We talk about balance like it's something you can achieve.
"I want a balanced life"
"I need a better work/life balance"
"Part of a well-balanced breakfast"
The truth is that balance is more like a state you can experience. And it never exactly lasts.
Balance is a temporary state, but you can learn to listen to your own body’s cues to come back to that state more and more often.
Think of your thermostat that keeps your home a live-able temperature.
You might set it to 70 degrees, but that doesn't mean the house is always exactly 70 degrees. Instead, the thermostat monitors the temperature, and when it dips below 70 the heater kicks on, warming the space. Once the temperature reaches 71 the heater will shut off to allow the space to cool down.
The temperature is in constant flux.
Just like YOU are in constant flux.
It's totally normal to pass back and forth between too-much and not-enough on your way through to balance. The big problem is that so many of us have forgotten what balance feels like!
On the bright side, our body is a high-tech balancing machine! Think of how well it keeps us at the perfect body temperature! It's constantly helping us regulate and come back to balance.
This weekend I made a big detour outside of my balance-zone.
I had an event to attend that basically resulted in 4 hours of eating and drinking things I would not normally eat or drink.
Followed by a night feeling very unbalanced indeed.
Luckily, after a few years of practicing staying in my balance, I was able to listen to my body’s cues about what I needed to come back.
-Lots of water
-Vegetables
-Carbs
-Protein
-Gentle movement
So Sunday was devoted to filling my body with extra portions of the stuff I had neglected and replaced with sugary drinks and alcohol.
Honestly, this happens to me a lot when I “let myself go” on vacations. The last time I was in New Orleans I remember I woke up one day literally craving salad because I had had so much sugar and rich foods the days before.
Once I learned how to listen to my body’s cues about getting back to balance, though, it allowed me to worry less about micro-managing my eating habits. I know now that I can let myself enjoy different food and beverage opportunities, and then follow my body’s hints to get back into flow the next day.
This has actually become a HUGE part of how I coach people! One of the first things I do with clients is to help them get super tuned-in to the signals their body sends, and start listening and learning how to interpret. Follow your body back to balance! It works every time.