This weekend is the fall equinox. The hours of daylight and night will be in perfect balance. At this time of the yearly cycle, it is natural to consider the issue of balance in our lives.
Is your life in balance?
You might want to take a look at the ways in which you spend your time. Do you get enough sleep? Is there a good balance between hours of rest and hours of activity? Do you get enough exercise? Is there a balance of moving around vs. sitting still? Perhaps you might notice too much of one activity in your life? Do you tend to overeat? Drink too much? Work too many hours each week? Maybe you volunteer too much? (Yes, some of us moms do!) Or you might notice the opposite. Maybe you are longing for some time alone as all of your waking hours are spent in the company of others? Or perhaps you don't spend enough time socializing? Or reading? Or practicing on the piano?
Because we are all unique individuals, what looks like overeating to me might be just the perfect amount for you. And you might think I spend way too much time alone, but for an introvert, it may be a perfect balance. So determining what feels in balance and out of balance is a highly personal matter. Just because the book you read suggested that 8 hours of sleep is enough doesn't mean that is the right amount for you. You might do well on 7 hours. Or you might really need 9!
One way to determine if your life is out of balance is to check your stress level. When we are attempting to conform to a schedule or a lifestyle that is out of our comfort zone, there will be telltale signs of stress. How are your moods? Do you feel irritable, grumpy, angry for no specific reason? Are you constantly tired, drained, or depressed? Do you have to drag your butt out of bed in the morning? Do you dread your job (or another aspect of your life) and struggle to just get through the day? Do you rely on drugs (caffeine, alcohol, pain killers) in order to wake up, keep moving, get through, or get to sleep? Are your fingernails chewed to the quick? Do you have another similar habit that exhibits itself when stress is present?
If the answer to any of the above questions is yes, you might want to spend some time and effort to bring your life back into balance. Sometimes it is a no-brainer. Maybe there is one activity you can drop from your schedule and suddenly everything will fall into balance. Maybe the bookclub, or the PTA, or the late night television show is not really fulfilling you the way it once did. Maybe your kids have outgrown that playgroup and your family can explore some different options now. Sometimes we get stuck repeating similar activities for years on end even though our need for them has passed. Allowing those activities to be dropped will create space and time for new possibilities in our lives.
Life is short, but it can seem mighty long when we are stressed out, anxious, or unhappy. Let's celebrate this equinox by working to restore a much needed sense of balance in our lives. Take good care of yourself this fall.
Is your life in balance?
You might want to take a look at the ways in which you spend your time. Do you get enough sleep? Is there a good balance between hours of rest and hours of activity? Do you get enough exercise? Is there a balance of moving around vs. sitting still? Perhaps you might notice too much of one activity in your life? Do you tend to overeat? Drink too much? Work too many hours each week? Maybe you volunteer too much? (Yes, some of us moms do!) Or you might notice the opposite. Maybe you are longing for some time alone as all of your waking hours are spent in the company of others? Or perhaps you don't spend enough time socializing? Or reading? Or practicing on the piano?
Because we are all unique individuals, what looks like overeating to me might be just the perfect amount for you. And you might think I spend way too much time alone, but for an introvert, it may be a perfect balance. So determining what feels in balance and out of balance is a highly personal matter. Just because the book you read suggested that 8 hours of sleep is enough doesn't mean that is the right amount for you. You might do well on 7 hours. Or you might really need 9!
One way to determine if your life is out of balance is to check your stress level. When we are attempting to conform to a schedule or a lifestyle that is out of our comfort zone, there will be telltale signs of stress. How are your moods? Do you feel irritable, grumpy, angry for no specific reason? Are you constantly tired, drained, or depressed? Do you have to drag your butt out of bed in the morning? Do you dread your job (or another aspect of your life) and struggle to just get through the day? Do you rely on drugs (caffeine, alcohol, pain killers) in order to wake up, keep moving, get through, or get to sleep? Are your fingernails chewed to the quick? Do you have another similar habit that exhibits itself when stress is present?
If the answer to any of the above questions is yes, you might want to spend some time and effort to bring your life back into balance. Sometimes it is a no-brainer. Maybe there is one activity you can drop from your schedule and suddenly everything will fall into balance. Maybe the bookclub, or the PTA, or the late night television show is not really fulfilling you the way it once did. Maybe your kids have outgrown that playgroup and your family can explore some different options now. Sometimes we get stuck repeating similar activities for years on end even though our need for them has passed. Allowing those activities to be dropped will create space and time for new possibilities in our lives.
Life is short, but it can seem mighty long when we are stressed out, anxious, or unhappy. Let's celebrate this equinox by working to restore a much needed sense of balance in our lives. Take good care of yourself this fall.
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