5 Ways to Find Your Balance

5 Ways To Find Balance During Your Day

We have all started our day in a good mood and filled with the best intentions just to have it derailed by outside influences. I personally have been guilty of letting a bad few minutes not only ruin my entire day, but sometimes several days. Here are 5 quick and easy ways to help you find balance during the day and get back the control of your path. 

Mindful Emotional Awareness

This is number one on the list because this is essentially the ground floor for finding balance. We are all complex emotional beings, and yet somehow, we have an ability to completely detach ourselves from what we are really feeling until its too late. Our bodies will send us warning signals about what we are starting to feel, and it makes no difference if the shift in emotions comes from internal or external causes. Often, we ignore these signals for a variety of reasons, we are busy with work or the kids, or we just don’t want to feel the way we really do.  If you take a moment and listen to yourself, you will get a real answer on how you feel, and this will allow you to figure out what steps need to be taken next to help you fix it. Whatever you are feeling, it is OKAY to feel that way. It really is. Feel it, process it, work through it and get back to balance. 

Grounding

Grounding can mean different things to different people. People who work in nature a lot will tell you it means being barefoot and allowing the free electrons from the ground to balance you. Those who work with power sources will tell you it means rooting the wires. I am a creative person who can get caught in my own ideas and figuratively carried away, so I have always visualized a weighted balloon. Whatever grounding means to you, it is essentially the act of controlling the energy flowing through you in a manageable way.  A few easy ways to do this are to practice controlled breathing, taking a walk in nature, listening to music or simply removing yourself from the situation that is causing you to be uncomfortable until you are in full control of your energy again.

Acceptance of your own negativity

On the journey toward being holistic and thus in a state of peace it is easy to place external blame for why we feel the way we do. We can all find a million reasons why someone or something else is the reason we aren’t achieving our peace. But the truth is, if we don’t accept our own negative tendencies and viewpoints, we never really will achieve homeostasis. It is just as important to hold ourselves accountable for our negative actions, whether we take them intentionally or not. We may very well be the cause for the attitude a co-worker gives daily now, or we might work ourselves into a state of complete frustration over traffic. Accepting your own negativity is a difficult path but one that will lead to being mindful of your state of mind and open the door for changing how you think and act for the better. One mindful technique for dispelling your negativity is to write it down. The simple act of getting it out of you and on to paper is frequently enough for you to let go of it and not pass the negative energy around to others.

Think of your positives

Thinking of your positives isn’t about negating the issues you experience but simply an act of acknowledging the good in your life. When we are out of balance it is easy to slide down the slippery slope that is negative thoughts. Take a moment to think of all you have to be grateful for, or goals you are excited about working towards. A feeling of gratitude is the fastest and most powerful tool in finding balance. Gratitude can change your outlook on your day without much effort and it will re-frame your actions. Daily life stressors have much less impact when you think of all you have as pure, honest and good. Some people like to make vision boards for what they want to bring to themselves, I personally have a gratitude board where I compile pictures and mementos of what makes my life wonderful. 

Follow your boundaries

I cannot stress enough how important this is. While we are ultimately responsible for our emotions and actions, we can not ignore the fact that outside factors have a catalytic effect. It is important to set boundaries when it comes to interpersonal relationships, it is healthy and necessary. By nature, some people will plow over your boundaries, sometimes intentionally and sometimes not, but it doesn’t change the fact that it leaves us feeling uncomfortable. We must set firm boundaries and make sure they are being followed. When someone isn’t following our boundaries, we have to pivot and re-establish the boundary. This simple practice will allow you to be in control of your interactions with people while protecting your balance. This isn’t a quick fix for your imbalance, this is a long-term and sustainable option for long-term happiness.