The self-care wheel is a practical tool designed to encourage balanced self-care across six dimensions.
Using the self-care wheel helps individuals identify areas needing attention & integrate healthy habits into daily routines.
Regular practice of diverse self-care activities can enhance overall wellbeing & prevent burnout, fostering resilience & fulfillment.
When Tess Kearns began to forget familiar faces and was only able to manage her daily activities with a to-do list – which she was continually losing – she knew that something was wrong.
Thankfully, the cause was not an underlying physical condition; instead, it was behavioral. Tess was approaching burn out.
Managing her two children, setting up a new business, learning additional skills, and keeping up with her mortgage repayments were proving to be too much.
We have all experienced similar times in our lives, and burnout is real.
Irritability, drinking to feel better, trouble sleeping, headaches, and a lack of energy are all early signs that you are heading toward a meltdown (Salvagioni et al., 2017).
The Mayo Clinic describes burnout as physical and mental exhaustion, often associated with a loss of identity and the sense that we are not accomplishing anything.
So, how do you stop? How do you take care of yourself?
In this article, we explore a wellness tool that helps you regain control and focus on your busy life. The Self-Care Wheel is a positive psychology tool for supporting a balanced life while maximizing potential.
Before you read on, we thought you might like to download our five positive psychology tools for free. These detailed, science-based exercises will not only help you increase the compassion and kindness you show yourself, but also give you the tools to help your clients, students, or employees show more compassion to themselves.
Work, parenting, education, and relationships are all sources of stress.
Research over the last two decades has confirmed the severe impact of our failure to handle situations in which we find ourselves.
Indeed, chronic stress at work is recognized by:
Overwhelming exhaustion
Lack of commitment
Negative attitudes
Dissatisfaction with performance
Self-care can help, but it needs to be planned, acted upon, and practiced (Myers, Sweeney, & Witmer, 2000; Windey, Craft, & Mitchell, 2019).
What is wellness?
Healthy people strive towards growth, self-actualization, and excellence; it’s a natural, universal tendency (Maslow, 1970).
But all of us, at times, need help to get and stay there.
Wellness is about maintaining mental and physical fitness and having enough energy to meet occupational and personal commitments. The Global Wellness Institute (n.d.) describes it as “the active pursuit of activities, choices, and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health.”
Wheel of Wellness
In 2000, psychologists Jane Myers, Thomas Sweeney, and Melvin Witmer were concerned about deaths occurring in the U.S. as a result of poor lifestyle choices. They suggested an important shift in emphasis, from a disease and illness model to one of wellness and health.
In response, they created a tool called The Wheel of Wellness to help achieve a life defined by optimal health and wellbeing, “in which body, mind, and spirit are integrated by the individual to live more fully within the human and natural community” (Myers et al., 2000).
The wheel is a pictorial representation of wellness. Each spoke depicts an interrelated set of tasks that interact with the life forces affecting your life, including:
Family
Community
Religion
Education
Government
Media
Business and industry
Wellness wheels remain accessible and helpful in the promotion of wellbeing.
Clarion University, for example, encourages students to use a copy of their wheel as part of their wellness program. Students are asked to consider how they manage their health in each of the following areas of their lives:
Emotional health – managing stress, sufficient sleep, staying on top of work, seeking therapy
Intellectual health – staying curious, learning new things, reading, joining clubs, enhancing intellectual interests
Physical health – sufficient exercise, balanced nutrition, preventative medical care
Social health – robust social network offering guidance and reducing stress
Environmental health – caring for surroundings, avoiding clutter, recycling and volunteering for environmental initiatives
Financial health – living within financial means, creating a budget
Spiritual health – understanding the beliefs and values that shape who you are and guide your life
Recent research into healthcare has confirmed the value of the wellness wheel in promoting wellness and good health in nurses and, subsequently, better treatment of patients (Windey et al., 2019).
