Balance is the best way to live a life worth living. When you reset to your calm and whole equilibrium essence, you find your life meaning, purpose, and happiness now and in this season.
If you live every day busy and stressed, even if it’s doing the thing that overall lights you up and gives you purpose, like owning your own business or being the CEO in your household, you can still feel burnout.
If you don’t develop a strong WHY for what you’re doing, then you can gradually feel unhappy because you can be missing the meaning piece.
If you were a rose flower, even during blooming season, your intact delicate petals could become brittle, and fall off under wind blowing conditions. But if you knew your purpose was to be naturally beautiful, fragrant, healthy, and alive, and that your inner beauty helps to spreads love to your community and the world, then you would be able to embrace chaos and changing environmental situations.
You get your raison d’etre (reason of being) when seeking meaning and purpose this season that requires your focus, mindful space, and deeper thought.
If you are body-mind balanced, then you can tune in more acutely because when you’re healthy, you can do infinitely all that you’re capable and willing to do. A healthy body-mind provides the starting foundation for your inner wisdom to grow.
To be healthy, it’s important to find time to soak in what your body is conveying to you in each season of your unique life and take time to nourish your naturally resilient but unique body. The only one you will get and can transform if you wish. A simple daily task of moisturizing your dry skin (the largest organ in your body) can be a healthy body-mind exercise.
You could stop to smell the roses daily and really sense all its pretty features like bright and pastel colors… subtle rose scents (great for a judgmental mind)… soft and silky smooth texture …and balanced intricate design. In those mindful moments, you can connect with yourself, and realize how you can make an impact in your life and others this season of life… Time you will never get back. Losing time can be a motivator (Your Why) as it has been for me.
Before I had conscious body-mind balanced wisdom, I wasn’t fully aware I had falling rose petals. I may have noticed random petals, and brushed that off as nothing. And had I been more in tune back then, I could have adapted and thrived better to my seasonal situations.
And I would’ve reached faster my higher frequency living over survival mode faster in a modern society rat-race work life. You can miss out on fulfilling years of finding your whole self that way.
Looking back, I went through the motions. In the season when I had a Kapha imbalance, I couldn’t get myself up at an hour earlier than I desired and accumulated more than one, of any one thing. When I had a Pitta imbalance, I noticed acne in new spots and was more critical than usual. When I had a Vata imbalance, I was more forgetful and would dart from task to task. Multitasking BTW is the epitome of a lack of mindfulness.
To respect and take care of your body, you can have inconsistent symptoms, such as accumulating body weight, feeling impatient or withdrawn, or being slower than usual.. and so much more! You see, those are all symptom examples that show up with specific imbalances.
When I learned how to restore my gradually stored up appearing imbalances, then I had a new framework and perspective for tackling all that I wanted to do in a loving way and productively. And more importantly, being the person I wanted to be (…and you can also!).
You could be fully aligned with the creative flow (even if you think you’re not creative or in this season) and have clarity and laser focus (and be unstoppable, and not starting and stopping).
You can be your super productive self while still enjoying the uneventful days of this season. And carving out time to create great memories (that’s always a good reason… and, did I mention I’m a photo scrapbooker? Are there any Creative Memories people still out there? 😊)
Finding unique, joyful activities you love can help to prevent burnout. And proactively learning how to naturally restore your body-mind balanced self is how you can start to be the healthiest self (and the best rose in your life).
Each year can be your best year because you make the most out of it and see how what you did brought you to where you are.
Let me encourage you today… you can wake up to every day feeling better than the day before if you proactively look for how to intervene and get those wholesome perspectives. If yesterday wasn’t the best, you have a low bar to surpass today. If yesterday was great (hopefully it was) then today you can follow in those footsteps, and also keep trying new things. You keep going and growing.
