Be Well, 1218 WYBJ, Vol. 41 No. 6. 56

• Author: Maryt L Fredrickson
• Position: Vol. 41 6 Pg. 56

Be Well

Vol. 41 No. 6 Pg. 56

Wyoming Bar Journal

December, 2018

Your Well-Being Inventory.

Maryt L Fredrickson

The holiday season is upon us. For some but not all, that means travel and more time spent with friends and family. For some of us, "whatever we do over the holidays will be stressful. For others, this time is a welcome respite from the grind of professional activities. But for all of us, this is an apt time for a short inventory of personal well-being.

The Several Dimensions of Well-Being

To begin, what is well-being? Well-being is a continuous, deliberate process of examining and modifying our choices and habits, with a goal towards thriving in each dimension of life.^[1] It is a self-directed and evolving dynamic process of self-reflection and decision making, not merely the absence of disease. There are several dimensions to consider when evaluating personal well-being: emotional health, occupational pursuits, intellectual and creative endeavors, spirituality or our purpose in life, physical health, and social connections. Some social science models also include environmental factors and financial health.

Occupational.

The occupational dimension is perhaps the simplest to understand. It is your measure of professional satisfaction in your work. To evaluate occupational well-being, a person might consider if they are feeling satisfied with the type of work they are doing and whether their extracurricular professional activities are satisfying or if they have become draining. Workplace stress and office conflict is a factor to consider. Shifts in the occupational dimension might begin with working towards expanding a practice area, changing extracurricular professional activities, working on skills for dealing with difficult colleagues, or reconsidering career goals.

Intellectual.

The intellectual dimension may seem related to the occupational category for those in the legal profession since the practice of law requires the intellect. But the intellectual dimension is more like your creative dimension, such as hobbies and activities that engage your mind outside the context of work. Reading books, listening to podcasts, travelling, volunteering outside the practice of law (e.g., coaching sports, volunteering at a soup kitchen, hospital, church, etc.), or developing your skills as a cook or in any hobby are potential areas to consider when evaluating whether you are...