Compartmentalize or Balanced living?
Compartmentalize or Balanced living? Which is better for having a holistic, happy, healthy life? Can we do both?
While I can often be heard touting the benefits of leading a balanced life, in all aspects, including the way we eat, move and rest our bodies, to be completely honest I am more likely to compartmentalise. I tend to get consumed by what I am doing, put all my energy into it, then move on to what I have been perhaps neglecting. There will always be those parts of our lives of which we must pay attention to on the whole, our children and partners being aspects of live so important that I feel can not be neglected, ever. Though even in saying this, there will inevitably be times when we are putting so much into our work that we are not spending as much time as we may like with our loved ones, and this is ok. The most important part of compartmentalising and balancing our lives is that we remain present with whatever and whomever we are putting our time and energy into, in that moment.
This has come up for me of late as I seem to be throwing myself into a new endeavour, an hour South of our home, and loving every minute of it. This new opportunity has been so all consuming, and fulfilling, that I have found I have very little left in the tank for anything else. Luckily my life tends to balance out in such a way that over the past 4 days, as I have been consumed with this new work opportunity and 12 + hour days, my Husband and Daughter had a trip together to visit the in-laws so I could, quite un-selfishly, embrace every moment of being immersed in the art of Yoga, knowing they were being looked after. I know this time will pass by, things will begin to balance out, and I will find a flow in my new ways, but to find this flow I have needed to chuck everything I had into this time, just to know I gave it my all.
It’s a little like when we have a newborn. If we can put everything aside and allow ourselves to be consumed with the tiny bundle of vulnerability we have created, only for a few months, then things begin to smooth out and we are able to incorporate this new addition into the fullness of our lives. The same works for a new job, new love or whatever your ‘new’ may be.
As much as I love to focus on the new and exciting, I have over time developed a personal practice that I hold on to, and this is one thing which will serve you in being present and grounded no matter what is going on in your life. Daily I work through my practices, which help me to feel both calm and empowered, and from here anything is possible.
Alicia xxx