Finding Balance

How to find your balance -- all things are good in moderation.

Finding true balance in life is a unique life long journey that takes time.

I have been wired to believe in an all or nothing mindset. However, as I have experienced my teenage years and have had to adapt to a busy schedule which I assume many of you have experienced first hand, I have come to the realization that it is impossible to do it all everyday.

Balancing everything you have to do and want to do can be so much simpler than we make it out to be. If you want to have ice cream, eat the ice cream. If you want to workout, workout. If you want to stay in and spend time with yourself, do it.

There is a misconception in our society that we can only live one way. But this is not true. So much of the media leads us to believe that if we want to be "healthy" then we must follow a strict diet, workout everyday, and run ourselves into the ground on a daily basis. Not only is this not what true health is, but it is also the opposite of balance.

I still struggle with an all-or-nothing to this day. Sometimes I feel like if I am not dripping sweat at the end of my workout then it was not good enough. Sometimes I feel like when I rest, I am being unproductive. Sometimes I feel guilty after I eat my fear foods. Sometimes I worry about not playing field hockey enough and need to be at the field more. Sometimes I feel like I am losing my mental progress when I don't journal or read everyday.

At the end of the day, all of these things make me who I am. Sometimes I am more aware of when my thoughts are when my thoughts are consuming me rather than not. However, all I can do is my best.

Something is better than nothing my people. It is unrealistic to live life perfectly.

Here are some ways I am prioritizing balance recently:

- Balance with exercise. 30 minutes of exercise each day is better than nothing. I know that moving my body provides me with so many mental benefits. Move your body in some capacity everyday even if it is just stretching or walking.

- Balance with food.Intuitive eating. As human beings, we know how to feed ourselves. Stop listening to the media and BS diet culture. Eat when you are hungry. Eat what you are craving. Eat until you are full. Give yourself the proper nutrients your body needs.

- Balance with your priorities. Write down a to do list every morning of your top five priorities and highlight the ones that NEED to get done today. Do not do more than what you are capable of. This does not mean going until you can't anymore. This means completing all of your assignments on time while also doing at least one small thing for yourself each day.

- Balance with sleep. Getting enough sleep. Sleep is NECESSARY. Personally, I know I need at least 7 hours each night to function as a proper and happy human. If you want to get stuff done during the day, you must rest your body and get the adequate amount of sleep for yourself.

- Balance with alone time. Prioritizing alone time. Many people view me as an extrovert but in all honesty I value my alone time more than anything. I love to be with myself and in college it has been hard to find the time and space to be alone. Therefore, I am making sure to take time out of each day to just sit with myself and implement quiet moments with myself.

- Balance with spending. Money is a huge aspect of life. It can be hard to balance your money and budget if you are not aware of how much you spend. I have been working on limiting buying my coffee, going out to week once a week, and asking myself the question before I buy anything, "How will this serve me?"

- Balance with my faith. Coming to college I have come to understand that my faith is now entirely in my hands. My dedication and commitment into my relationship with God and my faith is dependent on how much effort I am willing to put into it. However, if I do not get to Church one Sunday or do not spend as much time with God as I would like to one day, I will not get upset with myself. Rather, I will give myself the same grace God so graciously gifts us with and will try again tomorrow.

- Balance with rest. Rest is SO important when it comes to balance. For some reason, rest is really hard for me. It makes me feel like I am being unproductive or I am not doing enough to be the best version of myself. This is not the case. In order to feel and be your best, you must rest in order to reach your potential and feel energized for the tasks each day brings. Rest comes in so many forms. Rest can mean resting your body. It can mean taking a break from social media. It can mean taking a mental health day or resting from hustle culture. Whatever rest means to you, make sure to allow yourself time to just be.

- Balance with social media. When I spend too much time on social media, I fall into the trap of comparing myself and feeling down about my own life. I am working on spending less time on social media and more time connecting with real human beings in person. Social media is addicting. I am working on limiting my screen time in order to live my life to its fullest rather than through my phone.

- Balance with going out. I have been struggling with college culture. College has made me feel like I am living my life wrong. This is most definitely not true but I really do not like the party scene which can lead me to feel isolated. I am working to find balance in protecting my peace, while also not letting my social anxiety take hold of me. I am making a goal to myself to go out when I truly want to rather than when I feel like I "should" in order to feel as though I belong.

- Balance with my sport. Sports are supposed to bring you joy. At the root of playing a sport, you are meant to love doing it. Sometimes I can get caught up in my performance and disregard my love for field hockey because I am so focused on "being the best". I am working on allowing myself to use my sport as an outlet and simplifying my experience. Each time I practice or workout I am trying to view it as an oppurtunity to have fun, get better, and spend time with my teammates whom I love with my whole heart.

- Balance with work and school. School and work can feel so overwhelming at times especially when you don't always love what you are doing. Reminding myself and you that all you can do is your best and your best is enough. Life is not about getting good grades, it is about how you grow and evolve as a human. Work is about disciple, motivation, and giving yourself. We are never going to be motivated everyday and that is okay. Approach each task with the mindset of completing one thing at a time. Try your best and give yourself grace.

There is no destination to balance. You are never going to wake up and magically feel like you have a perfectly balanced life.

Finding balance is a journey. It is a beautifully journey that leads you to living a full life filled with joy, sadness, laughter, love, anger, peace, frustration, and all of the emotions.

Focus on each moment as it comes. Do what makes you happy and what feels right. Do not let society lead you to believe that you must do it all or nothing at all. Do whatever it takes to find your balance which will lead you to a state of inner peace.

#balance #findingbalance #moderation #balanceiskey