Tools To Create Balance In The New Year Ahead
At the end of a year (and decade) it is human nature to want to reflect on how far we have come, however it is so important we place our attention and intention on the present moment. Whatever has happened up to this point we look at with love, kindness and compassion.
As mothers we wear many hats. Stress, anxiety, overwhelm, burnout, adrenal fatigue and exhaustion are just a few of the symptoms we hear regularly from mothers. This is typically the result of raising children in a modern, busy frenetic world where we are constantly connected and constantly needed. But there is a way we can start to create more balance in our everyday lives.
Many years ago Mallika Chopra (a busy mother, wife and entrepreneur) was so stressed that she went to her famously zen father Deepak Chopra for help. Deepak ended up asking her 10 life changing questions —
1. Are you sleeping well
2. Are you moving?
3. Are you eating healthy?
4. Do you have healthy relationships?
5. Do you enjoy what you do?
6. Are you financially stable?
7. Do you feel intellectually stimulated?
8. Do you laugh and have fun?
9. Are you spiritually connected?
10. Do you have a sense of purpose?
The father-daughter duo then decided that these various elements would come to be known as the BALANCE CIRCLE.
We use this balance circle to make us aware of areas that need our attention and then make small changes to shift away from imbalance. In each area we give it a rating:
Suffering — 1-3
Surviving — 4-6
Thriving — 7-10
By answering these questions, we are able to break down the areas of our life we need to focus on, ask ourselves what it is we really want and then set the intention to make change.
For Mallika, she quickly realised she wasn’t feeling intellectually stimulated or having enough fun, so she ended up forming a book club with her friends to fulfil both gaps.
“The first step to leading a balanced life is to know where you are. So checking in, authentically and honestly, about where you are struggling, surviving, or thriving with these basic questions can help you think of practical ways to make ‘microintents,’ or small changes that can have big impact.”
Here are a few examples —
If you realise you are not rested, you could create a new bedtime routine that may help — drink a herbal tea, choose a soothing aromatherapy oil, or keep your mobile phone out of your bedroom.
If you are feeling socially disconnected, pick up the phone and call an old friend you haven’t spoken to for awhile.
If you realise you are not feeling spiritually connected, you could set aside 5 minutes a day to meditate or have a weekly quiet walk on the beach.
If you don’t feel physically healthy, maybe you could commit to doing ten minutes of yoga every second day or walk the kids to school.
They don’t have to be enormous ‘change your whole life in one day' changes (which will soon become overwhelming and forgotten about by the end of February). Rather think of small achievable steps which can fit in with your busy day to day modern life and over the course of the year may just bring you from suffering to thriving by the end of 2020.
And whether your life is lacking in a few ways or contains huge, gaping holes, don’t be too hard on yourself if you feel like you don’t have your shit together. “Feeling overwhelmed is natural,” Chopra says, "but by breaking down your wellness into manageable pieces, you can bring about more health, peace and purpose in your life.”
With love,
Nat x