This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.
The eight key elements of a balanced life –
Are you someone who takes on more than you should?
Juggling a ton of responsibilities and feeling like you are on the verge of burnout.
You are trying to keep up with every area of your life but you don’t know where to start or how to balance it all.
You may think you are balancing your life because you see how your family member or friend is balancing theirs.
But, balance means something different to everyone.
We all have different lives and responsibilities so what works for one person may not work for another.
Even though balance is different for everyone, most of us are striving for a well-balanced life every day.
In this post, you will learn how to avoid overwhelm of a balanced life and eight different areas of your life to help you create more balance.
At the end of this post, there will be an exercise that you can download to help you analyze your life and the areas you need to improve.
How to Avoid Overwhelm of a Balanced Life
A simple solution to overwhelming yourself about balancing your life is to look at balance as eight pillars.
Eight pillars may sound like a lot but it is a good way to stay organized and help you to understand what specific areas need attention instead of trying to deal with it all.
You may feel the pressure that you should have a perfect balance between them all.
But, you don’t need to do this.
Instead, take it slow and focus on one area at a time.
Small changes add up and when you feel satisfied move on to a new area.
Overview of the Pillars of a Balanced Life
The eight pillars work together to bring a sense of balance to your life.
These pillars can also be called the dimensions of wellness.
With doing some research over the years, there are some conflicts of how many pillars actually exist. Some studies show anywhere between five to twelve pillars.
I personally like to go with eight pillars because it covers a unique and balanced blend of areas in our lives.
The pillars of a balanced life:
1. Mental
2. Physical
3. Emotional
4. Spiritual
5. Social
6. Environmental
7. Financial
8. Occupational
Let’s break these down into more detail.
The 8 Pillars of a Balanced Life (Dimensions of Wellness)
1. Mental Health
Mental health is all about having a healthy and positive mindset. It is important to develop a mindset that helps with clarity, confidence, the ability to learn and grow new skills, be creative, and think independently.
Activities to help mental health are:
• Meditation
• Affirmations
• Read or learn something new
• Take a mental break from social media or technology
• Journal your thoughts
2. Physical Health
Physical health is about ensuring we take care of our bodies through healthy balanced nutrition, exercise, and proper sleep. Our bodies are our temples and when we take care of them properly we help them to function properly and increase energy levels.
Activities to help physical health:
• Get 7-8 hours of quality sleep
• Eat healthy whole foods
• Drink a lot of water
• Practice yoga
• Get frequent massages
• Get regular dental checkups with the best dentist in Rockefeller Center or one near you
3. Emotional Wellness
Emotional wellness involves understanding how thoughts and feelings affect us. The way we feel has a huge impact on our level of motivation, our actions, our behaviors, and our results. When we acknowledge and embrace our emotions it gives us the ability to understand ourselves and cope with the challenges of life.
Activities to help with emotional wellness:
• Knowing when to ask for help
• Manage stress levels with self-care
• Listening to music
• Practice deep breathing
4. Spiritual
The spiritual pillar is about personal growth and seeking meaning, value, and purpose in life. Living by your own personal set of morals and values, finding inner peace, and living each day to the fullest with mindfulness and happiness.
Activities to help with spirituality/personal growth:
• Practicing gratitude
• Spending time in nature and/or grounding
• Praying and/or connecting with a higher power (this is different for everyone)
• Taking time for self-reflection
5. Social
The social pillar is about healthy relationships and connecting with others. By being surrounded by meaningful, supportive, and positive people is so important because it helps to feel safe, respected, and accepted.
Activities to help with social wellness:
• Being part of a positive community
• Spending time with loved ones
• Communicating with others in a positive way
• Being there and helping others
6. Environmental
Environmental involves your environment and respecting the environment around you. Your environment has a direct impact on your mindset, creativity, and productivity. This includes your own personal environment and the way you respect the environment around you like the air, water, and earth.
Activities to help with the environment:
• Decluttering your workspace
• Recycling trash
• Volunteering to clean up
• Keeping personal space clean
The cleanliness and beauty of your personal space directly affect your mood, life status, etc. You can use Custom Neon Signs to decorate the environment around you. It can not only be used for decoration but also to shine at night. Using beautiful things to keep your mood happy can not only improve your efficiency but also make your life full of happiness.
7. Financial
The financial pillar is a person’s relationship with money. It involves learning how to manage financial expenses and avoiding financial stress. Finances are the biggest source of stress among many people so it is important to take care of this area of life especially to help your mind and quality of life.
Activities to help financial wellness:
• Taking time to plan and budget
• Get rid of excess debt
• Save money
• Invest and built assets
8. Occupational
Lastly, the occupational pillar is all about work whether it is if you own your business or have a job/career. This is where you create a healthy balance between work and life. It’s about advancing your career or building your business in a healthy way and being satisfied with the work that you do.
