Finding Balance in our Lives

"If nothing else, my life has taught me one thing: The mind and body that I have are the only mind and body that I have. They deserve my attention. And when I give it, I receive so much more in return." -- Matthew Sanford

I think that it is important to all of us to find our inner calm...while our lives might get chaotic and stressful, we need to make sure that we have balance. The mind body connection is strong and if your stressed, anxious or upset, your body will try to tell you that something is wrong (for example; stomach ulcers can occur after an especially stressful event). Other physical signs may occur due to stress, including; insomnia, change in appetite, high blood pressure, back pain and upset stomach; just to name a few. Not to mention the fact that stress can lower your immune system, which can result in sickness and infections.

So, what can we do to bring balance into our busy lives?

• Get outside. Even just 5 minutes on your back porch will do you wonders.
• Take a breathe. Close your eyes, take a deep breathe....then take another. Easy. Refreshing.
• Repeat your mantra. If you don't have a mantra, you should. Just a phrase or quote that makes you feel good.
• Dance. Turn on some music and take 5 minutes to get up and move.
• Touch your toes. Stand up, stretch. Get the blood moving.
• Write. I often find putting some words on paper that reflect how I'm feeling, will help declutter my brain.

"Learn to pause...or nothing worthwhile will catch up to you" -- Doug King

Obviously, meditating, exercising, grabbing coffee with friends, playing with our kids and vegging out with a good book, will all help too; but the other ideas are great suggestions for when we find our plates over flowing with work and we don't feel we have time to take a break.

So, the next time you find yourself overworked or overstressed...breathe....

In good health,

Wendy