Be Only You

Life is one big balancing act of the good, bad and indifferent. No one is happy all the time and no one can be sad all of the time. It is somewhere in the middle where things all balance out over the span of time. I am not saying you don’t have pockets or periods of difficult times (even years and I know what this feels like) but soon enough the tides turn and things start to look up or balance out…

This too shall pass.

King Solomon

Lean Into The Ebb & Flow Of Life

Imagine the journey of your life, as a boat in the ocean balancing through the chopping seas. Some waves are larger (and stronger) than others although the buoyancy of your boat (or your ever mounting life resilience) supports you in staying afloat and balanced on this water.

Take some time now to reflect over the past year, in particular on the ups and downs. Bring yourself back to the present moment which is now, and realise that you are here and made it through. Likely, there were periods of highs and lows throughout the past year for you. The lows may have been so low and so uncomfortable. We are not innately designed to embrace this discomfort, our human goal is to strive for happiness, wholeness and completeness, all of the time. This false fallacy brings a lot of unnecessary pressure and so really you should be striving for balance where you embrace the highs and the lows of life. 

4 Steps Towards Achieving Balance Within Your Life

Here I am more so referring to the general or emotional balance in your life versus other aspects of your life. I am not going to start preaching about nutrition or physical health specifics. These tips are related to the mental muscle you are building with your personal development toolbox.

1. Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

Yes this is not easy, whether it is you embracing periods of silence in a work meeting or worries about an upcoming important event like a wedding or even the stress of moving house. 

• Tip: tell yourself that this will be uncomfortable for a period of time, you will handle it and it won’t last forever

2. Don’t Resist, Just Accept

While in the midst of this discomfort (whatever it is) actively acknowledge when you are in it, you’ve likely been here before or experienced something similar so you can manage and push through. Resistance or pushing back is wasted energy.

• Tip: during this time do more of the things that help you release the tensions, stress, anxiety e.g. journalling, walking, meditating etc. Acceptance is not a passive activity and you must channel that energy somewhere out of you body

Resistance is futile!

Borg Ster Trek

3. Put On Your Life Jacket

Like fishermen in the choppy sea, they don’t get on board without one. This is their lifeline and so it should be your mechanism for maintaining your balance within your own life.

• Tip:  your life jacket is made up of all your thoughts, actions and words that you use to fuel your day to day. Now through the other side of challenges, can you observe what behaviours and actions no longer serve you? Don’t fall into the trap of just releasing and letting go of behaviours, you need to bring something in to substitute or take their place. Otherwise your life jacket is incomplete. 

4. Finally, Just Float

We are not on this earth for a long time, maybe 70 or 80 springs, summers, autumn and winters. So ask yourself, do you want to spend more time resisting the ever-present waves of challenges in your life or do you want to tie that life jacket tighter and float resiliently?

Take Care Of Your Life Jacket

Only you know what helps you stay grounded and balanced. Reinforce your boundaries and spend more time on self-care & love. Deep down you know what is not serving you, yet family, peer and societal pressures can often back us into corners that we struggle to get out of easily. It is time to start prioritising yourself especially if you are currently or soon will be going into a difficult emotional period.

Face the past, live the present, shape the future.

Anon

Maintaining life balance is not easy but it is the better path to take and stay on. The highs and lows of life are what help you learn and grow. Plus life would be pretty boring if everything stayed the same right?

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Much love ♥

Disclaimer: I am not a licensed therapist, these opinions are my own views and thoughts. I strongly encourage you to work with your healthcare practitioner and/or therapist if any of these views have had a negative impact on you.