The Story of LifeStar

Introducing LifeStar®

By Sue Johnston, LifeStar® Creator

Wellbeing is at the heart of living and leading well

Even before I consciously knew it, wellbeing was an essential part of my motivation to do what I do for myself and what I contribute to the wellbeing of others. I grew up as a sporty girl enjoying the sense of movement, play and connection with teammates, and setting and achieving goals.

My first profession was nursing. When I started my nursing education, I didn't know that nursing practice was based on caring for the whole person, their experience with illness, disability, pain and wellness, and offering the support that moves people towards wellbeing. The whole of systems thinking that is part of nursing theory grew with me as I worked as a Nurse Advisor in the New Zealand Ministry of Health and then later as a public policy analyst.

As my work expanded into improvement science and personal and professional development coaching, I understood that wellbeing is my core value in all areas of my life and work. I wanted to contribute to enabling every person to understand and care for their wellbeing.

The LifeStar is a simple, easy and practical guide to lifestyle choices and improving lives

LifeStar was born 20 years ago when I worked in the New Zealand Ministry of Health. I was part of the "meet and greet' team for delegations visiting from overseas. I presented an overview of our health and disability sector, including the structure and funding of the sector, health status and quality of life data. The realisation that what shortens our lives or impacts the quality of our lives is primarily from preventable conditions stayed with me.

Heart disease and cancers are leading causes of shortening lives and reducing quality of life. And guess what – we know the risk factors. A lot of them have to do with our lifestyle and choices. Every time I put these slides up, I reflect on that fact – behind the conditions that shorten our lives or impact the quality of our lives are known preventable factors.

Over the years, I started to gather data and information about what keeps us well – from a wellbeing point of view. I collected data about the impact of movement and loneliness on life expectancy, as well as data on mental wellbeing, the influence of goals and achievement, and self-care. The whole of systems thinking in action!

In a time when people feel stressed, overwhelmed, confused about health messages, and want a better balance in their lives, I tried to simplify the data into a common sense, easy-to-use guide to support people to take better care of themselves. I wanted to create something that would positively impact people's lives…

I found that all wellbeing activities fit into one of five interconnected elements and require us to create a balance between these five elements. Together the five points make the essentials for living a long and healthy life.

For me, using a star to bring the five areas of wellbeing to life is symbolic for two reasons. Stars light the way and are used to navigate and confirm where you are in the world. The medal registered nurses in New Zealand wear is a star, which nods to my beginnings and my family of nurses: my mother, sister and three cousins.

Introducing the LifeStar

The five points on the star are the elements that contribute to us living well. Having a more balanced LifeStar gives us all the essentials for a long and healthy life. A life that builds reserves of energy and resilience that we can draw on when things get hectic and lead to stress and overwhelm. The impact of a balanced LifeStar is that we are more likely to experience more of what we want.

• Live with less risk of disease, disability and pain.[1]
• Improve our ability to deal with uncertainty and challenge, and change.
• Be more effective.
• Have more impact.
• Reach our potential.
• Deal better with setbacks and disappointments.
• Experience more energy.
• Notice less fatigue.
• Maintain better physical and mental health.
• Perform at our best.
• Connect positively and productively with others.

[1]    WHO Non-communicable diseases. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases

Choose how to use the LifeStar

People use LifeStar in different ways. It usually starts with doing a LifeStar scan. Some people use the LifeStar scan daily to gather information about their patterns. Others keep their LifeStar at their desks or on the wall to keep being aware of their LifeStar balance.

The LifeStar in international programmes.

The LifeStar Wellbeing and Resilience System is adaptable! Here are some examples.

• The LifeStar is used by Olympic, elite, and developmental sports coaches and others working in sport within the Regenerative Resilience module of the Courageous Sports Programme Sue created with Dr Katie Kilty in the USA.
• It has found fans with coaching clients living in Asia, America, Australia, New Zealand and Europe.
• The LifeStar is part of a New Zealand national cancer rehab programme 'Thrive to Survive."

What people say about the LifeStar

• "Doing the 6-week LifeStar reset has been a game changer for me when I didn't know I needed it. Sitting consciously in my life instead of having it 'happen to me, despite me' has given me a renewed focus on balance and joy." Anna
  
• "The LifeStar challenge forces you to stop, reflect and gain an insight into what stops you from being the best version of yourself. It has changed my life in such a positive way." Rob
• "LifeStar is a fantastic programme, building awareness of how important balance is for emotional, mental and physical resilience. The programme's framework and delivery were easy to follow, fostered meaningful connections with like-minded individuals, and was delivered in bite-sized sessions that made the commitment to the programme very achievable. I highly recommend the LifeStar Programme; the learnings and awareness gained are life-changing." Bronwyn

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