Fall 2025 Unscripted Magazine - Flipbook - Page 32
NOURISH TO FLOURISH
Navigate life’s seasons with practical steps to balancing your health and well-being.
We often think of life in seasons. Spring, serving
As a tangible example: during fall and winter, the
as a time of growth, followed by the flourishing of
decrease in daylight and sun exposure can lead to
summer, the inevitable pruning and shedding of
lower energy levels. That physical shift might cause
fall, and winter—a period for quiet reflection and
you to make fewer plans, withdraw socially, or engage
inner development.
less in the activities that usually bring you joy.
As we move through these annual, earthly seasons
In this instance, both your physical and interpersonal
and the less predictable, internal “seasons” of life
areas of wellness may need some extra attention.
that are unique to us—and may or may not always
align with the quarterly change in weather—a holistic
health tool called the wellness wheel can help you
find opportunities for growth, balance, and reflection
year-round.
The wellness wheel exists in various forms, but in the
Pathways Institute for Lifelong Learning course that
Eleanor Muir is teaching this fall, focuses on six key
areas of well-being: occupational, physical, cognitive,
spiritual, emotional, and interpersonal.
However, Eleanor encourages individuals to look at
any challenge they may be experiencing from multiple
dimensions of wellness. What feels off, and where are
there opportunities for balance?
Start with one or two small, measurable goals—
something realistic for where you are right now.
Write it down, give yourself a timeline, and check
in with yourself: How did it feel? What worked?
What didn’t? From there, reevaluate and shift
your approach as needed.
“When we face challenges in our lives, the challenges
can come from any number of different areas. When
one of the areas of the wellness wheel goes awry, it
can have an impact on other areas, causing our wheel
to go lopsided,” said Eleanor, a licensed and certified
counselor who provided counseling services at
Messiah University for 40 years.
Just as imbalance in one area can cause strain in
others, Eleanor explains that developing growth
strategies in any of the six areas can round out your
overall well-being.
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Wellness is not
about being perfect
in every area—it’s
about giving yourself
what you need,
when you need it.
