Last week we talked about my not-so-secret formula for holistic health called the BEDMAS of Wellness™ formula. It gives you an order of operations style approach to wellness so you always have a guideline of what to do. This week I want to introduce you to what I call a wellness wheel so we can turn that formula into ripple effect results. Ready? Pull out the handwritten formula you put in your wallet, purse, or other easy to get to spot in which you'll see it everyday. Let's repeat it out loud: B, E, D, M, A, S. Think about what each means to you. Forgot to write it down? Go back & read last week's blog so you can write what you need to understand each.
Measuring the Intangible
Not everything can be measured in the traditional sense. Measuring calories, time, and weight are all pretty easy, but things like emotions, values, and sensations are not. How do you measure something intangible?
Scales. I'm not talking about the ones you physically put stuff on, but the math kind. OMG there's that math stuff again. Yes, but it's super easy, I promise.
Have you ever done a survey and they ask you "On a scale of 1-10...?" These are the types of scales we'll be using.
Survey Says... For each letter in the BEDMAS of Wellness™ formula, think about what each area means to you. Now, try no relax by taking a couple slow, deep belly breaths. When you feel calmer and more present, ask yourself: "On a scale of 1-10, where do I feel I am when it comes to B = Bed + rest?"
Write down the number that first came to mind. Try not to think about it too much. Give yourself a few seconds at most before writing an answer and moving to the next letter.
Wellness Wheel
Here are the basics to drawing the wellness wheel:
Draw a circle.
Divide into 6 pie pieces.
Label each pie piece in order B, E, D, M, A, S.
Write a tiny "0" in the middle of the pie and a "10" on the outside of the "crust."
Mark an approximate half-way point along each line going from the middle to the edge of the circle. You can label it as "5" if that's helpful to you.
It's colouring time!
Take the numbers you wrote down and add them to the wheel. Let's say B = 7. The number 7 is going to be not quite walfway between the 5 line you drew and the 10 of the circle.
Under the B in your pie, draw the pie piece so the "crust" of that piece touches about where 7 would be on the scale of 0-10 for those edges. Color in the pie piece. Repeat for each letter.
Focused Next Step
As you can see from the example wheel above, our lowest letters are D & S both at 6. Focusing on our lowest area will help keep the foundation of all the others. It's important to not let an area get too far behind or bigger hurdles start to happen and it will drag the others down. In this example, we have 2 areas that share the lowest value. The point of BEDMAS and the order of operations is that everything done at the beginning of the equation affects everything afterwards, SO... if we have 2, we go for the one closest to the beginning. Which letter is closer to the beginning? B, E, D, M, A, S The D is closer, so we focus our effort on Determining & Deciding our why. Motivation, purpose, and making the conscious choice to take action all affect the types of environments we surround ourself with.
Ripple Effect
The ripple effect comes in when you focus energy instead of trying to carry everything at once. It takes a lot of energy to consciously work on 6 different tasks. By taking things one step at a time and knowing every area affects every other area, we can cause change without putting in direct effort.
By taking things one step at a time and knowing every area affects every other area, we can cause change without putting in direct effort.
In the example above, focusing on determining & deciding our why causes us to think & act differently. Knowing what we want & taking action on it helps us make better choices for Making our Meals, our Activity, and our Surroundings all in one mental effort.
It's all about getting started, practicing the BEDMAS of Wellness™ formula's cycle consistently, and seeing the results you want so you'll start the cycle all over again. Ex. Going to the gym starts with a decision to go, not from the results of the last time you went. That comes after the first time you go!
It All Takes Work
Every aspect of health needs to be worked on consistently, you can't let any of them fall to the wayside. You can't decide to put all your effort into Making your Meals (M) and expect things like your Emotional health (E) to be perfect without effort.
The difference is in balancing focused, bigger efforts with daily, smaller, consistent efforts. You're working on everything, but put extra effort into 1.
The difference is in balancing focused, bigger efforts with daily, smaller, consistent efforts.
At work, you have your daily tasks of checking e-mails, answering the phone, reaching out to people, and probably drinking coffee. Then you have your current project task of meeting a deadline, attending a meeting, or even writing a blog post. You still need to do the daily stuff, but you focus your extra effort on the new, big priority.
You can't scroll through social media all day and expect a successful business, so why do we put all our effort into eating and/or exercising and expect a healthy mind, body & spirit?
What area(s) is(are) your lowest? Which do you need to focus on to get ripple results? Share by using the hashtag #BEDMASlife.
Learn, Love, and keep your Momentum,
Laura Lake <3
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