A Time of Self Reflection
The year is drawing to an end and it will soon be the season of resolutions. There has been a lot of talk over the last few years from the health and lifestyle influencer community (yes, that’s a real thing) that discourages New Year’s Resolutions. And while I can understand the argument that they tend to be short lived, unrealistic, and can result in feelings of guilt when unfulfilled, I would argue that this is a great time of year to take stock in what has been working for you and what has not been. How do we grow if we do not spend time reflecting? How do we know where and what to put loving work into if we do not take time to understand ourselves?
December contains several holidays including Yule which falls on the Winter Solstice. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year and was (is) known as a celebration of the return of the sun. In ancient times it was considered the beginning of the new year because the calendar year was thought of as a circle with Yule marking the start of longer days and more sunshine. The beginning of a new year and a new start.
So December is the natural month to take a deeper look inward as well as outward; to evaluate what patterns are helpful to you and what patterns are not. What have you accomplished and what have you struggled with? Ask yourself, is there an area of my life I have been neglecting or avoiding and why? Is it time to shine some light there and take steps towards betting yourself?
There are many popular ways to do this whether it be journaling, goal setting, or meditation. But one activity I recommend often is using the Wellness Wheel. There are several variations to the Wellness Wheel but in essence it is a way of rating 8 different dimensions of your life to easily visualize what is out of balance and could use some extra attention in the upcoming year.
To use the Wellness Wheel, take a few minutes to reflect on each dimension. How healthy, satisfied, and stable to you feel about this area of your life? Ideally, your graphic will have a line for each dimension, like spokes on a wheel (sorry, I’m not a graphic designer and could not accomplish this!), but the wheel below can easily be adapted. Place a dot along the border of each dimension to rate your health in that section. The closer to the center, the more less healthy and the further outwards the healthier you feel about that area. For instance, if you love your career and it brings satisfaction and fulfillment then you would place the dot at the outer edge of the circle. If you feel your physical health is lacking or poor, place the dot close to the center. Once you have rated each of the 8 dimensions, connect the dots. Take note of the shape it makes? Is it a soft round circle? Or is it jagged and out of shape? Which areas are noticeably out of balance?
Bringing awareness to the interconnectedness of these dimensions brings awareness that they are all necessary for physical and mental well-being. Do you need help supporting a troubled area? Elemental Wellness is here to help you understand the steps you need to take to achieve vibrant and sustainable health moving forward. Functional Medicine looks at the whole person because we understand the very real connection between body, mind, and spirit. Let’s make the next cycle around the sun one of light and life.
