General SSP Poster 2022
Find your balance this year
It is a new year and we know you probably already made a few resolutions.
You may have a lot of new ideas and in order for you to reach your goals your schedule (and good intentions) may start to run your life and railroad your priorities, as opposed to you taking charge of your schedule and priorities.
The result is exhaustion, stress, and frustration.
Be aware of the following warning signs and take action to bring a greater sense of balance to all the areas of your life.
Your life may be out of balance if
your “to do” list appears to be the size of Mount Kilimanjaro
you feel you are very busy but not sure you are accomplishing anything
you are constantly tired, have headaches or other physical and emotional signs of stress
you feel like you are living for someone else’s schedule and have lost your direction
you feel as though you’re moving through life with no choices, no purpose or freedom to pursue your highest values and priorities.
you realize there are areas in your life that you have neglected. Instead of living your life to its full potential, it feels like you’ve spent valuable time and attention to other things
So, how do you bring your life back into balance?
Follow these steps to bring more balance into your life
1. Acknowledge and accept that you cannot do everything all the time
You only have so many resources: time, energy, money, etc. You are only one person and cannot always manage to do it all.
So, stop; take a deep breath and regroup.
All you can do is all you can do, and all you can do is enough! Let go of the need for perfection, and of solving all problems for all people. You cannot do all that needs to be done, all the time.
And that’s OK.
2. Manage yourself, not time
You can manage your activities. Everyone has the exact same amount of time – 24 hours in one day.
Many days we wish we could just tack on a few more hours to finish a project, or to get more rest or to do other things we would like to be able to squeeze into our day.
Managing yourself reflects a sense of responsibility in what you do in a day, and in a lifetime. It is being proactive and realizing the power of choice and knowing what you do have control over.
3. “Add and subtract”
Regarding activities: What pressuring task are you willing to give up, or subtract, in order to have or achieve something more important in a different area?
To do more of one thing, you must do less of others. You must be willing to cut some activities from your schedule.
4. Just say “No”
“Will you…?” “Can you…?” “I just need a small favour…” “We can always count on you.”
“You’re so good at…”
What happens when you hear these messages? Do you feel flattered, annoyed or used?
What do you think will happen if you say no? Sometimes we say yes to things because we feel pressure to give an immediate answer. However, always remember you have the right to take some time to think about what you can reasonably do before responding.
Being able to say no is a critical piece in reducing stress and balancing your life. It also gives your yes’s much more power!
5. Schedule time for yourself
If you don’t take care of yourself, who will?
If you don’t take time and steps to preserve your health and well-being, then who will?
It is wonderful to have other people in our lives we can help, work with, be friends with and share activities with. However, you should be your own best friend first.
I know you want your family and friends to have the best of you! It takes deliberate effort on your part to make that happen. Make it a priority to schedule the time and place for yourself to bring what gives you comfort, health, joy or whatever you most need now.
Be intentional in resting, in playing, in growing. Take at least 10 minutes a day to read, to walk or to rest. Scheduling time for yourself is a must if you want the best of yourself ready to tackle your busy schedule.
6. Live with purpose!
A life oriented around an authentic and passionate purpose is one that is much easier to keep in balance.
For this reason, there is no perfect, one-size-fits-all balance plan you should be striving for.
The best life balance plan is different for each of us because we all have different priorities and different lives.
The quote, “Life is a journey, not a destination” has much value in terms of reminding us about the value of maintaining a balanced life. There is no “last and final time” to clean our homes, care for our children or families, maintain our own health or accomplish some goals.
There will always be something we need to do, even after retirement, and this is a good thing!
Remember you always have a choice when it comes to how to live your life, the activities you want to be involved in and the people you want to share relationships with.
