What comes to mind when you think of the word “balance”? For some an image comes to mind of a person sitting cross legged, eyes closed and palms together, with an aura of inner peace emanating from their being. For others, a balancing scale comes to mind, either in perfect equilibrium or heavily tipped in one direction.
For me, balance is a feeling – a sense of inner calm and contentment that I try to access every day. It is not something I feel I need to aspire to at some stage in my life, in that distant future that may not ever come. I do not believe it is the end-game or the destination; it is an exercise you have to practise every day.
These days, the boundaries between work and life have become very blurred. Technology means that many of us are always “on” and connected, the speed of information and social media requires immediate responses, irrespective of the time of day. This means that we can often run the risk of putting our needs last, becoming “out of sync” with ourselves, and burning out.
Remember, working long hours do not necessarily mean that you’re working smartly. Find a way to maximise the hours you have during the day in order to work fewer hours. Freeing up even an hour a day means you can incorporate more fun, time for family and friends, exercise and/or rest.
While finding balance means something different to everybody, we all need to find out what that is. How do you do that? Sit in silence for 30 minutes and ask yourself the tough questions:
- What do I want in my work and personal life?
- Who do I want in my life?
- What energises me?
- How do I define success and how is that different from being content?
- Do I need to change my career?
I’m not a medical professional, therapist or life coach but I can tell you how I bring balance into my life daily and increase my energy levels. You might want to try some of them.
Make yourself a priority
A few months ago, I was asked to list the most important people in my life on a piece of paper. It was an exercise to see who I valued most in life. When I handed the list to the person who had asked me to do so, he was shocked to see that my name had not been on the list. It was an exercise in seeing how important we are to ourselves and I learnt a valuable lesson.
How often do we forget to make ourselves a priority in our lives? Are you at the top of your priority list?
Wake up early
Use the time to go for a walk/run/swim/surf or go to the gym. You’ll be surprised at the levels of energy you have for the rest of the day. If you’re not a morning person, break up your workday by going to the gym during lunch.
Listen to your body
This may sound a little “up in the air”, but when you feel that first little sniffle or feel even slightly unwell, rest.
Take time to switch off
One of my most beloved quotes is by 13th-century Persian poet and theologian, Rumi: “Let silence take you to the core of life.” While I do make sure I have at least 15 minutes of silence every day, a favourite pastime of mine on a Sunday is switching off my phone, television, laptop and radio at 17:00 and just sitting in silence for hours. It was challenging in the beginning, and still puzzles my friends and family when they want to connect, but I regard that as my time to connect with myself, to be still and present.
Cut out people and things that don’t bring anything to your life
Albert Einstein said: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” If you aren’t finding joy/energy/excitement/fulfillment out of what you’re doing, whether it is work or the people you spend time with, then why are they part of your life?
Schedule times to be creative during the week
We don’t always have the time every day to be creative – for ourselves that is – but whether you take up an art class, go dancing, create a masterpiece or three in the kitchen, sing to your heart’s content or simply write uncontrollably (and without editing), make the time to release your inner creativity.
