Finding balance… why should we & how?

“Life is a balanced system of learning and evolution. Whether pleasure or pain; every situation in your life serves a purpose. It is up to us to recognize what that purpose could be.”
― Steve Maraboli

Let’s talk about balance… why?

There is a lot going on in the world currently and you might be feeling overwhelmed. I know I have been feeling myself go through these periods of up and down emotions. It is easy to feel helpless and burned out even at times.

It is a good time to perhaps focus inwards- to spend energy on what we ACTUALLY have control over. When it comes to long term health, finding balance is key. 

Balance means making room for all the things that matter to you- but in a way that helps you achieve your goals and the path you choose.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

How can we achieve balance?

The thing is…. there is no "ideal" time or static balance to achieve!

Life is constantly in a state of flow and change- what works at one point in our lives stops working and we are faced with feeling like we are right back at square one. Sound familiar? We are constantly reacting to different things (stimuli) thrown our way. Creating a moment to pause and not just react helps to build AWARENESS of our actions- taking steps to be more intentional about our day to day decisions, habits and lifestyle helps us stay in balance over time. 

The best thing is we don’t have to be perfect- and because we know nothing is ever in perfect balance- we can accept the ebbs and flows in habits too and just pick back up where we left off.

Today, I wanted to share with you some motivation to find balance in your life… and perhaps a shift and balance in your perspective as well!

When it comes to lifestyle choices, weight wellness and what goes into it, do you focus only on restriction, what you “can’t” eat, what you “must do”, etc? Can you instead consider what you have to GAIN?

Shifting the focus to non-scale goals, practicing health habits like including healthful foods mostly, working on sleep, learning new coping skills when it comes to stress, getting more movement in your life can lead to many “gains” than just “pounds lost.”

Some actual quotes about gains people have experienced who have worked with me on changing their health habits:

— ”I am not thinking about food all the time.”

(This had been a problem. Taking back control is so empowering!)

— ”I am working on my non food rewards like spending time with my husband and enjoying being active by walking to explore new places in my neighborhood.”

(Food had always been the main “reward”. Giving ourselves other things we “deserve” is a form of self-love)

— ”I’m still a part of social events but I’m taking something with me like hummus & carrots for everyone to enjoy”

(Often people feel they will be a social pariah or will have to give up being social. We need to & should connect with loved ones but don’t have to give up our health in the process! And indulge when you want to.)

— ”I got a small burger and small fries at Braum's and I enjoyed it, without guilt!”

(The splurge/guilt/splurge again cycle had been ongoing for years… again, taking back that control to make a decision to indulge is so essential- constant dieting & good food/bad food labels long term sabotage best efforts)

So, today I challenge you to think about how to achieve more balance, a more flexible outlook, and a broader view of your health goals and path!