Balance: Are you moving towards it or away from it?

Balance, balance, balance… it’s all the rage. “My life’s out of balance”, “I need better balance”. What do these things mean? What do you envision when you picture balance? 

The first place my mind goes is to an exercise ball. Ever try to bend backwards over one of those puppies and relax, letting your head hang? Well, if you have, you’ll know that tiny muscle movements in the body cause you to be on a constantly self-correcting path, constantly moving fine muscles to maintain your posture. Or there’s that great yoga pose, your standing on one leg, the other neatly tucked against the standing leg… and you’ve got it! You are perfectly still. Balance has arrived! Well…. that is until your thoughts begin to wander or someone in front of you moves and your concentration falters, or you simply get tired. I mean, you can’t stay there forever!

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Balance isn’t something we achieve. There is no state out there called BALANCE where we live in happy harmony. The way I like to think about it is this: balance is something you are either moving towards or away from. Just like health and happiness. Everything is constantly changing: our emotions, the circumstances of our lives, the people in our lives, and ourselves. 

So instead of having an ideal state of BALANCE in mind – “THIS is where I am going to end up” - It might be helpful instead to think: “Alright, am I moving towards balance here? Is what I am doing going to help create more well-being for myself?” I find this takes the pressure off. Now, there isn’t a state of being to achieve, just whether or not you are moving towards more balance.

If the demands of work and family are piling up… you might find this helpful. Reframe your idea of balance to a moving target instead. Are you moving towards or away from balance? What will help you move towards it?

All the Best,
Jen

This Blog Post has been picked up by the Fitlanida Blog, a blog by Health and Fitness Coach Christa King. You can check her out and sign up for her blog here: http://fitlandiafitness.com/blog/