Emotional Wellness
Assessment Tool

The reason I call it a "balance sheet" is that it's a lot like your finances. You get energy, build energy reserves, use energy and lose energy--just like you get money, build savings (hopefully), use your money and sometimes lose your money.

I think you get the picture. This will help you build and preserve your emotional energy level, just like you'd like to build and preserve your cash reserves.

So! Let's take a look at how you're doing in terms of managing your emotional energy levels:

Your Self-assessment Tool For Emotional Wellness

36 Questions

One of the best ways to manage your anger over the long term is to pay attention to your overall emotional balance.

This test was designed by Dr. William DeFoore, based on over 38 years of professional experience. Your emotional balance is the key to your health and happiness. It affects your level of anger, anxiety and depression, and has a very powerful impact on the quality of your relationships.

Find out what your emotional balance is, which will give you an idea of your energy level, and whether you're operating at a surplus or deficit. After you complete your Emotional Balance Sheet, your results will include some recommendations about how to improve your emotional well being and energy level.

Here is an overview of the contents of the balance sheet:

Emotional Energy Assets-- established and lasting energy resources

Healthy mental processes:

1. Self-knowledge--how well you know your strengths and weaknesses _____
2. Spiritual and philosophical beliefs that bring comfort, peace and tranquility _____
3. Grounded optimism--a basically positive view of yourself and the world that is inclusive of "the big picture" _____
4. Self-enhancing beliefs--belief systems that give you energy, strengthen your faith and optimism, and get you through the difficult times _____

Healthy emotional wellness patterns:

1. Self-empathy--the ability to see your deep emotions clearly, and to have compassion for yourself (without self pity) _____
2. Self-esteem--your reserve of good feelings about yourself in general _____
3. Resilience--the ability to bounce back from poor emotional health and physical stress and difficulty _____
4. Stability--your level of consistency regarding your emotional response patterns, value systems and relationships _____

Healthy, established behavior patterns

1. Exercise/fitness program _____
2. Healthy diet _____
3. Contact with nature _____
4. Self-reflection, journaling _____
5. Meditation, prayer, spiritual practice _____

Meaningful work/professional life

1. Work satisfaction _____
2. Alignment between work and sense of purpose _____
3. Balance of work with home/family/social life _____

Fulfilling relationships

1. Good communication skills _____
2. Established community Family _____
3. Friends
   1. One or more very close friends _____
   2. A variety of casual friendships _____
   3. A number of friendly acquaintances _____
4. Larger community identity affiliations _____

Emotional Energy Liabilities -- Patterns and processes that drain your energy and emotional wellness

Unhealthy mental processes

1. Low level of self-knowledge--little knowledge of your strengths and/or weaknesses _____
2. Insufficient or negative spiritual and philosophical belief systems _____
3. Pessimism, skepticism, cynicism re. self, others, life, the world _____
4. Self-limiting beliefs _____

Unhealthy emotional wellness patterns

1. Negative self image _____
2. Depression, residual anger, chronic fear/anxiety _____
3. Emotional volatility _____

Unhealthy behavior patterns

1. Lack of self-discipline--impulsivity _____
2. Lack of self-motivation--poor initiative and follow-through _____
3. Lack of self-empathy--self-loathing, self-denigration _____
4. Compulsive-addictive behaviors (food, sex, tv, internet, work, alcohol, drugs) _____

Work/professional life

1. High work-related stress levels_____
2. Work does not match your values/vision _____
3. Do not like your work/profession ____

Relationships

1. Poor communication skills _____
2. Poor social skills _____
3. Social isolation _____
4. Dysfunctional relationships
1. Codependency _____
2. Dependency _____

Emotional Wellness Balance Sheet Results

Your results will fall into six categories, as follows:

• Energy Depletion You are in an energy depletion condition. You probably feel tired and stressed most or all of the time, with symptoms of depression, anger and anxiety. This may be an excellent time for preventive emotional health care. You probably need to take immediate action to work toward better balance in your life.


• Break Even--Just Getting By You're at a break-even level of emotional energy balance. You have a few highs, but mostly lows, and sometimes you probably get really down. You are under stress a lot of the time, with occasional breaks where you feel a little better. While this might seem normal to you, it doesn't have to be this hard.


• Moderate Emotional Health Your emotional energy level is moderately positive. You probably are not having a lot of fun. It may seem that you are just barely staying ahead of your problems, or falling a little behind too much of the time. Fortunately, you do have some energy to work with, and it would be a good idea to build on your strengths and look to reducing the things in your life that drain your emotional energy level, like anger and anxiety.


• Fair Emotional Health You have a fair level of emotional energy much of the time. You have a lot going for you. Healthy beliefs and patterns are serving you well. You may be concerned about some energy drains that just won't seem to go away. It would be a good idea to build on your strengths and look to reducing the things in your life that drain your emotional energy level, like depression, anger and anxiety if you have issues in any of those areas.


• Good Emotional Health You have a good level of emotional health and well being. You are probably close to "the top of your game." You add energy to the lives of others, and your participation in any project is an asset to your everyone you know. You will receive great benefit from helping others and sharing your knowledge and skills.


• Excellent Emotional Health You have an excellent level of emotional health and well being. You are in a fortunate and blessed position in life. Your energy flows freely from within and all around you, and you have much to give to this world. There is great freedom and responsibility that goes with your level of emotional wellness. Your freedom is in how you choose to use your abundant energy, and your responsibility is to give back to this world that has blessed you. You will receive as you give.

Take action now, to improve your emotional wellness if you scored any lower than Good or Excellent Emotional Health. The best place to start is with our audio programs entitled, Goodfinding, Meditation, Emotion and Healing and Nurturing Your Inner Child.

Learn more about emotional wellness and related topics in this article by the American Psychological Association.

You can succeed in your goals to be emotionally healthy. Believe in yourself!

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