BALANCE
Balancing work and play, demands and desires is important for a well-rounded and full life. Often, we get caught up in all of the responsibilities and pressures in our life and do not make time for the activities that make us who we are. If we make time for only demands and work, I can guarantee you that you will be left with just that: demands and work. Anxiety and stress. Maybe even depression.
On the other hand, if all we make time for is play, we are left feelingdirectionless and out of control.
So how do we find balance?
I challenge you to complete this exercise, one of my favorites to do with clients:
Take a piece of paper and divide it into two columns: Column 1 is labeled 'Want Tos' (the things you do because you truly want to do them, because you find them enjoyable--not because they have an end product or a goal to shoot for). Column 2 is labeled 'Shoulds' (the thing you do because you feel pressured to or because you are explicitly demanded to by work or family). You might have some overlap in the columns-that's ok!
In each column, try to think of about ten activities that correspond. When finished with both columns, take a moment and think about times when you are overwhelmed and stressed out to the max. What activity, of all the ones you wrote down, in either column, do you tend to throw out the window first? Which activity gets put on the back burner? Is it a 'Want To' or a 'Should?' Now, keep going, and keep crossing out one activity after the next, by asking yourself 'When overwhelmed, which activity do I throw out the window next?'
Do you start to see a pattern? Is one column crossed out more than the other? If so, this means you may not have balance in your life and you may tend towards one side or the other when overwhelmed. This is just something to be aware of. If your 'Want To' column gets pushed aside when you are overwhelmed, you might find yourself depressed, anxious and overall unhappy. This is because you have no fun and no self care in your life. If your 'Should' column gets pushed aside when you are overwhelmed, you might find yourself avoiding important tasks and responsibilities and becoming even more overwhelmed over time.
See if you can challenge yourself to find more of a balance between the two for a fuller, richer and happier life!
