Reflection on Everyday Activities in the Context of Well-being

This activity is not primarily about career planning or life design, but about taking stock of everyday life and becoming more aware of how daily routines shape well-being. Its purpose is to create a space for observation and reflection, without the expectation that awareness must immediately lead to change, decisions, or solutions.

Participants may discover tensions or imbalances – for example, that much of their time and energy is dedicated to others, or to obligations they cannot easily leave. The activity does not prescribe whether this should be accepted, reframed, or changed; instead, it invites reflection on what is possible, meaningful, and supportive in the current life situation, including constraints that cannot be altered in the short term.

Used with young people and adults (particularly in the final years of schooling), the tool helps students become more attentive to their daily habits, sources of energy, and pressures. By recognising both gaps and existing strengths in their routines, students can strengthen engagement and motivation.

Target group:

Career counsellors and clients. Suitable for individual or group work, either face-to-face or online.

Duration:

Variable – the activity is carried out over several days (e.g. during one week), followed by a reflection session.

Inspiration for the tool:

Developed by Slovak career practitioners as part of the Well-being in Career Guidance approach. It builds on experiential and reflective learning principles and draws inspiration from positive psychology (e.g. Seligman’s PERMA model) and ecological well-being frameworks. It emphasises that self-reflection is often as important as adding new activities – awareness can itself increase well-being. Well-being is a dynamic state of balance in which a person feels sufficiently resourced – physically, emotionally, socially, and mentally – to live their everyday life in a way that feels meaningful and manageable, given their current situation and constraints. In career guidance, well-being is also shaped by social norms, expectations, and dominant narratives about success, productivity, competition, performance and “good” careers. Developing awareness of these influences helps people distinguish between what genuinely supports their well-being and what is driven by external pressures, enabling more conscious, realistic, and sustainable career choices.

The PERMA model, developed by Martin Seligman within positive psychology, proposes five core elements – Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment – that together help explain how people experience sustained well-being across life domains. Each dimension contributes to well-being not only as an isolated factor but also through their dynamic interplay, supporting resilience and life satisfaction.

Ecological well-being frameworks expand this view by highlighting that human well-being is deeply embedded in and shaped by our relationships with natural and social environments – including access to healthy ecosystems, meaningful connections with nature, and the long-term sustainability of the systems that support life. These approaches stress that well-being cannot be fully understood without acknowledging how environmental conditions influence physical health, psychological states, social cohesion, and opportunities for meaningful engagement.

PERMA model:

P – Positive Emotions : Experiencing pleasant emotions such as joy, gratitude, relief, hope, or calm. These emotions broaden perspective, support motivation, and buffer stress.

Examples: A client feels relief and pride after clarifying their options during a guidance session. A counsellor notices satisfaction after a meaningful conversation rather than focusing only on outcomes. Celebrating small wins: completing a CV, making a difficult phone call…

E – Engagement: Being deeply involved in an activity, often described as “flow” — using one’s strengths, skills, and attention fully.

Examples: A client becomes fully absorbed while talking about a project they loved in a previous job. A practitioner experiences engagement when facilitating a group workshop. Noticing moments at work when time passes quickly because the task feels meaningful and aligned.

R – Relationships: Having supportive, trusting, and meaningful connections with others — a key protective factor for well-being.

Examples: A client feels supported by a counsellor who listens without judgement. Peer exchanges between practitioners that reduce isolation and foster professional learning.

M – Meaning: Feeling that one’s actions are connected to something larger than oneself — values, contribution, purpose, or social usefulness.

Examples: Reflecting on how one’s work contributes to others, a community, or society. A practitioner finds meaning in supporting vulnerable clients or promoting more sustainable career choices.

A – Accomplishment: The sense of achievement that comes from setting goals, making progress, and recognising effort – not only success.

Examples: Completing a training, updating professional skills, or gaining confidence. A counsellor recognising the value of consistent, “invisible” work with clients over time.

Objectives:

By the end of this activity, participants will be able to:

Map their everyday activities in relation to different well-being dimensions.
Reflect on how various activities influence their physical, emotional, social, and career well-being.
Recognise which activities have a long-term positive effect on their well-being.
Become more aware of the interconnections between different dimensions of well-being.
Identify possible adjustments or actions to increase their overall sense of well-being.

Resources needed:

Paper and pen (or digital notebook).
A suitable space for the final reflection: circle seating for a group, or a quiet consulting room for individual work.
Optional: email reminder or short message mid-week to encourage continued self-observation.

Activities:

Introduction:
Connect with the theoretical part by explaining the purpose of the exercise – to observe how daily activities contribute to one’s well-being.They can focus on work, internship, career situations – but also other aspects of their live.
Instructions for self-reflection:
Invite participants to record their everyday activities over several days (e.g. one week), noting which dimensions of well-being each activity nourishes. You can provide students and clients with a template (example below)
Individual reflection:
During the week, participants write short notes about their activities and how they feel during or after them. Encourage attention to both “big” and “small” moments of well-being (e.g. walking to work, playing with children, finishing a task, enjoying coffee).
Group or individual reflection session:
After the observation period, hold a reflection meeting. Discuss findings, patterns, and new awareness.

Table: Activities and Actions that Nurture My Well-being

Well-being Dimension	Examples of Activities	My activities that fulfil this dimension
Emotional	Activities that bring joy, calm, gratitude, or emotional balance (e.g., journaling, art, mindfulness, talking with a friend).
Environmental	Time spent in nature, caring for the environment, creating a pleasant and healthy living or working space.
Financial	Managing personal finances, budgeting, recognising what “enough” means for you, reducing stress about money.
Intellectual	Reading, learning new things, solving problems, creative activities that stimulate curiosity and thinking.
Professional / Career	Work tasks that bring satisfaction, using one’s strengths, learning at work, or reflecting on career development.
Physical	Movement, sports, walking, sleeping well, healthy eating, or simply being aware of one’s body in daily activities.
Social	Quality time with friends, family, colleagues; teamwork, mutual support, community activities.
Spiritual	Activities that bring a sense of connection, meaning, or peace (e.g., meditation, volunteering, time in silence, rituals).

Extension activities:

Encourage participants to reflect on which of their activities contribute to several dimensions of well-being simultaneously.
Ask them to consider which activities help them “recharge” or act as personal resources in difficult times.
For counsellors: discuss how clients can integrate small moments of awareness into their daily routines without necessarily adding new tasks.

Reflections / Consolidation of learning:

Contact person:

Lenka Martinkovičová, martinkovic.lenka (at) gmail.com