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_N_uvq41Pg

This visual shows one way
to divide up tasks to figure
out where to spend our time.
It’s easy to read, it’s pretty,
AND it’s so difficult to do!

I’m not planning to write much else here, but I found a lot of quotes about being busy, focusing on what’s important, and stress.  Feel free to let me know if any of these strike close to home for you!

Continuing the theme of living a balanced life, I want to introduce another way for each of us to assess our life.  The Wellness Wheel has six dimensions because wellness is not just about physical health but all aspects of life.  When a wheel is well balanced it can turn smoothly.  Here is a picture of the wellness wheel with the dimensions labeled.  There are 36 statements that correspond to the spaces on the wheel.

The directions for this exercise, if you’d like to do it, are to read each of the 36 statements and starting at the top in the first section labeled Physical and working clockwise, fill in each space on the wheel to the percentage that you think you do that or agree with that statement. For example, #1 is “I eat a balanced, nutritional diet.”  In the first section at the top, fill in the percentage of time we do that, so if I feel like three-fourths of the time I do that I color in up to the 75% of that section. The second sentence would be answered and filled in in the section clockwise from #1.

Each section is a different color such that when we were done, we could see how
balanced we were living, and which areas were out of balance one way or the other.

PHYSICAL
1.  I eat a balanced, nutritional diet.
2.  I exercise at least three times a week.
3.  I take responsibility for my physical health.
4.  I am generally free from illness.
5.  I have annual check-ups and specific medical checks as prescribed.
6.  If at all, I use tobacco, alcohol, or prescribed drugs responsibly and moderately.

FINANCIAL
7.   I live within my means and take responsibility for my financial decisions.
8.   My spending and saving habits reflect my values and beliefs.
9.   I actively plan for periods in my life when I may not have income.
10.  I pay bills on time and positively mange credit.
11.  I balance present-day spending with saving for the future.
12.  I have similar financial beliefs and practices as those with whom I am close.

INTELLECTUAL
13.  I enjoy learning new skills and information.
14.  I have positive thoughts (low degree of negativity and cynicism).
15.  I am generally satisfied with my vocation/major.
16.  I commit time and energy to professional growth and self-development.
17.  My work is stimulating, rewarding, and reflects my values.
18.  I pursue mentally stimulating interests and hobbies.

EMOTIONAL
19.  I have a sense of control in my life and am able to adapt to change.
20.  I perceive “problems” as opportunities for growth.
21.  I am able to comfort and console myself when I am troubled.
22.  I have a sense of fun and can laugh at myself.
23.  Others would describe me as emotionally stable.
24.  I believe I am responsible for my feelings and how I express them.

SOCIAL
25.  I have at least three people with whom I have a close, trusting relationship.
26.  I am able to resolve conflicts in all areas of my life.
27.  I have satisfying social interactions with others.
28.  I am aware and able to set and respect my own and others’ boundaries.
29.  I am aware of the feelings of others and can respond appropriately.
30.  I have a sense of belonging to a group or within organizations.

SPIRITUAL
31.  I have a sense of meaning and purpose in my life.
32.  I have a general sense of serenity.
33.  I am happy with the beliefs I hold.
34.  I practice prayer, meditation, or engage in some type of reflective growth.
35.  Principles/ethics/morals provide guides for my life.
36.  I trust others and am able to forgive others and myself.

Everyone’s wheel is going to look a little bit different – there is no perfect wheel or right answer to this.  Also, the wheel will look a bit different in different ages and stages of life.  When you look at the balance or imbalance of the wheel you’ve created, what goals would you like to set in the short term? In the long term?

Does your life look like this?  Life for you may not revolve
around a laptop, but is there something else you could
substitute in this cartoon to make it true for you?

At Timberline we talked a lot about what life was going to look like once we left.  Remember that last quote I posted – to recover a new, more desirable life has to be created such that those things giving need for a recovery program don’t pull us back down.  In one session we were given a check list titled Is Your Lifestyle Causing You Stress?  There were negative and positive self-care behaviors listed for us to consider.  I’ll post those under Lists.

In another session we talked about A Meaningful Life – Balanced Living.  This one included 10 areas of life with a positive statement of building that area into our life.  We were to give each area a 1-10.  This could be based on:

• How well we were balancing
  each area with the other
  areas on the list
• How important each area
  is to us in our recovery
• How much we want to
  work on each one

Then we were asked to fill in a pie chart
to see in front of us which areas were
strong or were lacking.  I’ll post those here…

—— Environment – Where you physically spend the majority of your day: home, living space, people you live with, car, room, office, closet, work environment, etc.

—— Fun/Leisure – What you do for fun: hobbies, leisure, vacation, fun non-work related pursuits, activities to recharge, etc.

—— Personal Growth – Your efforts to be a better you: personal development, seminars, reading for self-improvement, improving interpersonal skills/habits, education, reflection, etc.

—— Spirituality/Faith – Your belief in a higher power that is greater than the physical world: devotion to religion/faith, prayer, meditation, the practice of being “present,” living in the moment, etc.

—— Purpose/Career – Following your passion/what you believe you’ve been called to do: your profession, volunteer work, devotion to family/charity/career, talents, etc.

—— Financial – Your personal definition of financial security: savings, lack of debt, investment, understanding of financial situation, ability to afford the things you want on your terms, financial independence, retirement, financial future, etc.

—— Friends & Family Relationships – Your relationship, level of mutual support/respect, and personal/emotional connections with: immediate family, children, siblings, parents, close extended family members, and your small circle of close friends.

—— Romantic Relationships – Your emotional and physical connection with your significant other, romantic partner, dating relationships, and/or spouse: mutual support, respect, appreciation, friendship, shared interests/hobbies/pursuits, time spent together, and physical/intimate connection.

—— Fitness/Health – overall “wellness”: physical health, regular diet, stress management, sleep, exercise, nutrition, flexibility, strength, cholesterol level, satisfaction with weight, healthy weight/body fat, physical endurance, energy, etc.

—— Emotional Health – Mental wellness: how you feel about yourself, beliefs about self-worth, ability to feel/express emotions, mental wellness/overall happiness, feeling whole, satisfied, at peace, etc.