Finding Balance

Sometimes I feel like I am great at juggling the million things I have going on in life, and other times I feel like I am the worst at it. Balance is such a big concept.  Have you ever sat down to think about what it truly is. We hear about it often- there are tons of articles, videos, news talks, etc. about balance. We frequently hear about work-life balance, significant other-friend balance, emotional balance, the balance of living a healthy lifestyle, and the list goes on... But what truly is balance? Is it living life by spending equal amounts of time on each of the facets? Thinking about it seems nearly impossible to spend equal amounts of time with friends and family, work life and personal life, rest time and forward momentum. Essentially, I think it is fair to conclude that balance does not equate to equal parts time.  This is something pretty big to recognize because I think it is one of the reasons why we are sometimes so hard on ourselves for not maintaining that balance. 

Recently I spent ten whole days relaxing on the beach with friends and family. This break from reality gave me some time to do a little self reflection. It was the first time in awhile that I had a completely blank calendar for a lengthly amount of time. After a few days, I felt rejuvenated and ready to go. The sense of calm that I had was a feeling that I had not experienced in over a year. It got me thinking how I need to start providing myself with more balance in life.  The older I get, the busier and more exciting life gets. This is not a bad thing, but I think sometimes I forget to take care of myself in the midst of my busy lifestyle. While reflecting, I came up with three important things to remember when striving for a balanced life. 

One: Acknowledge Where You Are

It's important to stop and do a little self check in. Acknowledge where you are are mentally, physically, and emotionally. Simply checking it helps you take note of the distance between where your current state is and where you want to be.  Notice the areas you are excelling as well as the areas of life that need a little improvement.  You'd be surprised to find out that some things might be going better than you realized. 

Two: Provide Yourself With What you Need 

After doing a check in, figure out what you need to do for yourself to get to that better place you want to be. If you need rest, then allow yourself to take a cat nap. In order to find balance, sometimes you have to stop and provide yourself with whatever your have been deprived of. Do not feel guilty about this. 

Three: Stop the Struggle

Seriously stop! Don't spend any more time throwing a pity party for yourself about how unbalanced your life is. Gradually allow yourself to take time to find that balance and go with it. It's important to recognize that life ebbs and flows, and it is your job to do what you need to do for yourself in order to live a healthy lifestyle. 

What are your tips to living a balanced life?

XOXO