Want to experience a better sense of balance in life in 2020?
At the start of another New Year, many of us will be thinking about how we might live differently.
We long to start the New Year well.
We dream. We make plans. Some of us make resolutions.
However, although we may have enjoyed some rest and relaxation over the festive season, some of us will be starting January exhausted and in need of a holiday, to get over the holidays!
Living a balanced life is an ongoing challenge
A balanced lifestyle includes a number of things that together, contribute to our health and wellbeing in body, mind and spirit.
Balance includes; work, rest and play, meaningful relationships with others and being in community. It also includes having good boundaries, developing healthy habits, eating well, being physically active and getting enough sleep.
Making progress in any of these areas requires us to first take time to reflect on what is influencing us and be intentional about investing in rest for ourselves. This is even more important when our lives involve working hard or serving others.
Lessons from Surf School
Intentional Health HQ is based in Cornwall, known as the heart of the UK surf scene – and we love a good surfing metaphor.
Balance is key to successful surfing – and it’s also vital for living life well.
Some of us are born with a more innate sense of balance than others, but ALL of us can learn skills that will help improve our balance.
Balancing on a surfboard requires us to constantly make small changes to adapt, tilt and shift our bodyweight and standing position, in response to the changing waves we are riding.
And so it is with life.
Although many surfers would like to ride waves all day and stay out in the water for hours, catching waves can really wear you out! Even the fittest and most skilled surfers need to take breaks in the line up and come back to the beach to rest and simply appreciate the view.
Balance matters
Without rhythms of rest, in life, as in surfing, we can easily find ourselves exhausted. This leads to even the best repeatedly falling off, getting hit on the head by a board, and taking on seawater!
We are designed to work from rest, rather than rest from work.
Living a balanced life isn’t a great moral virtue in itself. But maintaining a good sense of balance is essential for living life in all its fullness.
The good news is that even the smallest changes can make a big difference to us staying on the board!.
This means we can better:
Develop our core strengths
Improve and protect our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.
Live with a sense of fulfilment and purpose
Reduce stress and handle the pressures of everyday life better.
Boost our mood and energy levels.
Improve our personal performance and productivity.
Surf the ‘big waves’ of opportunity or crisis, stay upright and avoid going under!
Notice early, when our balance is ‘off’ and understand how best to re-balance ourselves.
Know when to head back to the beach and when to stay close to the shore, or avoid going into the water at all!
What small adjustments could you make to enjoy a more ‘balanced’ life this year?
