A tool for self-reflection, to check-in with ourselves on how well we are actually doing.
Benefits
Inviting participants into personal reflection on their own well-being is a way to bring into awareness their own life-context and to become aware of the connection between inner and outer sustainability.
Example
To give a full spectrum of insight into wellness, we used the Wellness Inventory assessment from John Travis on the second day of a residential training course. It contained twelve dimensions and ten questions/statements related to healthy living in a given topic. For example: “I am able to say “no” without feeling guilty.”, “I have at least five close friends.” (dimension communication). Participants evaluated their current state on a scale 0-4 according to how true was the statement in that given moment of their life. After filling the assessment, participants partnered up into couples and discussed their final wellness wheels, its meaning and their new understanding of wellness.
Variations
Reduced
A guided introduction to each wellness dimension where participants scale their well-being (how satisfied they are in the given topic) without reading the specific statements.
Extended
The group creates its own set of questions/statements related to wellness in chosen dimensions.
Online
The self-assessment can be done individually online or pen/paper.
Possible traps
Participants might not expect to get so personally involved in the topic, yet the reflections can open up some sensitive issues and the whole process with twelve dimensions can be quite time-consuming. It is good that the facilitators team undergoes the inventory themselves prior to the session, so they have personal experience with the process.
If you let your wellness wheel run down the hill, it should be rolling, not jumping. That’s called “balance in all dimensions”.
Additional resources
The Six Dimensions of Wellness Model – handout by the National Wellness Institute
Wellness inventory visual tool by the National Wellness Institute
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