“The most crucial task is to forge more life into your day. This does not mean new to-dos; it means less. It means creating space to think, walk, eat, sleep, read, love, dream” (Brendon Burchard, author of High Performance Habits), because the spaces we occupy in our lives are important to our well-being. What are these spaces in our lives? And what are between the spaces—the gaps? In designing my health and wellness wheel, I have selected seven spaces I feel are important to our health and well-being:
Physical space: Creating an environment that nourishes and fuels purpose. This space encompasses nutrition, exercise, and sleep.
Heart space: Creating an environment that expands the heart for relationships with a significant other, family, friends and/or people in general.
Breathing space: Creating an environment that enables you to sustain your flow and expansion in your life. This is self-care; for example, reading a good book for enjoyment, gardening, watching a good movie, having a good conversation with a friend, spiritual director, or health and wellness coach.
Workspace: Creating an environment that supports life or fulfills purpose. This could be a vocation or job.
Psychological/Think space: Creating an environment that allows space and time to plan and think in a healthy way. This is not worrying or having fearful fantasies.
Sacred space: Creating an environment that honors the sacred—mindfulness meditation, Higher Power, God, nature, self, cause.
Green space (optional): Creating an environment that connects and supports nature.
Each of these spaces is represented by a hexagon. Together the hexagons form the shape of a wheel. At the center of this wheel is another hexagon. This hexagon represents one’s life—inner core. Like a beehive, the six hexagons are connected. They have relational qualities that affect how they connect. Additionally, these hexagons are also permeable. The issues of life flow in and out of them: joy, shame, fear, pride, gratitude, love, greed, for example. It is also important to note that the spaces can expand or contract, and this resizing directly impacts our life—the center hexagon.
The Health and Wellness Wheel
Using the metaphor of a house, I decided what each hexagon would represent. I wanted to see how different areas of our lives affect each other. So, I associated physical space with a house. What is needed to upkeep its physical structure? These essentials would be exercise, food and sleep.
In order for the house to be warm, loving and cozy, it needs love. This love expands the heart and is directed toward one’s loved ones, friends and humanity. Love also serves in protecting the heart as well.
Next, I decided that the house needs to be airy—breathable and spacious.
There needed to be a separate space for work in order to foster work/life balance.
In order to discourage worry and decrease stress, there needed to be time to chronologically plan one’s life, dream and reflect.
Then I thought that every home should have an altar—a sacred space for something bigger than one’s self.
Finally, it is important to have a space to connect with nature. Because this connection can occur in the area of sacred space or breathing space, it is optional.
