Unexpected Ways To Regain Balance

A ROOT Awakening #9: Unexpected Ways To Regain Balance

Life is a balancing act and most of us are shortchanging our mental wellbeing in order to “maximize” our days. But what are we maximizing? Sure, we may be more productive at work in the short-term, but what are we doing for ourselves to ensure we’re also maximizing our own joy and centeredness?

I’ve been struggling with this a lot lately as I recently moved across town and watched my commute time triple. While I work hard at mapping out my route and schedule to balance and “maximize” my time on the road, I still feel overwhelmed by my responsibilities, household duties and my ever-growing to-do list. I can’t be my best for my work or family unless I feel the best inside, and that’s why balance is so critical.

Yoga therapy is not just something we do on a mat. It is a lifestyle that we adopt as a tool to manage our health. If we learn how to shift our habits to harness a little more balance in each day, there is no doubt that we will see an overall shift in health in all aspects of our lives.

So, here are the 2 habit changes that I’ve been working on this month to regain my balance. What about you?

• Honoring the gaps: We all experience those “moments in between” throughout the day. This can be the few minutes you are waiting for an appointment or waiting to pick up your kids from school. We often fill in those those little gaps by pulling out our phones and responding to an email, checking social media, or texting. Imagine if instead of filling that gap with mini-work moments or devices, you used those 3 or 5 minutes to mentally recharge. Some great ways are by simply being present, closing your eyes, or breathing with purpose. Over the course of the day, these little “moments in between” can add up to good chunk of time and are a great way to sneak in a little self-care throughout the day. Taking a few minutes to check in with ourselves can be extremely beneficial for our emotional and mental well-being.

• Practicing Compassion: How many of us feel guilty when we don’t complete every task in our day? I know I do. Well, there is a reason for this. Most of us link our productivity and performance with our self- worth. We link relaxing to laziness. It is important to remind ourselves that life is about growth, not about getting tasks done. This is a journey. When we are over-worked and overstimulated we are putting an inordinate amount of stress on our nervous system which eventually leads to burn out and disease. Guilt will only drive the imbalance. Have compassion for yourself and that you are human. To be the best you it is imperative that we move back and forth between action and reflection.

Remember it is not about perfection. These are not things I have mastered but certainly they are things I strive for and continue to practice.