The Self-Care Wheel
The Self-Care Wheel is similar to the Wellness Wheel and provides a structure for identifying and nourishing areas where you are either failing, surviving, or thriving.
The most widely used assessment wheel, created by the Olga Phoenix Project, is based on the work of Karen Saakvitne and Laurie Pearlman (described in Transforming the Pain: A Workbook on Vicarious Traumatization; 1996).
The Olga Phoenix Self-Care Wheel consists of two sheets, each containing a set of six dimensions placed on the outside rim of the wheel, including:
Psychological
Emotional
Spiritual
Personal
Professional
Physical
Each dimension represents an area of your life that, ideally, deserves daily attention.
The first sheet contains a suggested list of topics, placed between the spokes of the wheel below the relevant dimension. Each item is an inspiration or a prompt to take an action that promotes nurture in that area.
The second wheel is left blank for personalization.
A therapist or coach typically supplies both sheets to a client, but there may be times (to avoid bias) where only the blank sheet is given.
Templates, Worksheets, and Useful PDFs
The Self-Care Wheel provides a useful starting point and ongoing focus for your self-care activities.
However, it is essential to make the wheel personal and to document follow-up actions that address dimensions negatively impacting your wellbeing.
Self-Care Wheel
Download Olga Phoenix’s free starter kit for a copy of the Self-Care Wheel.
Creating a Self-Care Vision Board
PositivePsychology.com’s Self-Care Vision Board is particularly well suited to practicing self-care and completing a blank copy of the wheel.
The Self-Care Vision Board exercise is a positive and practical way for you to personalize the list of items under each dimension (physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual, personal, and professional).
It consists of four steps:
Brainstorm self-care activities.
Collect positive images for the vision board.
Collect positive words and phrases for the vision board.
Build the vision board.
Additional self-care resources from PositivePsychology.com
Committing to taking care of yourself is one of the most effective ways to make self-care a lifelong priority. Use the My Self-Care Promise template to help clients formalize their commitment in the form of a contract.
The following exercises and downloads offer useful guidance for specific activities listed under each dimension:
Implementing the wheel as part of overall self-care
The Self-Care Wheel is one part of a more extensive process on your journey to wellbeing and can be embedded in the following three steps:
Step 1 – Assess
Identify areas that require additional attention for your self-care and are necessary for the completion of the Self-Care Wheel.
Understand your current wellness position using the Self-Care Wheel.
Download and personalize a blank copy.
Step 2 – Plan
Plan to transform those areas of your life that are currently failing, or surviving, into ones that are thriving.
Identify how you can progress each aspect of your self-care and complete the activities defined in step 1.
Write it down in a plan.
ReachOut provides a practical guide for developing a self-care plan along with a free downloadable template.
Step 3 – Implement
A plan has no value unless acted upon.
Schedule the actions that implement your self-care.
Commit to yourself that you will perform the steps and that you are worthy of self-care.
Share the plan with someone close, who will provide support and encouragement.
The self care wheel: 3-Step self care formula
Self-Care Activities by the Domains of the Wheel
The Self-Care Wheel identifies actions and activities to perform – or a set of conditions to be met – that contribute to the wellbeing of each of your dimensions and your overall wellness.
For example, your spiritual dimension can be nurtured through yoga, self-forgiveness, and nature, while your psychological state will benefit from self-awareness, relaxation, and a focus on positive qualities.
Review each of the following sections for a list of activities that nurture or nourish the six dimensions of your Self-Care Wheel.
Note that these are suggestions. Some actions may be more or less appropriate and can be added to or removed from your list.
The list is modified from the Self-Care Wheel created by Olga Phoenix but also contains links to articles within PositivePsychology.com to further your understanding and provide additional guidance.
Your physical health is vital to your overall wellbeing, And, according to the American Nurses Association, it is not only the absence of disease, but also lifestyle choices that avoid preventable illnesses, maintaining a balanced mind, body, and spirit.
