New to Medium & Zero Work Completed
How do you balance your balls?
For the past 2 days I feel like I’ve done nothing but read on here — which has been amazing — but I do need to work as well…!
I’m a burnout, anxiety & stress management coach so finding balance is part of the work I do — now there’s the irony as I now have another interest to fit in somewhere…
How do you find balance in your life?
I am asked this all of the time — by those who are wanting to make time away from home, or who want to get off the 9–5 wheel & step into the lifestyle they’d love to have.
My answer is usually a question straight back to them — what do you think needs to change? What would a balanced life look like for you?
It’s different for all of us, but for many, the key is in being able to give enough time & space to do things that enable you to grow, to experience life & to be more present alongside any commitments such as work / responsibilities you may have.
When we spend 90% of our time focusing on work, or studying or caring for our families, we are only left with a small portion to meet our own needs — and at what cost does this come?
For some they may feel unfulfilled, stressed, overwhelmed or under-appreciated. They may feel like they’ve lost their identity & that their own needs do not matter as much as the needs of others.
This could lead to:
- Health issues
- Fatigue
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Isolation
- Confidence issues
“Mental health problems at work are common. At least one in six workers is experiencing common mental health problems, including anxiety and depression.”
What can I do to help avoid the above?
Learn to become aware of & to listen to your own physical needs. If your body is giving you signs that it needs rest — listen to it. When we continue to push through, ignoring those signs, our body may not be able to cope & we can become unwell.
Become aware of your thoughts. If you find yourself ruminating over things, feeling low, worried, unable to concentrate; or you’re suddenly lacking motivation, pay attention to what’s going on. Do you need to switch off or take a break? Would talking to someone be helpful?
Take time to think about what balance looks like to you. Does balance mean that you get more time for yourself? More time to connect with others or to exercise? This is personal to you, so there’s no right or wrong, but what this can do is it can help you to see what aspects of life may be lacking & once you have this awareness — you can look at how you can change it!
Balance doesn't have to be rigid. As with life, things ebb & flow. Sometimes you may need to put more time & energy into one aspect of life then it will swing back. Being okay with this, knowing that there may be times you need to push a little harder to meet a deadline for example can help you to maintain your response to these changes.
These are just a few thoughts, and I hope it’s helped to bring a bit of awareness to how important a balanced life is.
I’m logging out of Medium for a while now & probably take another look at my schedule so that I can plan some time in my day for writing & to read some of the other amazing stories on here. Then, I’m taking myself outside for a walk in the beautiful sunshine — that’s my idea of balance for today :)
Key Message: Finding balance in life helps reduce stress & improves physical & mental health. Create that space to nourish what’s important to you
Let me know how you balance your balls, or if you have any thoughts to add to what I’ve shared, then you’re very welcome in the comments :)
Lynsey
