WellBalance is translating the latest science of wellbeing and positive psychology into personalized, practical tools that improve people’s lives, relationships, and workplaces, creating a healthier, happier, and more flourishing world, one life at a time
The science behind the model
At the heart of WellBalance is the WellBalance Model of Positive Wellbeing (WBAL), a novel experiential framework grounded in rigorous scientific research. Unlike traditional wellbeing assessments that primarily focus on feelings of subjective wellbeing, the WellBalance Model integrates how we live, not just how we feel, capturing the full spectrum of lived experience that contributes to human flourishing.
The model is structured around 12 “wellsprings” of positive experiences and 12 “blossoms” of positive feelings. It maps wellbeing across three core dimensions:
- Self vs. others
- Mental/relational vs. physical/tangible
- Active, mindful, and calm experiences and feelings
Peer-reviewed studies have shown the WBAL assessments to be valid and comprehensive measures of positive wellbeing, correlating strongly with gold-standard tools from Harvard’s Flourishing Program and University of Pennsylvania’s PERMA+ framework. These assessments predict not only overall wellbeing, but also employee engagement and risk of burnout more effectively than many existing tools.
Personalizing wellbeing
Troy W. Norris, the Founder of WellBalance and the WellBalance Institute for Positive Wellbeing, with thoughtleading expertise in precision medicine and digital interventions for psychiatric conditions, saw the need for more personalized approaches to wellbeing improvement. Cataloguing all of the experiences demonstrated to enhance wellbeing – and the positive feelings these experiences create – he developed and scientifically-validated the WellBalance Assessment.
Individuals taking the streamlined ~5 minute, 24-item WBAL-24 Assessment receive a report describing their current wellbeing profile with a personalized positivity plan with tailored, evidence-based recommendations to improve their wellbeing, mindset positivity and resilience, including positive experiences to pursue, feelings to nurture, and the specific mindset positivity practices most likely to improve their wellbeing at this point in their life.
To support each individual’s journey of learning, discovery and taking steps to create a flourishing life, WellBalance has developed a growing collection of wellbeing educational and reflective resources, including science-based journals called “BloomBooks” that describe the science behind the foundational elements of wellbeing, with stories and poems, practical guidance, and reflective journaling exercises.
WellBalance’s content across its blog, newsletter, social media channels, and membership area, aim to provide inspiration, prompts for reflection, affirmations and intentions, and small practices to begin creating a happier, healthier life. Our forthcoming full-length book, The WellBalance Way, summarizes the core principles and practices of the method, including the WellBalance Life Lotus, Positivity Principles, and Mindset Positivity Practices.
Many of WellBalance’s members are among those with the greatest need and least financially secure, such as people who are parenting alone, under- or unemployed, or single, divorced or widowed. To address this critical need, WellBalance makes all of its digital consumer offerings available on a “pay what you can” basis, ensuring that cost is never a barrier to access.
WellBalance for professional practitioners
The WellBalance method integrates seamlessly with life and executive coaching practices, supporting a more holistic, whole-person approach rooted in positive psychology. For coaches and therapists, we offer the WBAL-72, a comprehensive 72-item professional version of our assessment, with additional educational materials, that provide clients with their personalized wellbeing profile and positivity plan, while giving practitioners a more nuanced perspective on the client’s sources of wellbeing and specific, actionable opportunities to improve.
This more comprehensive view facilitates a more effective client debrief session and enables design of more precise interventions tailored to the client’s current life situation, habits, personality and identity. Practitioners must be certified to administer the professional assessment by participating in an online workshop via the WellBalance Academy, which was first conducted at the International Positive Psychology Association’s Global Summit.
WellBalance for organizations
We also provide tailored solutions for businesses, Human Resources teams, and leadership development programs. Our pilot programs demonstrate how group data can inform targeted organizational wellbeing programs, foster shared understanding, and strengthen leadership development.
Organizational clients benefit from:
- The WBAL-6SW rapid screen for team-level burnout and engagement risk
- Full WBAL-24 assessments with personalized employee plans and anonymized group reporting
- Quarterly pulse checks to monitor wellbeing trends over time and receive recommended strategies to improve organizational wellbeing and performance
- Custom training materials, workshops, and curricula to enhance workplace wellbeing and performance
Social impact: The WellBalance Global Impact Alliance
Recognizing the gap in access for those in financially insecure or high-need life situations, we have launched the WellBalance Global Impact Alliance, a coalition of non-profits and coaching volunteers committed to providing free access to WellBalance tools for underserved communities. Through personalized assessments and positivity plans, supplemented by group debriefs and discussions, we aim to educate individuals on how to build a flourishing life and enable them to begin doing so, while providing valuable cohort reporting on changes in WellBeing to inform the programs and priorities of charitable service providers. Our first pilot brings the WellBalance method to emerging adults transitioning from foster care to secure employment and housing.
In parallel, we aspire to create an Impact Coaching Coalition whereby Wellbalance-certified coaches volunteer to support our overall social mission by committing to coach at least one high-need client per year pro bono.
The WellBalance Academy
Our next major milestone is the launch of the WellBalance Academy, which will offer:
- Online and in-person workshops on wellbeing practices and life balance
- Self-guided courses for individual growth
- Certification programs for coaches, therapists, and organizational leaders
These offerings will equip individuals with the knowledge and tools to create their most flourishing life, and professionals with the skills to guide others through transformational change, applying our validated assessment and intervention method in a professional context.
A movement rooted in science, powered by purpose
WellBalance is more than just a scientific method to evaluate and improve wellbeing. We are reimagining what it means to flourish and designing highly personalized plans to get there. Whether through personal growth, coaching relationships, or organizational change, we aim to bring wellbeing science into people’s lives, relationships and workplaces. Together, we can create a happier, healthier world, one life at a time.
Take the WellBalance Assessment and receive your own personalized wellbeing profile and positivity plan at https://www.wellbalance.org/assessment
Follow us @WellBalanceLotus on social platforms to start your journey.
Learn more at www.wellbalance.org