Self-care activities for your psychological domain
Psychological wellbeing is crucial to not only your state of mind, but also your physical health. According to the American Psychological Association, psychological wellbeing involves being both happy and content, with low levels of distress, good mental health, and quality of life.
Things you can do to nurture yourself:
Perform self-reflection and self-awareness
Journaling
Sensory engagement
Schedule aromatherapy
Do something creative, draw, paint, quilt, cook, etc.
Think about your positive qualities and your strengths
Practice (and visualize) asking for and receiving help
Practice mindfulness
Consider putting in place:
Therapy
Join a support group
Self-care activities for your emotional domain
Emotional wellness can be described as understanding and being aware and comfortable with your feelings, and being able to express emotions constructively.
Start thriving today with 5 free tools grounded in the science of positive psychology.
Download Tools
Self-care activities for your spiritual domain
Spiritual wellness has a different meaning for each of us. Typically, it is about having values and beliefs that provide meaning to your life and having the opportunity and motivation to align your behavior to them.
Join a spiritual community that aligns with your values and beliefs
Self-care activities for your personal domain
Being engaged intellectually and at a profoundly personal level in your actions, environment, and social group is likely to promote growth and wellbeing in your personal domain.
Wellbeing in the professional domain is most likely when your work and studies leave you feeling fulfilled, while you continue to grow, learn, and make meaningful contributions.
17 Exercises To Foster Self-Acceptance and Compassion
Help your clients develop a kinder, more accepting relationship with themselves using these 17 Self-Compassion Exercises [PDF] that promote self-care and self-compassion.
Headspace is a top-rated, subscription-based app that provides a mental wellbeing program for individuals and teams along with support for mindfulness meditations.
This subscription-based app, based on The Anxiety Solution by Chloe Brotheridge, provides an anxiety toolkit, covering practices to help you focus on self-care, overcome anxiety and worry, practice mindfulness, and improve your sleep.
If you’re a helping practitioner looking to strengthen your own self-care—or that of your clients—we have a host of resources to support you.
To start, check out the following articles:
10 Self-Care Tips for Psychologists, Therapists & Counselors
In this article, you’ll find practical macro and micro self-care strategies tailored to therapists, counselors, and psychologists, from healthy routines and boundaries to quick “in-the-moment” reset practices.
Self-Care for Therapists: 12 Ways to Help Yourself
Here, you’ll find a deeper dive into why therapists are especially vulnerable to stress, burnout, and “wounded healer” dynamics, along with concrete examples of self-care plans across physical, cognitive, emotional, and spiritual domains.
For some useful self-care activities you can use in your sessions with both adults and children, be sure to also check out our article exploring different self-care activities for groups.
Our free resources include:
Self-Care Checkup
This useful worksheet invites clients to rate how often they practice different self-care activities as an opportunity to identify areas they may be neglecting and improve upon them.
My Self-Care Promise
This worksheet helps clients reflect on their true, unique needs, and come up with some activities they find restorative, enjoyable, and energizing.
Self-Care During a Divorce
Finally, this worksheet offers a series of useful prompts for finding moments of rest and even joy during the difficult experience of ending a marriage.
This tool helps clients recognize the early signs of stress, which may be helpful for signaling it’s time to schedule some self-care. It involves three steps:
Step 1 – Clients begin by identifying their own personal definition of stress.
Step 2 – Next, they brainstorm common sources of stress in their lives.
Step 3 – Finally, they identify the thoughts, behaviors, and bodily reactions that indicate they are being impacted by stress.
Boundary Setting in the Digital Age
While avoiding digital devices altogether may be impractical, creating a balanced relationship with them is essential for good self-care. Here, clients consider boundaries with technology in four steps:
Step 1 – Clients begin by reflecting on their existing digital habits and how satisfied they are with them, exploring how they impact their daily routine and other priorities, such as friendships.
