We want to live a soul-driven and heart-centred life, inside and out. We wanna be there, fully present, fun and light for our kids. We wanna be a great partner, with lots of inner space for the other one to feel received and understood. We wanna be the full blown go getter achiever at work, in our business, in life. We've got tons of things on the go.
Sometimes, our sense of wellbeing can suffer, as we keep on expecting and doing and achieving and giving and and and .. All those expectations create a balance act between the worlds of being busy and of being well. Yes, we need to look after ourselves. We know that, but it's too easy to ignore those needs until they HAVE to be acknowledged. Sometimes we need to get stressed and overwhelmed, and if that isn't enough to snap us out of business mode into self care mode, then we even need to get sick until we realise that we are mortal beings!!
I know about this fine balance only too well. I've run businesses for many years, whilst having little ones, a beautiful relationship, a highly inspired and visionary mind (and those ideas wanna be expressed and created!) and a strong wish and need to listen to my body (those of you who don't know about me and why I learned this early, go and read my story here). I've been having to learn how to keep this fine balance a million times over and again and again.
I often get asked by my clients how to best do this and so I would like to share 10 top tips today with you how to maintain the fine balance of BUSYness & WELLbeing.
Tip 1
Proper Sleep
The number one way to maintain wellbeing, a great immune system, strong nerves and happiness is sleep. How much exactly you need to feel good and keep it up over long term depends on you and your body. Some people love to sleep and process their whole life like this. They might sleep 9-10 hours a night. Others say "I wish" and regularly only get 6 or less hours. Generally, a healthy amount for the body to rest and revive overnight is 8 hours. That's a third of our lifetime! No wonders it's so important!
It also depends on when you get this rest for the body to recharge, as the hours before midnight are generally said to be the deepest ones. So, if you're working till the crack of dawn, have restless kids to look after and generally sleep too little hours, you know that you need to balance this lack of sleep out. You could plan in some early nights, in which you make sure you turn the lights off super early, set enough hours aside for it and just let your body recover. You could balance those long days out with naps during the day. No matter what you choose to do, make sure your body receives the rest it needs. It will thank you for it by producing lots of happy hormones called endorphins, bless you with a strong immune system and nerves like steel (not those short snappy tempers that you get after a bad or short night's sleep).
Tip 2
Keep up a nutritious & healthy diet
An alive, well balanced and, if possible, organic diet is a must to keep our bodies working well, healthy and well. Whilst it is great to have lots of fresh fruit and veggies, it is important to remember that it is protein that sustains our energy over prolonged periods of time. Remember to start the day with a proper breakfast. It should include some sort of protein, so it can provide you with lots of energy for the first half of the day.
Protein can be of vegan, vegetarian or animal sources, ranging from fermented brown rice protein, over whey products to meats. Pick whatever suits your body type and philosophy.
On top of that, fermented foods assist in a healthy gut flora. Our gut flora has a direct link to our brain. More and more scientific studies are showing that those with lots of healthy beneficial bacteria in their digestive system are way less prone to depression, mental conditions and disease in general.
Tip 3
Drink LOTS of water
H2O is a must for the body to function. It's so easy to forget that the body is made up of 55-60% water and that it is vital for it to keep functioning. Sometimes we get sweet cravings, sore ears, headaches, attention problems, tiredness, etc all just because we are actually thirsty!
So make sure you remind yourself every day with a full glass or a water bottle on the desk, in your bag, or wherever you see it constantly. It's about clean and clear water here, NOT other drinks, as we wanna make it easy for our bodies for once. We don't want to overload our Kidneys straight away again with the next load of work to filter all this extra stuff we bombard it with. Instead, we wanna make it easy by providing it with clear pure water - straight up.
Tip 4
Check in with yourself regularly
Make sure you get a proper amount of time off each week in which you do meditation or some other form of deep self reflection and centring. I usually aim for an absolute minimum of meditating properly once a week and then keeping up this connection with my inner self by checking in daily (and several times so). This checking-in involves grounding self-help tools that I shared in my blog 4 Simple Ways to Centre & Ground yourself.
They help me keep feeling centred, calm, at peace and inspired, trusting and in the flow - even when I don't get the chance for a daily meditation or journaling practise!
