The Subtle Art of Finding Balance
Is true balance (in health and life) a myth..?! Can we really do it all?
Hold onto your surfboards, because we're about to ride the waves of life and debunk the idea that true equilibrium is just a bedtime story for grown-ups.
I firmly believe that we can find true balance in life, but it doesn’t always look the same AND it might require prioritisation. ‘Doing it all’ on the other hand - depending on how your define ‘all’ - is a tricky one.
The beginning of the year is a good to time to reassess what’s important to us, and therefore where we want to spend our time and energy this year.
Understanding Balance in Life's Different Seasons
Balance (and ‘doing it all’) looks different in different seasons of our life.
In my current life stage, I’m lucky enough to have enough free time to find balance.
After hours with clients or sitting in front of a screen, balance means indulging in ocean dip or surf as the sun dips below the horizon.
These moments of respite are not just about leisure; they are essential acts of self-care, helping recalibrate my mental and physical well-being.
In early motherhood, balance might take a different form. For example, it might mean allowing yourself an extra ten minutes under the shower's soothing cascade, washing away the fatigue and resetting your spirit. It's about finding those brief moments of tranquility amidst the whirlwind of parenting.
Releasing the mindset of ‘doing it all’ can be so liberating - how would it feel to release those expectations from yourself?
Why Balance is More Than Just a Buzzword
Because it's absolutely vital.
Balance is the keystone for maintaining incredible energy – the kind of energy that empowers us to do the things we love and be the person we aspire to be. It's about harmony between work and play, effort and relaxation, giving and taking.
Within the body, it’s about finding and maintaining balance of our hormones, oestrogen and progesterone; balanced blood sugar levels, balanced microbiome.
So let’s take a dive into what it might look like if we fall out of balance in various systems of the body.
Your HORMONES are out of balance?
When our hormones are out of sync, it can feel like riding a rollercoaster blindfolded. Mood swings, fatigue, and a host of other symptoms can emerge, making it clear that hormonal balance is a pillar of our well-being.
Oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone are our main sex hormones. Great energy, great skin, great libido, all come from having these key hormones balanced.
For a cycling female, we want good oestrogen in the first half of our cycle (but not too much!), and then that will drop off in the second half of our cycle, which is when progesterone levels rise and come into play.
Oestrogen helps us feel energised, social and juicy, and progesterone helps us feel content, calm and grounded.
What does it look like when either oestrogen or progesterone are out of balance?
Bad PMS
Heavy periods
Tired
Low libido
Excess weight
Irregular periods
Struggle to conceive
Your IMMUNE SYSTEM is out of balance?
Our immune system is like a finely tuned orchestra. When it's out of balance, we're either at risk of getting sick more often or, conversely, facing an overactive immune response that can lead to autoimmunity. Finding equilibrium here is crucial for our body's optimal defense.
Our immune system really works to keep the whole body in check - it’s the system that responds when we pick up a bug or virus; it repairs cuts, bruises and sprains; and it clears away debris within our cells. It’s really doing it all!
When it’s not functioning optimally - it can be sluggish which looks like getting sick regularly and staying sick, or over zealous which leads to autoimmunity, think allergies, arthritis, thyroid issues…
Your GUT MICROBIOME is out of balance?
The gut microbiome is an ecosystem within us, teeming with microorganisms that play a pivotal role in our overall health. An imbalance here can lead to digestive issues, and surprisingly, it can even affect our mood and mental health.
We’ve got an incredible amount of life living within us, most of this is in the digestive system! There’s a bunch of the good guys, these bugs produce nutrients for us, break down our food and help regulate the immune system. The bad guys cause issues like thrush, sugar cravings and drive autoimmunity. Gut microbiome balance and immune system balance are very tightly interrelated.
Your WEIGHT is out of balance?
Weight is often the most talked-about aspect of balance, and understandably so. It's a visible indicator of our lifestyle choices. An imbalance can lead to various health issues, emphasizing the need for a balanced diet and exercise routine.
I tend to focus my clients away from using weight as a measure of health, but that doesn’t mean we don’t look at weight at all. Putting on weight indicates that there’s a system (or two!) out of balance.
It’s not quite as simple as this, but it may be that we’re eating tooo much food for the amount of movement we’re doing daily. (Although there’s many reasons we eat too much food, and there’s issues where we can’t access the energy and nutrients from the food that we eat).
I aim my clients to focus on the other body systems, and other indicators of balance - and weight loss is a by product of finding balance in the body.
Embracing the Fluidity of Balance
In conclusion, balance isn't a unicorn we're chasing but a dance we're learning. It's not a myth, but it sure keeps us on our toes. So, let's embrace the rhythm, ride the waves, and dance through the chaos. After all, life's too short for a static balancing act.
As you’ve been reading this, if you’ve related to anything I’ve mentioned, it does indicate that there are body systems that are out of balance. And even if it’s just a background feeling of fatigue - that means that something just isn’t quite right.
In my upcoming workshop, I’ll be breaking down the strategies to help you find balance again. I would love for you to join me, in either Raglan on Sunday the 18th of Feb or Hamilton on Tuesday the 20th of Feb.
Let’s make 2024 the year you feel the best you’ve ever felt!
Click on the image below to reserve your spot now ⬇️
Early Bird pricing available until end of Jan!
If you’re not based in the Waikato, or can’t come along to the workshop - I’d still love to support you on your journey to find balance. We can do this my working together one-on-one to tackle your health goals, and find balance - please reach put for more info or book a free 20min phone consultation with me to see if working with me in 2024 is something you’d like to do.