We take stock of everything. Our groceries. Our finances. Our tech devices. But how often do we take a step back and take a real inventory of our lives? Maybe we feel out of balance, or like something is missing. If we don’t know what’s missing, we can’t take steps to direct our energy towards it. That’s what the Lifestyle Balance Tool helps us identify. Using the tool provides us a birds-eye view of the areas of our lives that are fulfilled and the areas that aren’t.
What is the Lifestyle Balance Tool?
You can think of the Lifestyle Balance tool as a pie. Each section or “slice” is a piece of our lives that we can evaluate. For example, we might split our pie into eight sections, each representing one of the following: work, leisure, romantic relationships, family and friends, physical health, personal growth, finances, and environment. Then we can evaluate each slice.
Using the Lifestyle Balance Tool
Tip: Use our worksheet as a guide! It has steps 1-3 below already set up.
1. First, draw a circle as your pie.
2. Next, split your pie into slices. It doesn’t matter how many. Consider all the major areas of one’s life (like the list above) and see what makes sense for you to add.
3. Within each slice, draw a thin line from the center of the pie through the middle of each slice all the way to the outer edge of the pie circle. Think of the outer edge as “completely satisfied “(10) and the center as being “totally dissatisfied” (0).
4. Now, rate your level of satisfaction in each of the slices using the ruler you just drew. Mark your satisfaction level with a dot on each line. Be honest with yourself, and go with your gut. If you feel something is not being given attention or vice versa, your intuition is probably correct.
5. After completing your rating for each slice, connect the dots to form a new perimeter within your pie. How does it look? Round and full, or jagged and jumpy? If it were the tire of a bike, how well would that bike ride?
Now that your pie is completed, consider and answer the following questions:
- Am I living a balanced life?
- Are my true values and priorities reflected here?
- If I had one month left to live, is this the way I would be spending my time?
- Am I involved in too many activities? Is there too much on my plate?
- How much of my time is spent caring for others? For myself?
- Are there areas of my life that need more of my attention?
- Is there a dream or desire that keeps getting put off that I’d like to focus on?
- What area(s) needs more attention? Where is less attention needed?
- What changes do I want to make? What can I do to round out my life?
With these answers, you can take steps to fill in the gaps in your pie and live a more balanced life. Recognizing that each aspect of our lives influences the others, this tool helps us see where we can make mindful adjustments and create a more satisfying life for ourselves.
Learn more about balanced living, values, and other mental health strategies at an Innerworld event! Let's navigate the path to harmony together.