Finding Balance in Life

Have you stopped to think about the pace at which life is moving? It seems to be a topic of conversation lately. More and more people are multi-tasking to get the most out of their days as they try to keep the balance between home and work. Is this a healthy course of action for us to take?

Articles published on this topic warn us that our brains can't process as many tasks as we think we can. Author Guy Winch states, "When it comes to attention and productivity, our brains have a finite amount." In order not to feel overwhelmed, we need to mindfully process any information needed to accomplish our tasks.

Life is a balancing act with family and home life on one side and work life on the other. Being mindful and having a positive attitude is one way to find inner peace to deal with life's challenges and joys. What else is needed to find life balance? 

ESSENTIAL TIPS:

1. Maintain a Positive Outlook

Being in the positivity zone allows you to take a fresh look at life and diffuse the negativity that may surround you. 

2. Prioritize 
While an endless to do list may be what you think you need, prioritizing one or two tasks is a better option for each day with a long term goal for the week. 

3. Be Mindful-Stay in Moment

It is better to concentrate on one activity or thought than to multi-task. Taking breaks to breathe in the fresh air and relax the mind is helpful when the work load or family chores are more than usual.

4. Plan Quality Time with Family and Friends

Build in time for activities that develop relationships. Family dinners, outdoor   activities, and mini-excursions that involve talk and relaxation time are important.

5. Enjoy Humor

Laughter has been reported to be a powerful medicine to reduce stress. Keep the humor and lightheartedness flowing to create a balance in your mood that will fortify your emotional health.

5. Reflect

The process of noticing and wondering in life is a way to refresh your mind and allow for reflective thinking time to de-stress. Take a walk, pay attention to your surroundings, and listen to nature's sounds to bring a sense of peace and calmness to your day. 

Balancing life takes skill.

Are you ready to take on the challenge?

As you release stress, you restore your sense of balance.

Stretch

Within the dim-lit yoga studio, a calmness exists. The world is miles away. The only sounds are the breath and the prompts from the teacher who guides yogis through a practice of deep thought and movement. This inner sanctum of tranquility becomes the sacred space for learning about self. Through breathing, quiet poses, and stretching the mind, body, and spirit are awakened and a sense of well-being and peace felt.

It is within the practice of soft flow movements that a connective energy emanates from the heart center and shared with the collective consciousness, binding all together as one body of practitioners. With each exhaled breath there is a leaning into the stretch-no worries, no stress, just the motion of moving deeper into thought and action. In the stillness exists the ability to awaken the senses and delight in the feeling of well-being. 

The return to the stretch has filled my daily practice this week with a spirit of mindfulness and purposeful intent. I wrote, worked out, got back into a yoga routine, and created. I even pushed my limits toward increased writing time and the ability to write freely from prompts for some creative challenges from Poetry Friday colleagues, Laura Shovan and Michelle Heidenrich Barnes. The stretching of my mind, body, and spirit provided me with increased muscle movement and quiet time, leading to an abundance of thoughts rising from within. 

I celebrate the stretch. It provides an openning to let go of unwanted stress and to write from the heart without the concern of final product syndrome. 

Today, in the quiet of the morning hours enhanced by the intermittent chirping of birds, I reflect on the possibilities of stretching the mind, body, and spirit. May you join me in celebrating the stretch to gain a new perspective on wellness this coming week. 

Please enjoy ten minutes of peaceful music while visiting Ruth Ayres' Celebrate This Week community where bloggers' focus on positives of a week of celebration.