Balancing the 5 Pillars of Life for Lasting Well-Being 

Sonia Vadlamani explores practical ways to strengthen and balance the key areas – or pillars – of life for long-term happiness and success.

 

Picture the scenario. You’re crushing it at work: hitting targets, achieving goals, and earning accolades from superiors and peers. On the surface, your life looks perfect. However, your peace and mental health are declining and your personal relationships are strained. If this sounds familiar, chances are you’re lacking an important element – balance – in your life.

 

Life can often seem like a juggling act, with its myriad responsibilities and tasks to complete within limited reserves of time and attention. What’s more, the fast-paced world around us sometimes tends to reward the pursuit of perfection in one area of life – often our career – while other areas take a backseat. However, decades of research show that true happiness comes from finding harmony across multiple pillars, or key aspects of life, not just one.

 

The good news is that achieving balance isn’t as complex as one may imagine. By understanding and intentionally working toward achieving balance across the key pillars of life, you can create the foundation for a more joyful and sustainable version of success. 

 

What are the pillars of life?

The prominent Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung identified five pillars, or key elements, necessary for a happy and fulfilling life: 

1. Good physical and mental health 
2. Healthy personal relationships, including family and friendships 
3. The ability to perceive beauty in art and nature
4. A reasonable standard of living and satisfactory work
5. A philosophical or religious perspective that fosters resilience

 

Jung emphasized the interconnectedness of the various aspects of life, with these pillars forming a comprehensive framework for a meaningful, fulfilling life. While his model remains important, experts have expanded upon it to better reflect the evolving needs of modern times. 

Learn to balance aspects of life for optimal well-being

 

Psychiatrists, wellbeing coaches, and health advisors often highlight the key aspects of life that align with Jung’s pillars:
 

• Health pertains to both physical and mental wellbeing, supported by regular exercise, a nutritious diet, adequate sleep, and emotional regulation – the ability to recognize, perceive and manage your emotions effectively.
   
• Relationships include family, romantic partnerships, friendships, and social connections. The interplay of relationships and wellbeing has been extensively documented, indicating that cultivating meaningful connections is a crucial key to happiness.
   
• Financial health does not refer merely to monetary wealth, but financial security and the ability to meet your needs and occasional wants, without constant worry about expenses and bills.
   
• Work and Purpose include career and professional pursuits, along with activities that offer you a sense of purpose and the satisfaction of contributing to something greater.
   
• Play and personal growth represent your creative pursuits, leisure, hobbies, and interests, in addition to your efforts to advance your skills and knowledge.

 

Some experts believe in additional pillars or key aspects, such as spirituality or volunteering, depending on individual needs and interests. It’s important for individuals to identify the core areas that are important for their sense of purpose and happiness.

 

Why is balancing the pillars of life important?

At times it’s normal – and even necessary – to focus on one area of life. For instance, situations like managing a health condition, taking on an extra work assignment to advance your career, or navigating a family emergency may require you to prioritize one aspect of life over others. 

 

However, research shows that the imbalance can become chronic if some areas are neglected too long, impacting one’s overall wellbeing. A 2020 study published in BMC Public Health analyzed data from 32,275 working adults across 30 countries in Europe. It showed a poor association between the adults' work-life balance and self-reported health. 

 

“By working toward achieving balance across the key pillars of life, you can create the foundation for a more joyful and sustainable version of success.”

 

The statistics from North America echo a similar imbalance. A study by Elvtr.com involving 2,300 participants from the US and Canada revealed the alarming lack of work-life balance, indicating that 68% of the participants continue working even on vacations, and 57% feel anxious if they don’t check work emails during their time off. These findings point toward a worrying lack of boundaries between professional and personal life.

Conversely, achieving balance across the pillars of life has been shown to generate a continuous cycle of positive outcomes. A Harvard Business Review study published in 2022 highlighted the benefits of corporate programs that support work/life balance, with employees reporting improved mental and physical health, lower stress and burnout, in addition to increased productivity and reduced employee turnover.

 

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Indeed, the ability to step away from work, take care of our physical and mental health, and spend more time with friends and family strengthens our support system and makes us better equipped to handle stress. Reduced stress and financial stability, in turn, allow space and opportunity for personal growth, creative pursuits, and play – all of which contribute toward long-term happiness. 

 

Six ways to balance the pillars of life

Balancing these different areas of life can seem overwhelming at first, but it is possible with intention and the right measures. Here are six practical ways to help you strike the right balance among the key pillars of life, thereby laying the foundation for lasting happiness:

 

1. Conduct a life audit

Start with a thorough assessment of where you currently stand in each area of life. On a scale of 1 to 10, rate your satisfaction in each aspect: physical and mental health, relationships, finances, career, and play/personal growth. Identify the areas that are already robust and the ones that require more attention. 

