the balancing act

I've said it before and I'll say it again: balance is what keeps us sane and happy.

It isn't easy. We've got to balance taking care of ourselves, family, work or school, chores, pleasurable activities and rest. How can we possibly juggle all of these things? And, why would taking care of ourselves and rest be separate things?

Well, we always have to prioritize. But we can only do what we can do. Slow down. Meet deadlines, but pace yourself beforehand. Then, reward yourself with some fun.

Taking care of our health might be the most important aspect to achieving balance. If we let our health go, everything seems to fall apart. That's especially true for those of us with chronic illnesses. The regular things like eating right and getting some exercise make a huge difference in the quality of our lives. When we feel good we tend to feel better about ourselves.

When we're not feeling our best that's the time to let a lot of things go. Maybe we still have deadlines to meet, but we don't have to wash the floors, do the laundry, cook dinner or any home chores. Anyone for take-out? We keep a drawer full of menus to call out for dinner when I don't feel well. And, I watch for coupons so I don't stress about the money.

Fun and rest are as important as staying as healthy as possible and doing our best at work or school. If we're not enjoying our lives then deadlines seem more insurmountable, bills and chores cause anxiety, and, we don't have anything to smile about.

Fun can be simple. Time hanging out with family, a walk at the beach, going for coffee or ice cream with a friend all can be as enjoyable as something extravagant. We chose how fun our lives are. We do it by how willing we are to laugh (at ourselves) and enjoy the little things. We do it by remembering "this too shall pass" and accepting the people in our lives for who they are.

Rest helps us keep up with all of these things. I don't just mean a good night's sleep. I mean a nap, sometime in front of the TV or reading a book or magazine. I've said it a lot- I play word games to relax. But, I nap when I can. Being well rested allows me to have more fun.

All work and no play made more than Jack a dull boy. It makes us all dull. So, take a break, laugh with a friend and do the chores later. That's after the important deadlines are met.

Balance is the key. It unlocks our best selves. I'm going to have some fun and then take a nap :)

peace and love,

sunee