For many years I ran a retreat called “Balance Your Life” and it was very popular! Why? As so many of us feel our life is out of balance.
Yet what does a balanced life look like?
We discuss this on our wellbeing coach training and a definition I found many years ago is the balance between achievement and fulfilment.
Although we can argue as to whether there is a distinct difference between the two words – for do we feel fulfilled when we have achieved something? Yet if we were to perhaps say the balance is between the doing and the being, then we can start to see why there is often a feeling of imbalance. Why? As we often gain our self-worth by doing!
Whether this is doing things in your home (chores), at work, looking after others, the lists of stuff which always needs to get done, we run around being busy. This is either noticed or not by others but in some ways we can feel accomplished when we tick yet another thing off the list, we feel a sense of value when we help another, we take pride in the exercise we have done, the healthy food we have made and so on.
Which, unfortunately, when we do nothing leads to the opposite of this feeling of worthiness. We often berate ourselves when we sit and stare into space and just be. I have so often heard people call themselves lazy, unmotivated, bad for doing nothing. However, our bodies, our souls, crave the doing nothing. It is when we take the time to rest that we repair and recover, find the a-ha moments and the inspiration.
Balance then is the act of doing nothing and then doing something. Not being on the go all the time and then collapsing or doing absolutely nothing and feeling useless.
But does it have to be a 50/50 split?
Well that is for you to decide!
- What do you need to let go of?
- What do you need to bring in?
- Where do you make excuses?
- When do you play martyr or victim?
- What language do you use to speak to yourself when busy or not?
- What is important and what is unnecessary?
- Do you receive and give gracefully?
- What are your current energy levels like?
- How do you need to look after you?
These are some of the questions we can start to ask to uncover what balance may look like to you. For balance really does look different to everyone. Although we may expect it to be the same for each person, it isn’t.
Start to contemplate what balance means to you and if you had a balanced life, what benefits would that give you?
Then slowly remove what takes away from you living a balanced harmonious life and bring in what you do need. Notice what the difference is in your body, your energy levels, the way you speak to yourself, your emotions and your day-to-day life.
When we can find our own unique balance then you will notice an increase in your overall wellbeing.
Photo by Raphael Renter on Unsplash
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