What are your best practices for balanced living …in a sometimes crazy world?

Life is a series of dips, twists, and unexpected wondrous adventures….. and lots of transitions. The wonderful, joyous shifts and changes, as well as the transitions involving loss, grief, and sadness, all provide rich opportunities for self-discovery. Life does throw us curve balls out of nowhere, disrupting routines, order and our sense of balance. Coming into a new country and culture and creating a new sense of place and home can certainly be more than enough to throw off any sense of balance in your life. What if you knew that balance can only be created by you – and that it comes from an internal place and is not determined by what is happening around and outside of you. Balance comes from a place that you always have with you, no matter what continent, country or city you may find yourself in. Your own internal compass guides you to find and re-discover peace, sense of calm, and grounding in the midst of chaos and change. Regardless of what is going on for you, you can find your own sense of center. Take the time to re-discover what makes you feel balanced and grounded, and what serves as your foundation for living fully as yourself, and feeling how you wish to feel.

When you pay attention to and nurture all parts of your self – the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual – you are creating the balance that your body, mind and soul require. Our bodies tell us when we are out of balance – we only need listen and take actions that support us. Pay attention to what feels good to you. Notice the level of energy you have for certain activities, people, and tasks. What gives you energy and what may diminish or take away energy? When was the last time you checked in with yourself about how you are creating the foundation you need?
Consider what actions best support you by exploring the questions below:

Physical

What kind of physical activity do you enjoy? What physical movement or activities energize you??
What kind of movement can you incorporate into your daily life? When in your day and/or week can you create time for this activity?

Me: I love to dance and I make a point to get some kind of dance into my life each week. It might even be dancing in my living room by myself! This is my activity that shifts my energy, gets my blood flowing, and simply feels good.

How are you nurturing your body with the diet, nutrition, and rest and sleep your body needs?
What is one small change or enhancement you can make this week, to meet your physical needs? What will help you to commit to this action? Now write it down and commit to it. Consider how you will feel after experiencing that activity.

Spiritual

What truly feeds your soul? What rituals, routines or practices allow you to connect to something outside of yourself? What provides you with a larger sense that we are all interconnected and that you are not alone?

Me: Nature serves as a spiritual place of connection for me. Spending time near a body of water can bring me back to center. A simple walk by the lake nurtures my soul for the day. Yoga and meditation serve as key foundational practices for me too.
Breathing and a simple meditation of what you are grateful for, or setting an intention for your day can be a simple yet powerful way to start your day, allowing you to connect to yourself and a higher energy.
For some, it is belonging to a religious community, or another community you are affiliated with.
What is your spiritual practice? What one small action can you commit to today? Write it down and honor your practice.

Emotional

Our relationship to self and our connections with others are strong threads of our emotional well-being. Creating outlets for releasing and sharing emotions and feelings, and validating how you are feeling is vital to your well-being. How do you nurture your relationships? Which relationships are most important to you? How can you engage in those relationships to best support yourself?
Me: My day is not complete without connecting to a loved one either in person or via the phone. Real time connection – no email, or social media – only direct communication with voice and emotion will do for me.

Who are the people in your life who serve as your support system? Who do you feel safe with to share your innermost feelings?
How can you make time to connect with these people?
Who will you make a commitment to connect with this week? Schedule in that time to connect to yourself and with a dear friend, and/or loved one.

Mental

Keeping our minds engaged, learning new things and having new experiences can be the stimulation that you need to feel energized throughout different areas of your life.
What challenges you? What stimulates you?
Me: I challenge myself to learn a new thing or have a brand new excursion or activity at least twice a month. Try the spinning class at the gym (that I have been curious about!). Go to the new restaurant down the street. Simple, new experiences or learning something completely new, can work wonders for stimulating our brains, providing a sense of adventure and newness.
Or….for some of us, the challenge is to create space and quiet the mind – to bring peace, and diminish the sense of overwhelm and overstimulation that can flood our days.

Both aspects impact our mental energy and clarity. What brings you peace and a sense of calm? If you desire more of this, what actions create this feeling for you?

It may be choosing to read in the evening instead of turning on the television. Or shutting down the computer one full hour before bed and incorporating a calming, nighttime ritual to soothe and calm your nervous system.

Me: I have a bedtime ritual of chamomile tea, calming music, and reading in bed or a little restorative yoga to calm my mind and body.

What will you try this week? What new experiences are sparking your sense of adventure?
What may perhaps also support your sense of clearing mental space, creating clarity, focus and calm?

Create a space to try it out…play with it, listen to what gives you the feeling you are seeking. Then, let it be part of your foundation for creating the balance your mind, body, soul and spirit desire. These are the core elements for your own practice of creating a sense of balance in the chaos and your beautiful, amazing day to day lives.

Comment below and share with us, if you like, what brings you a sense of balance.

*Interested in exploring how to find more balance, ease, peace and joy in your own life, while letting go of stress and anxiety that gets in your way? Explore a complimentary, discovery coaching session with Rebekah. Find her at www.tellanewstorycoaching.com.