Have Better Balance

Negative stress can throw us off balance and make us feel exhausted. Join guest author Lisa Kneller as she shares her important suggestions to “Have Better Balance” in life and teach us how to get our balance back on track.

Written by Lisa Kneller

Balance is defined as a state of equilibrium or equipoise. It suggests an equal distribution of weight or as I like to call it contentment. One way to look at being balanced is to think of having a steadiness in your mental and emotional life. Are you feeling calm or are you tipping over the edge?

Personally, I don’t like living on the edge. When I go to the Grand Canyon, I love the amazing view, but I stay far enough away from the fence and look with contentment, knowing I’m safe, but still enjoying the scenery.

Being out of balance suggests you are devoting too much time to stress-inducing activities and not enough time to stress-reducing activities. Here are five ways you can bring Balance back into your life and remain safe while enjoying the view:

1) Look at your calendar and see where you’ve plugged in a fun activity – one for each week of the next month. If you don’t have one scheduled in, think of something to do right now and mark it in your calendar. It could be taking a yoga class, attending a movie, having lunch or dinner with a friend, going to the art museum, having a cigar with a buddy…whatever you enjoy doing, plug that in right now. Consider celebrating your week’s success by scheduling a dinner out on the weekend with someone special. Choose a lovely place that will bring you bliss.

2) Schedule a service that attends to your body. Get a full-body massage, a neck and shoulder massage or a foot massage. Schedule a pedicure or a visit to your chiropractor for an adjustment. Plan for this once per month, so your body is getting the attention it needs. This attention might include getting a mammogram or colonoscopy. Once you have information that your tests are negative, you relieve stress just by having that information. Worries are set aside. We also need touch and affection. If you haven’t been getting hugs lately, start asking for them!

3) Engage in a mind/body/spirit exercise. For example, sit quietly in a chair, tune inwards and breathe so that your whole torso expands. Set an intention to relax, refresh and renew during this time. Invite in happy thoughts with your inhale, exhale any negative thoughts or worries. Do this for 10-15 minutes. Set a timer so you don’t have to think about the time and you can focus on this exercise. An alternative would be to take a yoga class. It’s quite different from calisthenics!

4) Dream about your next vacation and write down on paper where you’d like to go and what you’d like to experience. Set a plan in motion so you have this time to look forward to – even if it’s just a long weekend getaway.

5) Spend an hour with just yourself, reviewing your life and seeing if it’s looking like what you hoped it would when you were a bit younger. Jot down your thoughts, dreams and aspirations. Think about how you might improve your life in one or two areas. Write those down. I actually encourage people to take a whole night or weekend by themselves in a hotel and enjoy some “Me” time just to decompress. I have never heard of anyone saying they couldn’t stand it. In fact, I’ve seen men and women come back with a renewed sense of purpose and satisfaction.

Better Balance is felt throughout the body and mind. You should feel more relaxed and mentally and emotionally content. Practice these 5 things regularly – not just once. It takes consistent attention to your whole being to experience equipose. It’s much healthier in the long run to keep yourself in balance. Your body and your mind will thank you!

Identity Magazine is all about empowering women to get all A’s in the game of life — Accept. Appreciate. Achieve.^TM Every contributor and expert answer the Identity 5 questions in keeping with our theme. As a team, we hope to inspire and motivate ourselves and inspire you to get all A’s.

What have you accepted in your life that took time, physically or mentally?
I have accepted the fact that I am a late bloomer. This has taken me a long time to figure out and the pattern doesn’t change. I now accept that I wait on the perfect timing for things in my life and accept that it’s just part of who I am.

What do you appreciate about yourself and within your life?
I appreciate that I am a kind, warm and considerate person. One of my gifts is to make people feel welcome and at ease. This has served me well and is also nice for those with whom I get the opportunity to connect. I can converse with just about anyone. It’s a gift my father had and I guess I got some of that from him. It’s funny because he didn’t really raise me and yet, we both had an insatiable curiosity about people.

What is one of your most rewarding achievements in life? What goals do you still have?
Parenting my kids well. I really did a good job. I found a good balance of love and discipline and at 19 and 22, my kids still enjoy my company. My current aspirations are to build my online business and create this career that blends well with my yoga teaching.

What is your not-so-perfect way? What imperfections and quirks create your Identity?
I am a terrible procrastinator. It doesn’t serve me well; neither does it help the people I want to serve. I am working on this though, and I know I’m not alone in this quirk.

How would you complete the phrase “I Love My…?”
Life…I Love My Life!” I am blessed to be married to my best friend for over 26 years, have two beautiful and talented children, a lovely extended family and lots of sweet and fun friends. I enjoy my work and do find balance in my life. I try never to take it for granted and to serve generously because I have been given so much.

Lisa Kneller is publisher of Midlife Living Well (http://www.midlifelivingwell.com), an inbox magazine for adults in midlife who are interested in creating better health, wealth and happiness. She is also a yoga teacher, internet marketer and blogger at http://www.bringmebliss.com