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Choosing Your Healthy Balance
The concept of a well-balanced life is widely accepted today, however attaining it is difficult. To be fully healthy you must take care of yourself: body, mind, and spirit---- while at the same time caring for your family, holding a full-time job, and contributing to your community.
Our limits force us to make choices. If you always say ‘yes' to your outside obligations, you won't be healthy for long. If you always say "me first" your life will feel shallow and empty.
What about you? What are your priorities? What does the current balance equation in your life look like? Feel like? Is it healthy for you?
Picture a large glass jar. Now imagine that beside the jar are different sizes of rocks. Put the large rocks into the jar until it is full. Is the jar totally full? No, there is still room for some gravel. Pour some gravel in around the big rocks. Now is the jar full? If your guess is no, you are correct. Now if you take a small pitcher of sand and pour it in around the rocks and gravel, will your jar be full? You guessed it. There is still room for some water. Pour it in. Now imagine you had put everything into the jar except for the big rocks. Would you be able to get them into the jar after filling it with the gravel, sand, and water? Probably not. Stephen Covey uses this visual aid to exemplify the fact that our time is limited. And if we let all of the small concerns, responsibilities, and tasks fill our days there will be no time for the things in our life that matter most.
What are the big rocks or priorities in your life? Are there things you would like to accomplish? Do you wish you could spend more time with your family? Or do you feel drained and empty and simply need more time for emotional and/or spiritual renewal?
Listed below are the major categories where we spend our time. Look them over. Think about where you might like to spend more time. Perhaps keep a brief diary for one week and see where you are spending your time. Then see if there are things you'd like to change. What does your healthy balance equation look like?
Physical self: Work/Home Management Sleep Care-giving Exercise Career Development Nutrition Childcare/Eldercare Grooming/bathing Housecleaning Healthcare Money Management Massage Grocery shopping School Gardening/ Yard Spiritual/Mental Self Volunteering/Giving Prayer/meditation Community Service Relaxation/leisure Fundraising Relationships PTA Intimacy Political Involvement Entertainment/TV/Movies Soup kitchen/shelter work Reading Travel In what areas would you like to spend more time? Where can you spend less time to make this happen? Most likely, you will need to cut back somewhere to make time available for your priorities.
Changing Your Perspective Keeping a positive view of the world can help you live a more balanced life. Although there are things in your life you can't change, you can control how you react to them. Try to view obstacles as opportunities and learning experiences, rather than as problems and crises. When your life is balanced, you see change as a challenge, have a commitment to a full life, and feel in control of your life.
Resources: Achieving A Healthy Balance, by Donald A. Tubesing Don't Sweat The Small Stuff, by Richard Carlson, PH.D. The Simple Living Network Web Site, www.slnet.com |
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