Tip 5
Keep moving
Our bodies are made to move and jiggle! Crank up the music and have a dance party with your little ones or all by yourself, jog to work (if it's not too far) or join the local gym (I know, this is more time consuming again). Do whatever it takes to make you move at least 10-20min a day to release good amounts of endorphins (our happy hormones). Shake out those tired sitting bones, stretch your meridians, use those beautiful muscles that make you feel alive and good!
Stretching our meridians helps release all associated emotions and hormones and therefore assists us in letting go all sorts of stuff that no longer serves us. Stomping out all excess tension can be like a brain dump if used in the right way - leaving you feeling refreshed and tons lighter!
Tip 6
Keep breathing
Do you know that so many people hold their breath? Do you breathe deeply, so that your belly moves up and down? Or are you a shallow chest breather too like most others?
By breathing right into our belly, we give our lungs the chance to fully empty out and refill with fresh new air. Our diaphragm gets the chance to release and relax, which in turn has a beneficial effect on our Solar Plexus nerve centre and stomach just underneath it. Both of these are directly associated with our mood and if we're feeling anxious, stressed and tense.
Releasing our diaphragm and having a relaxing effect on our stomach and solar plexus gives us the chance to relax, digest foods and situations properly and handle life in general a whole lot better.
Tip 7
Set yourself some kick ass goals
Use the power of the mind to create the life you're dreaming of. Set yourself some daily goals and things you wanna achieve. Of course you wanna write and rewrite your big vision and goals all the time, but what I mean here is breaking it down. Make a list of 3-5 top goals (smaller tangible steps towards your big goals and visions) every single day. And once you've achieved them, tick them off. That way you fill yourself with gratitude and a big sense of achievement at the end of each day which will in turn build your self-esteem, help you believe in yourself and get you a few steps closer to your big vision and dreams!
Tip 8
Be aware of your dark side & flip it
We all have a shadow lurking somewhere in the dark that usually jumps out when we least expect it or don't have the time to hang out with it. It's the one that comes out when we get triggered and are tired, hungry or exhausted. It's the side we don't want to see or have in our life. What we usually don't want to accept is that it is a part of us like the night is to the day and that the sooner we come to terms with this fact, the better. We need to grab those shadows of stuff we don't like about ourselves and flip them into the light. Illuminate them with our own understanding of how far those exact shadows have brought us to the point where we are today and how they've benefited us. We need to remember that only our experiences and ours alone have made the cup that we call 'I' full and beautiful as it is!
Tip 9
Keep processing & integrating
Journal, make notes, do regular brain dumps. Process your life beyond to-do-lists. Take moments to just sit and reflect, let your thoughts drift without guiding them. Trust that your mind will know what needs to be processed.
Do anything you need for your brain to stay clear and focused and your life to be decluttered and organised (If you haven't done so yet, read my blog 5 Steps to systematically clear your mind & life). Only where there is space, new ideas can develop. Only if there is space, abundance on all levels can come.
Tip 10
Watch your thoughts
No matter how much you sleep, movement, journaling and setting goals, if your attitude and mindset keeps you stuck in limitation, lack, fear, blame and stress, you need to change it. Watch your thoughts by being super aware of where they are going. Write them down if need be, otherwise simply sit and listen whilst doing the dishes, driving, walking, jogging etc.
Become aware of how you are talking to yourself. Would you talk like this to a good friend?
To top it off, work with positive affirmations and write them all over your bathroom, toilet, fridge, dash board, office desk (or wherever else you spend lots of your time and will most likely see it several times a day). This will turn your whole life around very quickly by bringing more open mindedness, ease, self-love and opportunities into your life.
I hope you'll keep those 10 things in mind when you continue your busy days as soul-driven & heart-centred practitioners, change makers, mums, entrepreneurs & busy bees! Your balance and happiness is close to my heart, therefore I will be releasing some goodies soon, to help you create the most balanced, happy, fulfilling and inspired days that you've ever dreamed of!
Keep your eyes peeled :)
Until then, keep an eye on your food & water intake, your inner self, movement/exercise levels & breath, and of course your goals, reflections & shadows waiting to be flipped from the dark into the light!
The fine balance is happening between your mindset-body-spirit - look after these three and you'll be well, even when you're busy!
In the comments below, please let me know which one of these 10 tips or part of your life you're struggling with the most to look after! What tips the fine balance between BUSYness and WELLbeing over for you? I'd love to hear from you!
And if you’d like my FREE visualisation technique to get you out of a busy mind and back into your body you can download the quick video training here. You'll instantly feel more relaxed, centred and grounded for it. Guaranteed.