Step 2 – Next, clients set clear boundaries on when and how much to use their phone, laptop, tablet, etc. and plan for a time to create a digitally free space.
Step 3 – Clients then track their success in keeping to these boundaries.
Step 4 – Finally, clients reflect on how else they could improve their ability to maintain these boundaries.
If you’re looking for more science-based ways to help others develop self-compassion, this collection contains 17 validated self-compassion tools for practitioners. Use them to help others create a kinder and more nurturing relationship with the self.
A Take-Home Message
Balance in life is crucial.
When you have it, you can divide your time and energy across all areas of your being, ensuring an appropriate focus on family, learning, spirituality, career, etc. while nurturing overall wellness.
However, when balance falters, parts of your life remain unnourished. They begin to fail, impacting other areas and your overall wellbeing. You begin to burn out.
If you step back and look at your life, you can see the warning signals – overeating, over-drinking, lethargy, stress, irritability – all are signals that change is needed.
And yet, if you recognize the signals, then you can do something about them.
Firstly, download the Self-Care Wheel, and along with some of the other tools introduced, identify and document the actions and steps that will help you find balance and ultimately lead you to flourish in life.
You may not have time or resources to play out all the actions or put in place every condition, but be realistic. Plan how you are going to perform the activities that are going to give you the big wins. Once they are in place, you can begin to find other ways to include the smaller, complementary, positive changes in your life.
You have what it takes to make your life more complete, but it takes self-care.
Perhaps most surprisingly, the crucial takeaway is not that you have the potential to put in place a routine of self-care, but that you deserve it.
You, like the rest of us, are worth investing in.
So, what’s stopping you? Use the Self-Care Wheel to take stock, regain focus, and take control of your busy, precious life.
By identifying strengths and areas needing improvement, the Self-Care Wheel guides you in creating a balanced self-care plan tailored to your needs.
What activities are included in the Self-Care Wheel?
The wheel suggests various activities for each domain, such as exercising for physical health, journaling for psychological wellbeing, and practicing mindfulness for spiritual growth.
How do I use the Self-Care Wheel?
Begin by evaluating your current self-care practices in each area, then select activities that resonate with you to incorporate into your routine.
Maslow, A. (1970). Motivation and personality (2nd ed.). Harper & Row.
Myers, J. E., Sweeney, T. J., & Witmer, J. M. (2000). The wheel of wellness counseling for wellness: A holistic model for treatment planning. Journal of Counseling & Development, 78(3), 251-266. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6676.2000.tb01906.x
Salvagioni, D. A. J., Melanda, F. N., Mesas, A. E., González, A. D., Gabani, F. L., & de Andrade, S. M. (2017). Physical, psychological, and occupational consequences of job burnout: A systematic review of prospective studies. PLOS One, 12(10). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0185781
Saakvitne, K. W., & Pearlman, L. A. (1996). Transforming the pain: A workbook on vicarious traumatization. Norton & Company.
Windey, M., Craft, J., & Mitchell, S. L. (2019). Incorporating a wellness program for transitioning nurses. Journal for Nurses in Professional Development, 35(1), 41-43. https://doi.org/10.1097/nnd.0000000000000498
About the author
Jeremy Sutton, Ph.D., is an experienced psychologist, coach, consultant, and psychology lecturer. He works with individuals and groups to promote resilience, mental toughness, strength-based coaching, emotional intelligence, wellbeing, and flourishing. Alongside teaching psychology at the University of Liverpool, he is an amateur endurance athlete who has completed numerous ultra-marathons and is an Ironman.
When Tess Kearns began to forget familiar faces and was only able to manage her daily activities with a to-do list – which she was continually losing – she knew that something was wrong.
The Self-Care Wheel provides a useful starting point and ongoing focus for your 
The Self-Care Wheel identifies actions and activities to perform – or a set of conditions to be met – that contribute to the wellbeing of each of your dimensions and your overall wellness.
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