Balance. We desperately want it. Our bodies are made to seek it. When riding a bike, walking on a log, navigating over slippery rocks in a stream, water or snow skiing, hiking a rocky path, or doing yoga, the goal is balance because losing it can cause a crash…and most of us aren’t too fond of crashes. During these activities, we concentrate on our actions and do everything possible to keep our equilibrium. Staying balanced can be hard work.
We also seek balance in our lives, a balance of work and relaxation, and that can be hard work, too. Interestingly, the term “work/life balance” first appeared in the late ‘80s, about the time that people started being tethered to electronic means of communication, a phenomenon which blurred the line between work and home, between professional and personal, between time on and off the job. Prior to this, people would go to work and at the end of the workday, they would go home, thus drawing a clear distinction between the two.
Not so for most people today. And that can be a blessing and a curse – depending, of course, on how you handle it.
There is a school of thought that espouses dividing one’s time into three segments – “work days” when you focus on nothing but work, “off days” when your entire day is devoted to rest and renewal, and “chore days” when you handle the “stuff”, the endless list of items that fill your “to-do” list. While this approach may work for some, I’m not convinced that most of us can compartmentalize our lives so neatly. I don’t know about you, but my life seems to require daily juggling of multiple tasks – works, relationships, obligations, fun. And for me, that’s a great day! Being able to flex, shift, course correct makes life interesting.
Of course, life circumstances can tip the scales. Caring for an elderly parent, working through a massive project or initiative, recovering from an illness – such enormous endeavors demand our focused attention…for a time. During such times, we’re often painfully aware that life is out of whack, that we’re wobbling, and fortunately, we know we can right ourselves when the turmoil and unsteadiness is over.
But here’s a caution: It’s easy to get out of balance without knowing it. Focusing too much time in any one area can lead to tipping the scales in an unhealthy direction. Too much time, energy and focus spent on work at the expense of family and friends can cause a crash in relationships. And on the opposite side, too much time, energy, and focus spent on R & R – watching TV or just hanging out – can lead to financial disaster and time wasted on trivial pursuits.
So how are you doing? Tune in to yourself and develop a sense of personal awareness with regard to your balance. When you feel yourself tipping over, leaning too far in one direction and in danger of crashing, imagine that you’re riding a bicycle, stepping across slippery rocks in a stream, or mastering a yoga pose. Do what you need to do to find the balance. You may fall over on occasion, but it’s worth the effort.
©2021 Julie Alexander
