I am in the second week of my Integrative Nutrition Program (IIN) and we learned a very simple exercise called “The Circle of Life.” Take a look at the circle and the 12 categories. Place a dot on each category to rate how you feel about that portion of your life (the closer the dot is to the outside of the circle, the higher your rating).
This is my Circle of Life filled in, so you can see my 3 biggest areas of improvement are: Social Life, Physical Activity, and Joy. I discussed this with my functional nutritionist and we created a game plan to address these 3 areas:
- Social Life: I started a women’s group in my neighborhood where we plan to meet once every couple of months to create a better sense of community. I am also part of a group of Alcohol-free moms and we are meeting at a Dry Bar for Galentine’s Day.
- Physical Activity: I plan to do a short workout (10 mins) in the morning before I begin work and to also take 1-2 short walks throughout the day.
- Joy: Sometimes life can feel like a revolving door of Groundhog Day and we need to focus on small things each day that bring us joy. Mine are playing with my toddler, taking hot baths, and working on puzzles/true crime cases with my husband!
Here are the definitions of each category:
Social Life
Creating space for social interactions with others is important to your health, happiness, and well-being. This can look like engaging in activities to build new connections, maintaining existing friendships, chatting with someone you don’t know, or building a sense of belonging in a community.
Joy
Joy is the experience of positive emotion recognizable through physical expression, such as laughter, a smile, or a sense of lightness in the body. It can come from an external source, such as a child smiling at you, or by connecting with something in alignment with yourself or your values.
Spirituality
Spirituality can mean many things and is truly unique to each person. It’s about finding meaningful connections that allow you to view life with deeper significance, such as your identity, values, sense of purpose, or even something greater than yourself.
Creativity
Creativity is self-expression in whatever medium feels right for you, such as drawing, cooking, or playing an instrument. Creativity is more than artistic output; it can be the ability to make connections between existing ideas or come up with new solutions to a common problem.
Finances
The primary food area of finances can bring joy or stress to your life. Understanding and being in control of your finances in a way that works for you as a bio-individual can lead to feelings of freedom, comfort, and confidence that can improve health in many ways.
Career
Many people spend more than half their waking hours at work, and it’s important they find ways to be fulfilled in this area of primary food. Having a career or purpose that nourishes you and compensates you fairly can affect satisfaction, life balance, and well-being.
Education
The learning a person does as they progress on their life journey is important to their health and life satisfaction. Education can mean exploring traditional formats for acquiring knowledge, like going back to school, as well as nontraditional formats, such as engaging in self-study or staying curious through your experiences to continually grow.
Health
Taking care of yourself and your multidimensional health is what this area of primary food is all about. Your body, mind, and spirit all have needs, and meeting those unique needs without judgment can improve your overall health, happiness, and ability to feel satisfied.
Physical Activity
Your body thrives on movement, whether running, weight lifting, practicing tai chi, dancing, or doing simple stretches. Finding types of movement that nourish your body, mind, and spirit can provide a sense of balance in this area of primary food.
Home Cooking
Taking care of yourself by nourishing your physical body feeds you mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. Plus, sharing food can be both an act of self-care and an expression of love for others.
Home Environment
Your home environment includes your physical living space, the people you interact with regularly, your neighborhood, and your natural surroundings. On a larger scale, it also includes your city, state, or country. Your home environment includes everything that surrounds you throughout the day and has the potential to either energize or drain you.
Relationships
Your connection to other human beings greatly contributes to your health. Your relationships with those closest to you can provide important forms of support, connection, and love that can nourish you deeply.
You can repeat this activity every few months to see what areas you need to focus on. It may look completely different from one time to the next, but that is completely normal and the goal is never to have a perfect circle, but to continually grow and learn from your experiences and to be cognizant of what you need to be happier and healthier 🙂
Together in healing 💜
