What comes to mind when you hear the word balance? If you look it up in the dictionary, you’ll find different definitions. My favourite is from the Oxford dictionary: “a situation in which different things exist in equal, correct or good amounts.” This week, on Simple Living Sunday, it’s time to restore equilibrium by reflecting on the elements of a balanced life, and identifying areas where we can make adjustments.

The key to finding a happy balance in modern life is simplicity.

Sogyal Rinpoche

Three simple pleasures and highlights

Continuing my practice of celebrating the simple things in life, here are three simple pleasures and highlights of the last week.

• My daughters had their break from college this week, so I took Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday off work to spend time with them. It was great to have Laura home for a few days. She’s in her last semester so we may not have many more opportunities to just hang out together.
• On Monday, we went to visit my mother-in-law. The girls and their uncle skated on a field that had filled with water during last week’s rainstorm and then frozen. I had never heard of skating on a field before.
• On Tuesday, we went to my mum’s for lunch. We had a wonderful visit with mum and my sister.

This week’s simple living focus: Searching for a balanced life

We hear a lot about work-life balance. Although it’s important, work is just one element of a well-rounded life. North Americans tend to define themselves by their work, often to the detriment of other—equally or even more important—areas of life.

In all aspects of our lives balance is key. Doing one thing too much can cause upset. Like the old saying goes, everything in moderation is the secret.

Catherine Pulsifer

In an earlier post, I reflected on seven elements of wellbeing: career, relationships, physical health, mental health, learning, finances and spirituality.

The seven elements are connected. If just one element is out of whack, it can throw everything off. If you’re struggling with physical or mental health issues, you’re going to be less effective at your job, and your relationships may be strained. Similarly, if you’re working 80 hours a week, your career and finances might look great, but your relationships—and likely your health—will suffer.

If we go back to that definition from Oxford dictionary, balance is about different things existing in equal, correct or good amounts. A balanced life, then, has the correct amount of all seven elements. Easier said than done, right?

Years ago, I heard a speaker at a conference say that balance shouldn’t be our goal. She went on to say that when you’re in balance, you’re standing still and we should always be moving forward. It’s an interesting perspective but I’d argue that it’s difficult to move forward if you’re not in balance. Think of riding a bike—if you don’t get your balance first when you hop on the bike, you’re not going to go very far.

The tricky part is identifying the correct amount of each element.

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Three things to do this week

The biggest challenge with balance is finding the mix that makes sense for you. It’s very personal—only you can figure out what that formula is. This week’s to do list includes some personal reflection to identify areas that may need some attention.

Reflect on your current state of balance

The first thing to do is grab a cup of coffee or tea and spend some time reflecting on your current state of balance. It will help you identify areas of your life that might need a little work.

You may already have an area in mind that needs improvement. If you do, that’s great. If not, you can use my printable checklist to help gather your thoughts. 

Pick one element to work on this week

After you’ve completed the reflection, pick one area of focus for this week. Ideally, choose an element where you feel ready and able to make changes.

Write down one or two specific things you can start doing this week to make improvements in this area. As the week goes on, keep track of your progress—record every win, no matter how small.

Make time for you

Self-care is a bit of a buzzword these days, but setting aside time to do things that make you feel good is an important part of a balanced life.

Problems arise in that one has to find a balance between what people need from you and what you need for yourself.

Jessye Norman

Carve out 30 minutes this week to do something that will make you feel good. It could be going for a walk or run, taking a hot bath, or putting on your headphones and listening to your favourite music. To increase the chance of it happening, put it in your calendar.

Hopefully, some small adjustments will get us all a little closer to a state of balance so we can move forward with the important things in our lives.

What do you to ensure you’re living a balanced life? Tell me your ideas below.