5 Tips for When Life Feels out of Balance.
Don’t you love the feeling of being in a state of effortless flow? That sweet spot where you feel like you’re focused, energized, productive, and content all at once? Yeah, I wish I could bottle up that feeling and have it on hand at all times, but it can sometimes feel hard to get to that state regularly.
There can be difficulty in noticing when we’re slipping away from that “happy place”. When we don’t pause to notice what’s going on within us and around us, we can fall further and further away from that good feeling.
Here are 5 tips to help us feel balanced and good on a regular basis:
1) Commit to intentional breaks
It’s really hard to make change without taking intentional action. Often times, when we’re in a state of overworking, pushing our limit, and packing our schedules to the brim, we’re avoiding something. Usually it’s a feeling we’re avoiding or the discomfort of uncertainty. The interesting thing is that even if we don’t realize it, our body holds that stress and it can bottle up.
Commit to scheduling regular break times to relieve stress and give your mind (and body) a break. This can look like putting a guided mindfulness exercise on your calendar at the same time each day, practicing a wind-down routine, or scheduling self-care activities.
2) Practice directing your attention
Mindfulness is all about present, non-judgemental awareness and focus. With the rise of social media, our brains have become used to consuming too much information at the same time - making it harder to focus.
Here’s some ways to foster change:
learn and regularly practice meditation.
practice conscious disengagement and stick to your scheduled breaks and self-care.
try not to multitask, do one thing at a time.
practice a hobby or skill that you can get absorbed in
3) Connect to your mind
We have tens of thousands of thoughts a day - with a high percentage of them being negative. Often times, we don’t even notice most of them but if we do, they’re not really helpful.
Practice reframing negative thoughts and challenge them with a more balanced perspective. It can feel pointless at first, but the more you do it, the more you’ll notice that you’re having more helpful automatic thoughts that feel good.
4) Connect with your body
When we’re overworked, overwhelmed, or feeling numb, we don’t realize the tightness, tension, and pain that our body holds on to. In order to release the stress from our bodies and start building healthy balance, we have to make time to check in with our physical selves.
do a body scan meditation or a Progressive Muscle Relaxation
engage in gentle and enjoyable body movement
do some stretches and notice your body sensations
take an undistracted walk outside in nature and leave your phone at home (if it feels safe to do so).
5) Connect with your friends, loved ones, and pets!
We can easily get swept up in the routine and stress of everyday life at home and work that we can sometimes neglect our social wellness. When we’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed, we can end up isolating which in turn can make us feel more stressed - leading to a nasty snowball effect. Regularly connecting to people who make you feel a sense of belonging can build our resiliency towards stress. If you have pets, take the time for regular snuggles if you feel it helps! Schedule in social time for yourself and make time for fun and play.
Learn more about Burnout Treatment.
Me Again Collective is an Ontario based virtual therapy practice for adults. We treat anxiety, burnout, self-esteem, perfectionism and more and offer psychotherapy that is collaborative, empathetic and effective. If you are ready to feel freedom, relief, and fulfilment book a free consultation with Me Again Collective HERE
Research:Borowiec, A. A., & Drygas, W. (2022). Work-Life Balance and Mental and Physical Health among Warsaw Specialists, Managers and Entrepreneurs. International journal of environmental research and public health, 20(1), 492. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010492
About the Author
Jackie Ponomariov, MSW, RSW, is the founder of Me Again Collective. She loves working with driven and ambitious professionals and specializes in CBT, DBT, and somatic therapies.