 

Remember that this is an exercise in awareness and not of judgment – it can help you establish a baseline to help you focus your efforts and track the progress over time. For example, if your career scores an 8 but your health is at 4 and play is at 2, you can easily identify where you need to shift your focus. 

 

2. Make health non-negotiable

Health is the foundation the rest of the pillars are built on. Research highlights the substantial benefits of regular exercise, including stress reduction, improved immunity and lower risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, as well as mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. The best way to prioritize health, therefore, is by integrating it into your daily routines. 

 

Prioritize health as your key pillar of life

Some simple ways to strengthen your health pillar are:

• Move your body daily: Whether it’s strength training, mindful running, or just a 30-minute brisk walk. 
• Vary your routine to stay motivated. 
• Eat nourishing, whole foods while minimizing processed foods, takeouts, and excess sugar. 
• Get adequate sleep: aim for 7-9 hours of restful sleep each night.
• Find ways to manage stress. Happy habits like 10 minutes of meditation, yoga, or conscious breathing can keep stress at bay.

 

3. Build meaningful relationships with intention

According to Harvard’s longest-running study on happiness, the strongest predictor of long-term happiness isn’t fame or wealth, but meaningful relationships. Yet, ironically, it’s often the first key area of life we tend to neglect as life gets busier.

 

You can be intentional about nurturing connections by:

• Making time regularly for people who matter to you.
• Putting distractions at bay and listening mindfully when in their presence.
• Expressing gratitude and appreciation sincerely and frequently.
• Being present and offering support through happy and tough times.

 

4. Set clear boundaries between all areas of life

The different aspects of life – work, self-care, and relationships – may often bleed into each other. While some overlap is acceptable, maintaining clear boundaries is easier when you can identify which pillars of life tend to overlap for you and how it affects your wellbeing. 

 

“Health is the foundation the rest of the pillars are built on. The best way to prioritize health, therefore, is by integrating it into your daily routines.”

For example, if remote or hybrid work mode has made it more difficult to segregate your professional and personal life, you can devise methods to set intentional boundaries to avoid stress and burnout. 

Here are some effective ways to create boundaries:

• Turn off work notifications after hours to protect your energy for personal time.
• Allocate specific hours for different areas like work, play, relationships, and personal growth, and honor them all with equal importance.
• Limit your digital media consumption to a set screen-time quota.
• Avoid energy vampires and learn to say “no” to people and commitments that don’t align with your priorities.

 

5. Align your goals with purpose and meaning

Working solely for financial gain may seem fulfilling at first, but the lack of meaning or purpose may make you feel empty and questioning about life’s purpose. Life feels enriched and enjoyable when you align your goals with what truly matters to you. 

 

Fuel your sense of purpose by:

• Contributing to causes that are bigger than yourself, eg, volunteering. 
• Pursuing growth opportunities that help you advance toward your goals.
• Automating your work to make time for the other pillars of life.
• Engaging in acts of kindness.
• Setting time aside for personal growth and play to keep your spirit energized.

Incorporate purpose as a pillar of life

 

6. Strengthen your financial foundation

While money can’t buy you happiness on its own, financial security is cited as one of the top contributors toward better quality of life and overall wellbeing. Here’s how you can strengthen your finance pillar:

• Create a realistic budget that aligns your spending patterns with your short-term and long-term goals.
• Build an emergency fund that covers at least 3 months of expenses.
• Educate yourself about personal finance, smart investing, and wealth planning.
• Consult an expert for sound financial advice when needed.

 

Failure to balance life pillars

Failure to balance the pillars of life can result in more than temporary stress. Indeed, neglecting one or more aspects of life can create a domino effect that can disrupt one’s entire life structure, thereby impacting wellbeing. 

For instance, workaholics may achieve success at the cost of strained relationships and fading health. Similarly, those struggling with digital distractions or lack of a clear routine may find it difficult to stay productive and may face financial hardships. 

 

Digital overconsumption can also result in stress, anxiety, and digital burnout, according to a survey study of 202 participants published in Science Direct. The resulting burnout can also lead to a decline in physical and mental health, in addition to eroding one’s chances for long-term success and happiness.

 

Takeaway: Balancing the pillars of life

A fulfilling life doesn’t come from shining in just one aspect – it develops when we nurture all the key areas of life that make it meaningful. While the pursuit of a balanced life can seem elusive in this fast-paced world, Jung’s ageless wisdom, combined with decades of modern research, reminds us that genuine success stems from harmony in different pillars of life, namely health, relationships, financial security, fulfilling work, and personal growth. ●
Images: shutterstock/VectorMine, shutterstock/Harbucks, shutterstock/Peopleimages.com - Yuri A

Written by Sonia Vadlamani

Fitness and healthy food blogger, food photographer and stylist, travel-addict and future-self journaler. Sonia loves to write and has resolved to dedicate her life to revealing how easy and important it is to be happier, stronger and fitter each day. Follow her daily pursuits at FitFoodieDiary or on Instagram.