Do you need more balance in your life?

I've found that lately, I'm having conversations about balance with many of my friends and clients. It is a struggle for many of us, including me. Whether it's changes in work demands or routines, or perhaps home care needs like increased elder care, daycare, or pet care, the need to adjust and be flexible seems constant. Or perhaps you are tuning into what you need in a more meaningful way and trying to make time for something for yourself. Or maybe you've received news about your health or someone else's, which means upending your schedule and adjusting to accommodate appointments, that pivot seems always present and demanding. All of this and more is necessary. Life is an ongoing exercise of unending, meaningful, necessary changes being thrown at us, many times without our consent. It has always been that way, and I would suggest that everyone here is a change expert or balance manager, likely more than you give yourself credit. Each of us faces varying degrees of change each day, and most likely, you do that with grace and ease, sometimes without even pausing or skipping a beat. That does not mean that every time we are faced with a decision, it is easy to push through or that our reaction is the same. Sometimes it is not that easy, and sometimes those feelings of anxiety, frustration, resistance, uncertainty, unknowing, and even anger set in. And when we begin to feel these negative feelings, we often follow up with behaviours that match, such as procrastination, avoidance, isolation, analysis, paralysis, two-finger saluting (blaming anyone but ourselves), running away, crying, tantrums, and more. Does any of this sound familiar? Let's explore this further...

What is balance, anyway and why is it important?
​Research by Sirgy and Lee (2017) defines balance as achieving minimal conflict between one's roles in life, both work and non-work. Finding balance is important, as it plays a significant role in health, family satisfaction, overall wellbeing, and, when it comes to work, research supports that balance leads to increased productivity, higher job satisfaction, and more outstanding overall organizational commitment (Chung & Van Der Lippe, 2018). I agree wholeheartedly with this. I know I need and want balance, and I know when my balance is feeling off or when I'm tipping slightly and feeling overloaded. Check mark!

READ BELOW TO LEARN HOW TO ACHIEVE MORE BALANCE...
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Tips to find more balance...

1. Prioritize. Take a moment each day and prioritize. You can't do everything, and sometimes that means letting something move to the bottom of the list or become deprioritized. Taking time to prioritize helps reduce the clutter in your mind and saves you time and money.
2. Create boundaries. It's okay to create boundaries in all aspects of your life. Give yourself permission to do it and go for it in a meaningful and intentional way. Boundaries like defining your working hours, sticking to commitments, being punctual and more.
3. Set realistic goals. Try goal-setting in a more realistic and achievable way by building goals that take you forward one small step at a time. Big, giant leaps tend to be unmanageable and often end in disappointment.
4. Practice mindfulness. The research supports this, and I can attest from firsthand experience that mindfulness leads to a balanced mind. It helps reduce stress, anxiety, and improves overall well-being. If you have never taken a program to test drive or attended a mindfulness sharing circle, and meditation - JOIN US! We meet monthly, and it's a wonderful experience. Reach out and ask me and I will send you a link to join us this month.

Monthly Sharing Section...

A GOOD READ: I like to toggle my reading time between fiction and non-fiction books. Sometimes I adore being taken away to another world. I love that suspension of belief, finding myself lost in the creativity of someone else's amazing ideas. I have recently been enjoying the Wayward Pines trilogy by Blake Crouch. To learn more and see some reviews you can check it out here: https://www.goodreads.com/series/116296-wayward-pines​

WORTH LISTENING TO: Do you enjoy podcasts or audio experiences? I like to immerse myself in a good one from time to time. Check out our podcast. There is an experience for everyone as we explore a diverse range of genres. You can find all of the episodes we have launched here through this link to The Admit One Radio Hour: https://linktr.ee/admitoneradiohour​

SOMEONE I'M FOLLOWING: For those interested in developing your knowledge about Menopause and Perimenopause, I have a wonderful person to follow and connect with. Her name is Tricia, and you can connect with her here: https://mythirdbloom.com/home/ or here: https://www.instagram.com/MyThirdBloom/​

An amazing event is coming up on Saturday, May 3rd, 2025, that you won't want to miss! Get all of the info for it on Tricia's website...

NOTE: I am no longer on FB. I am continuing to follow on Instagram and LinkedIn, so please feel free to connect with me there. If you would like me to share something with our community that fits nicely under one of the three headings above, please email me directly and share it with me. Here is how to connect: jen@admitone.ca

Monthly Mindful Meditation

To stay on theme, I have chosen a meditation that takes you on a journey through some of the mindfulness guiding principles. Think of this as a meditation that builds on the foundations of mindfulness. The meditation is ~15 mins long. Enjoy!

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With gratitude,
Jen James
jen@admitone.ca
​https://www.doublejstrategic.com/​

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References

Chung, H., & Van Der Lippe, T. (2018). Flexible Working, Work–Life Balance, and Gender Equality: Introduction. Social Indicators Research, 151(2), 365–381. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-018-2025-x

Sirgy, M. J., & Lee, D. (2017). Work-life balance: an integrative review. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 13(1), 229–254. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-017-9509-8