“There is no such thing as work-life balance – it is all life. The balance has to be within you.” – Sadhguru
We love to get Shit done. Checking items off our to-do list brings us an immense amount of joy. I am addicted to achievement, to doing, to high performance. However, this week, I was feeling overwhelmed. Between teaching 5 yoga classes, working a 60+ hour week, wrapping up 4 projects, executing on a prospective client proposal, and making time for family and friends, I felt like Stretch Armstrong being pulled in a thousand different directions.
For many of us, overwork is a normal part of life. Our culture rewards the value of achieving, producing, and doing. We rush from one activity to the next, and if a meeting is unexpectedly cancelled, our natural instinct is to fill it with something productive, lest we feel guilty. In this worldview, relaxation is a luxury, an infrequent gift we give ourselves. This hectic lifestyle impacts both our mental well-being and our happiness. Nevertheless, when we can find a healthy balance between work and play, hustle and chill, we discover a deeper fulfillment and squeeze more bliss out of life.
There is great wisdom in the pursuit of balance in our lives. Work and productivity are great, but hard work will not make us happy unless balanced with relentless rest, pure play, and lifelong self-love. One of the wonderful things about practicing mindfulness is that it reminds us to create balance. As we learn to listen deeply, we grow our intuition for self-compassion. In order to enjoy life, it is vital that we ease our pace. Perhaps that means adjusting priorities, replacing activities that do not add value with time out in nature, or making time for people that elevate our mood.
With a few minutes of mindfulness each day, we strengthen our instincts for what serves us and what does not. Eliminate what does not. Creating balance begins in the silence and stillness where we listen to our minds, bodies, and hearts. This allows us to become genuinely aware of our deeper motivations, desires, and needs.
Remember, our time here is limited. Breathe, tune in and listen. Let the balance of each inhale and exhale guide you into a calm peaceful state that floods into every corner of your life. Cry hard. Laugh harder. Speak your mind, unapologetically. Always be kind. Always lead with love.
Enjoy what comes of today, friends.
Leave a Reply