Activities to help with occupational wellness:
• Create and maintain a healthy work-life balance
• Have a healthy work environment
• Continuously developing skills
• Healthy relationships with teammates
Final Thoughts
I hope this post helped you to understand the different pillars of a balanced lifestyle.
If you’re not sure which pillar you need to work on the most, download this wheel to help you analyze your life and what to focus on first.
DOWNLOAD THE LIFE BALANCE WHEEL WORKSHEET
By taking time to focus and working on these different areas of your life, it can improve your quality of life and help you to become the best version of yourself.
Remember to take it day by day and focus on one area of your life at a time.
The whole point is not to overwhelm yourself but learn to live a well-balanced life according to your terms.
Download the life balance wheel and feel free to reach out to me or leave a comment below with your results!
Michelle Gagliani
Owner & Founder
Michelle is the Founder of The Balanced CEO and a Holistic Nutritionist + Health Coach. She was born and raised in St.Thomas, U.S.V.I., and is currently living in Austin, TX. When she’s not running this blog and online business, she is cozied up at home watching TV, taking long walks in nature, or trying out new healthy recipes.
Melissa Jones says
Such great reminders! I needed this! My goal for 2021 is more balance and peace in life and these are perfect reminders of where I should be focusing!
Michelle says
That is such a great goal Melissa!
Barbara says
These are great tips to be balanced in our approaches to living!
Michelle says
Thank you Barbara!!
Cindy Mom the Lunch Lady says
This pandemic has shown me that I was living an unbalanced life. I am slowly starting to find balance but it has been quite a journey. Thank you for this post!
Michelle says
I’m glad to hear you are finding balance Cindy 😊
Kristin Svets says
I really like how you broke down the parts of our life and the message to make sure we are tending to each area. Great ideas!
Michelle says
😊 Glad you liked it Kristin!
Estie Saunders says
Love this post! I’m starting a small community on FB for women my age (50+) and will be addressing tips and suggestions how to improve life in different areas. Will definitely point them to this post!
Michelle says
That is awesome Estie! And thank you for pointing them to this post! Appreciate it!
Linda M Purcell says
I try very hard to keep it all balanced, but it has been very difficult during the pandemic. Thanks for listing it all out.
Michelle says
I understand the pandemic definitely threw us all off!
Hannah says
I love this! I’ve spent the entire last year of my own life re-creating everything to promote balance…I look at 6 areas to gauge my overall health and ease: weight management, eating & hydration, motion, sleep, mind (which includes spiritual), and surroundings (physical and social environment). When all of these are in balance for me, my life is full of health and ease!
Michelle says
That’s amazing that you really focused on this Hannah!
Pam says
This is a good recap. Eight areas of focus does feel a bit overwhelming but reading through your post, I see that it is manageable and worth the effort. I liked the tips/ideas of things to focus on in each area…super helpful!
Michelle says
Glad this post helped Pam!
Maggie says
Having a well-balanced life is important to my recovery. Thanks for sharing some more ideas that I can incorporate into my life.
Michelle says
Glad this helped Maggie ❤️
Sabrina DeWalt says
Great ideas for maintaining balance.
Michelle says
Thank you!
Marianne says
I am finding the social part of the balance is really lacking. Our area has been locked down for months, and if it weren’t for the fact that I work outside the home, I would be starved for social contact (just like my poor kids are). Sigh…
Michelle says
Oh no sorry to hear that!
heather J Jandrue says
I could not love this enough! Thanks for sharing!
Michelle says
So happy to hear that Heather! ❤️
Cindy Moore says
Great reminder to pay attention to these areas in our lives. I’ve done a wheel exercise several times, to see where I’m out of balance. Very helpful.
Michelle says
Thanks for reading Cindy!
Grace Love says
I’ve been working on and teaching how to enjoy life day by day. Having balance in all areas of life is an important component. Thanks for this.
Michelle says
Amazing concept to teach Grace…I love it!
Nozie says
Thank you for such great insights on balance.
Michelle says
You are very welcome!
Innocent says
Very helpful. Nowadays it is very easy to find oneself imbalaced. Keep up the good work.
Michelle says
So glad you found it helpful and thank you so much!
Matt Connors says
Great read. So vital to a life that’s full and purposeful is finding balance. Thank you for sharing!
Michelle says
Thank you Matt! So glad to hear you enjoyed the article!
Drew says
Great article! When finding balance, how do you know if you’re giving too much attention to one area?
Michelle says
Thank you! If you download the Life Balance Wheel within the article it helps you analyze each area which ones need less attention and which ones need more. Hope that helps!