I’ve heard many people say that balance is a myth and I couldn’t disagree more.

Perhaps we should define what balance means:
Bal·ance/ˈbaləns/ verb: to arrange, adjust, or proportion the parts of symmetrically.

Maybe it’s the libra in me, but I truly believe the key difference between living a thriving life or a mediocre one is learning how to balance your day to day.

Our lives are pretty much like a juggling act

Between what to eat, exercise, deadlines, relationships, sleep, work, self care…we are juggling a lot. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and lose sight of why we’re even doing this.

The idea of balance is being able to take a step back and take a look at what needs some extra TLC so you can shift your attention to those areas.

Doesn’t mean you drop everything, it’s about rearranging and adapting. 

After all, juggling our daily lives is a balancing act that requires constant awareness and the ability to improvise and adapt. It’s not about doing everything but prioritizing.

If you look at professional jugglers you’ll see how they usually start with a few items and go up slowly. As more gets thrown at them they start adjusting their position, speed and height of their act. And often times they get rid of certain items to make space for new ones. 

So how does this translate to your everyday? 

In order to juggle your everyday properly, you have to be in a good place. Start with a clear and calm mind. It starts with taking care of yourself so you can manage your day to day no matter what life throws at you.

Your needs will change and that’s OK. One day you might be craving for some alone time while other days you’ll want to hang out with friends. Maybe there’s no time to workout today, so what else can you do that still feels good? 5 minutes of jumping jacks? or just taking a bath?

Assess how you’re feeling. Maybe take a couple of deep breaths and close your eyes. How can you improvise and adapt? 

Remember, it’s not about pushing or forcing.

It’s taking care of yourself with what’s available right now. That’s balance! The ability to shift things around to take care of yourself.

Here are a couple of things to get you started:

1) Make space

• Learning to make space for the things we want to do is important. Identify WHAT you want to make space for. For example, I want to read more to finally go through all the books I’ve purchased!

2) Stop doing list:

• To make time for what you want to do, it’s important to stop doing all the things that don’t serve you. In my case, social media has become a distraction so I limit my time on it. No social media for me in the mornings, nights or weekends. My mind is cleared and now I have time and space to read!

3) Adapt:

• PIVOT PIVOT! Learning how to take care of yourself in different circumstances is key. Life is unpredictable. For instance yoga helps me relax and disconnect from the everyday but ever since my back injury I haven’t been able to do much. Instead I’ve found other ways to disconnect like tuning in with my breath while walking. I’m doing the best I can under these specific circumstances. That’s adapting!

4) Check-in:

• Morning and night routines are crucial habits every successful person swears by. Starting your day with a clear mind allows you to focus on what matters most and align your intentions with actions. Checking-in with yourself at the end of the day helps you look back to your day with gratitude so you can appreciate/celebrate the little things and find areas of improvement as you unwind.

5) Write it down: 

• Your desires, challenges, victories and cross off your to-do lists. Give your thoughts a place. By writing them down we can process them better.

How do you stay in balance? Share your tips in the comments!