As busy humans, we have complex lives. One day, we can be pivoting, and the next day looking for more happiness in our lives while handling the necessary tasks in the here and now. Some of our specific situations can sometimes leave us feeling…well, tired, anxious, and worried, or annoyed and irritated. If you feel any of these symptoms, you can do something about it. You can find out what your body imbalance type is in this season and make positive, restorative changes. Getting aware helps your body-mind balanced life.
Your imbalances can change from season to season and can show up in many ways. But, the body keeps memory and score.
As part of this season, I hope (and challenge you if that’s what you need!) that you will take time to find your specific purpose, meaning, and some extra balanced, self-care time out.
Here’s what I mean…
6 Productive Take Time Out Activities For Balanced Living (So You Don’t Burnout!)
Every day, try and choose at least one of these “time out” activities that can be for 10 minutes or more per day. If you only have 5 minutes, then take those 5 minutes.
If you feel guilt from taking time away from whatever your busy list is (work, family, etc.), recognize the feeling, and reason with yourself that this prevents you from burning out in the long run.
When you come back to your busy life, take note that nothing significantly earth-shattering has happened. The more you can record evidence for that, the less guilt if any, you can feel. And then you also gained quality time for yourself, and you feel healthier and happier, and the people around you notice.
Breathing time. If you can’t remember the last time you paid attention to your breath inhale and exhale breathing, then you’re probably too busy to be mindful. Be intentional and come back to it for your health.
Break time. In between busy activities, take short breaks to get mindful, Doing laundry, making a snack, pouring water, and looking at nature or a plant that’s moving or growing as you read this and go about your regular day, can be satisfying to a balanced body-mind. If you feel tensions, then something could be off.
Use mind space and relaxing your body, as your break time theme. You could be standing up, taking a walk, or sitting on the deck, and watching the world go by, looking for productive future thoughts to enter. You can start with something you look forward to. If you find yourself pacing or your mind is racing, step outside into new surroundings and air.
Silent time to get a peaceful mind. Have moments in the day where it’s completely quiet in your surroundings, or you put on white noise or a quieting headset. Let ideas pop into your head. This means not watching the television. This means tuning out the sounds from your immediate world that can come from another room.
You can meditate, but I suggest keeping your eyes open so you can take a look at your surroundings for inspirational ideas.
“Me time.” I grew up in a decade where it was a less sensitive world than today. People weren’t as aware or empathetic. Taking “me time” sounded selfish to others, but then our society became more open to the idea that when you practice self-care and self-love, you have more love to give to others (time, space, and forgiveness).
Thankfully living in a more transparent world frees you to be a better you.
If you find pride creeping up, you can have a daily intention or practice to be grateful.
Find gratitude time. Pause and think of a few moments this week that you’re grateful for. Write them down in a journal or on the back of a temporary envelope if that will help better solidify those temporary memories in your mind.
You can do this while you turn on the news. With sad headlines, you can have deeper compassion, and that helps you find gratitude, meaning, and contentment in your life. This can improve your daily happiness and feeling good about what you do have and how you can contribute and make an impact to serve and help others.
Gaining an internal and grounded perspective can keep you feeling peaceful and in control, instead of living an up and down daily roller coaster lifestyle based on the highs and lows going on in your life.
If you’re feeling frustrated or defeated:
Find organize task time (or time to piddle around and tidy up). If you feel overwhelmed or are unwinding from the day, doing mindless tasks can feel good and be productive. You can use this time to also catch up on podcasts or listen to music to get calm and back to your usual self.
If you have more time, you can do a rainy day project like organizing a file, bookshelf, or drawer. Make it fun. You can create a good memory by stuffing a good ‘old photo, some stickers, or memorable words you write on paper, and add them to your project. When you’re done, you’ll feel better for your small, but mighty in your mind daily achievement. That can be all your mind needs to relax and get back to the mood you want.
And in the future when you pick up the tangible memory you just made, that can put a smile on your face again. Small tasks can make big differences.
Have a good (no, have a great) balanced week!