Balance
Sometimes we can feel pulled in so many different directions it can be difficult to manage all the factors influencing and affecting our lives. We can also put the priorities of others ahead of our own.
Balance can mean:
Mental Health: Intellectual stimulation vs rest and meditation
Physical health: Mindful and healthy nutrition, sleep and exercise vs time for comfort and rest
Emotional health: Giving love and comfort to others vs receiving love and comfort from self or others
Work: Increasing performance and hours to reach a target vs understanding and committing to your limits
Friends: Spending time socialising and catching up with friends vs a quiet night in
Fun: Adventure and exploration outdoors vs binge session of your favourite Netflix show
Self care: treating yourself to a day spa vs being at home with a bath and chill out music
Is it making time for your mental health, physical health and emotional health? Or is it about managing work, family, friends, fun and self care? Or is it a mix of all of these? You cannot be wrong in what you choose to spend your time on, however if the mix of factors is overwhelming and impacting your ability to function effectively then it may be time to reflect on where you spend your time, what your priorities are and how to make time for everything.
At Brave Heart Wellbeing we love to explore these factors with our clients and support them in identifying the areas in their life that may require some adjustment and focus.
You can understand your need for balance by:
🌿 Understanding and reflecting on areas of your life that may feel out of balance
🌿 Notice whether these areas require stimulation or rest
🌿 Set realistic and achievable targets and goals that allow you to find the balance
🌿 Schedule in the time you need
🌿 Reframe your challenging thoughts to acknowledge and understand what you need without guilt
🌿 Be kind to yourself
Everyone’s needs are different and that is ok! Making time for rest and recreation as well as completing tasks and goals can assist with stress management and be rewarding.
Balance for Children
These days, both parents and kids can feel pressure to participate in a variety of activities. While participating in multiple activities can enrich a child's life, it can also make them feel stressed and pressured in an unhealthy way. It is possible for a child to be too busy and as a parent, it is our responsibility to make sure our children achieve a healthy balance.
Help your child manage their schoolwork and activities while still having much needed downtime by following these steps:
🌿 Let your child choose their activities: Ask your child which activities they want to participate in, so they can choose the ones they find fun. If your child enjoys their activities, it will foster relaxation and reduce stress, which is the ultimate goal of extracurricular activities.
🌿 Set realistic expectations: Sometimes parents get overexcited if their child shows talent in an activity, but be careful not to set the expectation that they have to work to achieve incredible things. If they are good at a sport or an instrument – great. However, added pressure can take away from the stress reduction that the activity hopes to achieve.
Why is free time important?
Everyone, including kids, needs time to relax and recharge. When looking at your child's schedule, be sure they have time to have fun and be themselves every day.
Free time is about more than relaxing. It's also a time where they pick up new information about the world. If the free time involves playing with friends or siblings, they're learning how to navigate social situations, how to be leaders, how to be cooperative followers, how to share, and how to navigate conflicts. They also learn a lot playing and exploring on their own, too!
Children need time to be creative, to explore nature and to learn more about the world around them.
By helping your child balance schoolwork and activities with daily free time, you give their minds the opportunity to grow and learn in a healthy way.
Balance for Adolescents
Although many view adolescence as totally carefree, teenage life features many of the stressors of adult life. If you're a teen, you might be struggling to keep your grades up and consider universities while managing a part-time job, sports and a social life.
With end of year exams in the months ahead, learn to balance teen life by considering the tips below:
🌿 Identify your priorities - Think about the tasks and activities that are most important (or most urgent) and focus on them.
🌿 Set objective and realistic goals
🌿 Break down big projects into smaller segments
🌿 Find a hobby - Choose a fun activity you can do regularly where there's no pressure. If you feel like doing it, do it. If not, do something else.
🌿 Stay active - 30-60 mins of physical activity can help you feel happier and less stressed.
🌿 Journal - Writing out your thoughts and feelings offers a way to help manage stress and problem-solve.
🌿 Learn mindfulness - Simply slow down and focus on the here and now by sitting in silence for a few moments a day and focusing on the sights, sounds, touches, or smells around you.
🌿 Practice relaxation techniques - Meditation helps to slow down racing thoughts and anxiety.
🌿 Make friends who are positive influences - Healthy friendships involve two people who care for one another, respect each other’s boundaries, and have mutual goals and interests.
🌿 Ask for help when you need it - Life gets busy for everyone, so you won’t be judged for confessing to being overwhelmed. Talk to a friend, parent, teacher or counsellor who may be able to offer advice or resources to help you cope.
At Brave Heart Wellbeing, we're here to help! We specialise in helping young people to navigate the challenges of life through our workshops, programs and counselling services.
Balance for Adults
In today's world, it’s not just balance between work and family that’s hard for adults to find. If you’re a stay-at-home mum, you very likely constantly struggle to find balance between the needs of your family and your own needs—for exercise, time to read, even to take a long hot shower!
There are so many things that we have to balance in our lives—work, family, play, leisure, relaxation, caring for others, caring for ourselves, physical needs ... to name just a few.
So, what could you do to find some balance in your life?
🌿 Prioritise - On any day, in any moment, what is your priority? Once you decide what’s important, focus on that. Making sure that YOU are the priority sometimes too!
🌿 Set long and short term specific goals - It’s more useful to say, “I’m going to spend an hour alone with each child sometime this week,” than to say, “I’m going to have quality time with each of my children.” If you're not specific, it’s hard to know whether you’ve accomplished that goal, which makes it hard to feel in balance.
🌿 Lean on others and share the load - What's most important is not how much weight one person carries at any given time, but how you interact with one another, drawing from and giving energy to each other. That's balance.
🌿 Recognise that balance is a way of living not a finite goal.
🌿 Remember that both accomplishments and failures are part of balance - Paying equal attention to both is important. Try to notice small moments of success.
Whether you’re heading back to work or school, sending your kids off to a new adventure, changing jobs, getting married or divorced, moving to a new place, or just living life as usual, you are always in transition.
…And as spoken so beautifully by Rumi… “Life is a balance between holding on and letting go!”
At Brave Heart Wellbeing we’re here for the community! If you or someone you love is in need of some additional support, call us today to discuss how we can help.