There is a lot of lip service given to life balance; but what does that really mean? Doesn’t everyone have their own definition about what “striking the right balance” means to them? If so, how do we help each other find that balance point? Or do is balance even something we reach out to others for help in finding…..and keeping?
I believe there are many, areas of life that need a balancing – each one with its own set of needs and challenges.There is work/life balance, which to me is the amount spent on each, relative to the other. What does that mean? Well, if you spend 8 hours a day at work, then you get 16 hours of your own time. But what about the commute time – does that fall under work? or home? and what about the lunch hour that you actually spend at work, but the time is yours. Is that still work time or is that you time?
Financial balance. Is your $ in, or out of balance? Most of us don’t have our own “balance sheets”, but should we?What about physical fitness balance? You are probably thinking that I have gone off the deep end, but stay with me here. Just as in work/life balance, I believe there is the time spent not working on the physical self vs time spent on it – and the relationship between the two. Think about the amount of time your body is moving in a day, vs the time it’s not moving. If you move for 1/2 hour a day, then you are not moving for 23-1/2 hours per day. Is that balance?
Food Balance. I love the USDA.gov website because it has a teeter-totter to show you your energy balance at the end of a day. I believe that beyond how much you eat, there is what you eat. Is it appropriate that there is a balance between cheeto’s and salads? We all know that when we eat too many salads, all we want are cheetos! The quantity of food available to us allows this choice of balance to be very difficult.Family Balance. We could obviously spend years talking about this subject. Starting from the parent/child balance, moving to spouse balance (isn’t it her turn for the weekend off?), adult parent balance (I know many of you care for elderly parents); sibling balance; even pet balance. How much family time is enough? too much? who carries the obligation burden? how do we make it “fair” and/or reasonable?
I don’t want to end this post without offering up a few tools to help achieve the balance that is right for you, so here goes my attempt at 10 ways to achieve more balance in life (and I do feel that even a tiny, tiny bit more counts):
Food Balance. I love the USDA.gov website because it has a teeter-totter to show you your energy balance at the end of a day. I believe that beyond how much you eat, there is what you eat. Is it appropriate that there is a balance between cheeto’s and salads? We all know that when we eat too many salads, all we want are cheetos! The quantity of food available to us allows this choice of balance to be very difficult.Family Balance. We could obviously spend years talking about this subject. Starting from the parent/child balance, moving to spouse balance (isn’t it her turn for the weekend off?), adult parent balance (I know many of you care for elderly parents); sibling balance; even pet balance. How much family time is enough? too much? who carries the obligation burden? how do we make it “fair” and/or reasonable?
I don’t want to end this post without offering up a few tools to help achieve the balance that is right for you, so here goes my attempt at 10 ways to achieve more balance in life (and I do feel that even a tiny, tiny bit more counts):
Define what balance means for you- Know yourself
- Do things you love
- Don’t let the strive for perfection get in your way
- Realize that sometimes a good balance is not possible. This is fine as long as it’s temporary.
- Have a plan. Know that the plan needs to be flexible, but it’s often helpful to find your way.
- Get enough sleep, rest and relaxation
- Become an expert at prioritizing
- Be positive – first about yourself, then about others.
- Be kind – to yourself and those you love.
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