As I was reflecting upon what to make my Tea Time Tips about this Monday morning, I was multitasking by catching a little bit of the morning news, drinking my tea, creating my to-do lists for the week, making breakfast for the kids, changing diapers, getting dressed, working on plans for my upcoming fitness challenges, etc. You know. The usual morning for a mommy. I often feel overwhelmed with all that has to get done and don’t feel balanced whatsoever. In the background of this chaos, a piece on the news came on discussing this very concept…finding balance in a world filled with pressure and often a crazy amount of responsibilities. The main message I got out of the segment is that working towards creating a healthy balance is incredibly important to our personal health and wellness. YET, it is ok to find out that your wellness balance is out of whack. I would imagine that a large majority of people feel unbalanced.

The news segment got me thinking about the process of finding balance in a crazy busy world. I was stressed out about all that I needed to accomplish today and the rest of the week. And then, a GIFT came to my front door. My husband stopped by to see if we wanted to go feed the cows with him. Inside, I was getting ready to tell him no. Imagine how many things I could get done with an hour of peace! But then, it was like a switch flipped in my head. I decided to say NO to some of my responsibilities and said YES to my family. Why? Because I know that time spent with them makes my heart happy. They help clear my mind when I am stressed out. So we went. And my son cuddled with me the entire time (something he rarely does anymore), almost as if he was trying to tell me “thank you mom.” We had an hour of pure happiness together, a beautiful moment in time. Smiles, cuddles, singing at the top of our lungs, and we made the cows happy by giving them food. haha.

I knew that the “things” I needed to get done would still be here when I got home. Putting them off is often not the best choice. However, today it was the best choice. It was the best choice for finding balance TODAY. I am recharged, refocused, and ready to go. So, here are a few tips that might help you find your balance:

1. Just breathe. Sounds pretty simple, right? It can be if you let it. I was able to attend a great yoga class last night and we focused on finding our breath during moments of stress. Now, I have to admit to all of you that I used to make fun of people that do yoga. I just didn’t get it. Meditation, deep breathing, stretching your body in an often uncomfortable way. Why take part in that torture? Well, I will say that giving yoga a chance was one of the best things I did a little over a year ago. I don’t go to class on a daily basis, and I have not mastered many (if any) of the poses. But, I do try to find room for it in my life. Especially, when I am feeling overwhelmed and need a moment of peace. Give it a chance! And if you are still in that place of “I’m never going to do yoga,” it’s ok. You can still remind yourself when you are overwhelmed, to just breathe. Take a step away from what you are doing, count to 10 and breathe deeply. It might just help.
2. Learn to say no. Part of the reason that we get overwhelmed and out of balance is because we take on too much, usually with the best of intentions. As a “yes” person, I still struggle with this tip. I would love to be able to do it all, but at the expense of what? I can guarantee that saying yes to too many things, will make at least one category in your wellness continuum shift in a negative way. Something will get get put on the back burner, and usually it is something having to do with you. You make personal sacrifices to dedicate yourself to others. Now, I’m not advocating being selfish. You can still say yes to things, but you don’t have to do it at the expense of your own happiness. Create some you time by saying no to something that you know might just set you over the edge. I decided to say no to my nagging responsibilities this morning for one short hour, because I knew that it would put things back into perspective. What are you willing to say no to today?
3. Embrace the journey. Finding a healthy balance in your life is just that…a journey. There are going to be days where you feel like you have it all together. Perfectly balanced. And there will be days where you second guess everything you are doing. Out of whack. You have to embrace the fact that it is a journey and be WILLING to take the time to create balance. It will happen. But you have to TRY!
4. Embrace your inner awesome and let it shine.