Get Balanced

Hello Smart Girls!

I’m on vacation this week. As in, no computer, spa getaway with my BFF, hiking, sleeping, reading, dreaming, renewing vacation. So I thought I’d post a few of my favorite Smart Girls Know Affirmations of days past throughout the week. Today I write about the importance of balance. It seemed appropriate since that’s what I’m going to try and achieve while I’m away. Enjoy!

XOXO Debbie

Smart Girls Know Affirmation: Smart Girls Know the Importance of BALANCE

Finding “balance” seems to be on everyone’s mind these days. You can’t turn your head without seeing a headline about balancing budgets, a food product promising you a balanced blend of carbs, fats, and proteins, or an article about how to balance work, life, and family.

But what is balance anyway? I like to think of it as a state of being where all the core aspects of who you are – mind, body, and soul – are being taken care of.

Sometimes the easiest way to define balance is to show what it isn’t. Here’s what being out of balance might look like:

• skipping meals when you’re stressed
• overeating to make yourself feel better
• getting so wrapped up in schoolwork that you forget to return a friend’s phone call
• putting exercise on the back-burner when life gets hectic
• spending so much time at your part-time job that your social life is nonexistent
• having trouble sleeping because you’ve got so many things on your mind

So what’s the problem with being off balance? Well, imagine walking across a tightrope. You’re doing fine when all of a sudden the rope starts to wobble and you’re so shaky that the slightest breeze could cause you to tumble.

It’s the same with life.

When you’re off balance, every little unexpected thing can throw you for a loop. But if you’re taking care of yourself and are in balance, you’re ready to handle the bumps in the road life throws at you.

So now the real question: How can you create more balance in your life? Here are a few ideas…

• Log your activities for a day (or a week) and see if you can notice any glaring imbalances (for example, are you all work and no play or visa versa?)
• Have periodic check-ins with yourself – every night before you go to bed, do an inventory in your head and see if you’re taking care of you (you ate well, you had some downtime, you did some school work, you laughed at least once)
• Discover the things that make you feel recharged (for me it’s going for a run, listening to the soundtrack for RENT, or hanging out with my girlfriends), and do one of these when you’re feeling like you need to get back on track.
• Start noticing what it feels like when you’re off balance so you’ll be better able to recognize the feeling and nip it in the bud

For more ideas on finding and keeping balance in your life, check out my new book Chill: Stress-Reducing Techniques for a More Balanced, Peaceful You!