Experiential Model of Occupational Balance

  • This model consists of three dynamic interacting dimensions: exacting (experiences of everyday occupation exceeding one’s actual skills), flowing (experiences with a reasonable match between skills and challenges), and calming (experiences of low challenge, relaxation, boredom, or apathy. These dimensions have different relationship with one another. All of them and their relationships are important to achieve balance in occupational life, and to promote health and well-being. If any of the dimensions is too dominating, this would lead to imbalance, and may lead to destructive process (e.g., occupational deprivation, occupational overload) that impact health and well-being. Flowing experiences are a source of intrinsic rewards and feelings of competence, but if they dominate, the flowing experiences become too energy demanding or addictive that may lead to overload and social isolation. Calming experiences are needed for relaxation, but if they become dominate, the calming experiences become boring and depriving. Exacting experiences are the important source for personal development that trigger new flow experiences as the dynamic process continues. If exacting experiences are too dominative, one may experience stress, incompetence, and overload.

Summarized by

  • Macey Cho

Type

  • Model (conceptual)

Population

  • Child
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Elderly

Disability

  • All

Domain of occupation

  • Unspecified

Application Note

  • It aims to facilitate holistic analysis of the relationships and balance between the three dimensions.

Key Reference

  • Jonsson, H., & Persson, D. (2006). Towards an experiential model of occupational balance: An alternative perspective on flow theory analysis. Journal of Occupational Science, 13(1), 62-73.

Year Published

  • 2006

Primary Developer

  • Hans Jonsson

Primary Developer Email

  • Hans.Jonsson@ki.se

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Psychospiritual Integration Frame of Reference

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Do-Live-Well framework

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Three-Dimensional Model of Self

  • This model is a developmental model of three basic dimensions of self: biological self (starting when an infant first feels the need for food and warmth), social self (starting when an infant begins to perceive persons other than self), and temporal self (starting when an adolescence’s thoughts and aspirations for the future begin to motivate thinking and behavior).

Model Type

Population

Disability

Domain of Occupation

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