Finding Balance
The concept of finding balance in life is a topic so prevalent in mental health. When I think of “balance,” I think of examining yourself fully in the present to drive how you proceed. Fully examining yourself calls for mindfulness of your feeling state, mental state, and physical state.
Some questions you can ask yourself to begin examining these 3 areas are:
1) What emotions are present with me now?/How am I feeling in this moment?
2) What thoughts are running through my head?
3) When I scan my body, what sensations am I noticing?
Asking yourself these questions throughout your day will give you information about how you are really doing in the moment.
Along with having a deeper understanding of your current state, it’s important to also acknowledge your goals.
For instance, today you may be emotionally content, with neutral thought processes, and little pain in your body. You also have been working towards the goal of paying off debt and maintaining a healthy relationship with your finances. Addressing these issues tends to trigger anxiety, shameful thought processes, and a closed off body posture for you.
You may be thinking, “I’m having a great day- so I don’t want to work on my financial health today. It causes pain!” But how might we make decisions in our current state that still lead us to our goals (or at least does not set us back)?
There is no right or wrong with finding balance. It truly is a unique experience for everyone on this planet, and it will change day-to-day, moment-to-moment. When we can take in our full experience (emotionally, physically, mentally), we create a broader understanding of who we are today. When we better understand anything, we can make more informed decisions.
When we can understand ourselves better, we can be wise, respectful, and kind with our decisions.
So, ask yourself:
How are you feeling today?
What thoughts are running through your mind?
How is your body responding to the world today?
It can be nice to befriend yourself in this way! I invite you to take pauses throughout your day to spend some mindful time with yourself.