12 Apr Finding Your Balance and Creating a Fulfilling Life

By Alyssa Marmo

The key word here is “your”. When we think of the daunting word balance, *may cause eye roll*, I feel certain many of us can agree our lifestyles don’t always reflect the ease, steadiness, or equilibrium used to define the word. The busyness and unexpectedness of life can cause us to feel like we have lost control of our routine or healthy habits. In turn, our lives then feel disorganized or even chaotic. I’d like to share a little secret. You get to choose! With each season of your life, you get to repeatedly choose what balance looks and feels like to you. You get to choose which habits/ activities you’d like to prioritize to create a routine that reflects your version of balance and ultimately, feels satisfying. Most importantly, your version of balance is completely dependent on your self-discipline and commitment to creating the fulfilling life you are seeking. 

And so as an experienced human and psychotherapist, I encourage you to reflect on the following: what does balance mean to you? What does it look and feel like, to you, to live a balanced, fulfilling life? If finding and maintaining balance is an area for growth in your life, I have included three small steps you can take today to begin re-examining and reconstructing your version of balance.

Disconnect to Reconnect

Quite simply, step away. Take a breath then take a break. So often we are deep diving into emails, the socials, endless meetings, and jam-packed schedules that we forget to take even a second to disconnect, and this means from other people, too. In my experience, I have found that taking time to disconnect from the outside leads us on a direct path to reconnecting with ourselves on the inside. Which seems like a great place to start when reestablishing balance within your life. When exploring your balance and big picture of a fulfilling life, explore and incorporate mindfulness practices with the goal of slowing down, disconnecting, and finding space within yourself. 

Setting Boundaries aka Saying “No”

I am here to tell you that it is okay to say “no.” Not only is it okay, it is encouraged. When we continuously overcommit to things that are not essential or bring us joy, the result is burnout, making it nearly impossible for us to maintain a healthy balanced life. Creating boundaries around your time is healthy and necessary to start balancing out the areas of your life that have become overwhelming due to overcommitment.

Fuel Your Body to Move Your Body

I have worked with a nutritionist for about five years and in that time I have learned an abundance about nutrition and our bodies. One message that always stuck out and continues to ring true is: food is fuel. How often do you leave home without eating breakfast or packing lunch? Or completely forgetting to eat all day then binging at night? Not to mention feeling lethargic most of the day to only feel restless at night? If you can relate then congratulations, we have something in common: room for growth. Our bodies are beautifully designed machines that require energy or fuel to sustain the thousands of thoughts, decisions, and activities we engage in daily. The quality of food we eat and sleep we get is directly related to how we feel and function throughout the day. So naturally, improving our diet and sleep patterns allows for increased energy and movement, resulting in a more well-balanced life. Take time to reflect on your current eating and exercise habits and routines, take note of where you can make small adjustments and improvements. Then, take your first step.

Final Thoughts

Finding your balance and creating a fulfilling life is about exploring and finding the routines, habits, and practices that work for you in your current season. Finding your balance starts with creating awareness about what is and is not working for you and making adjustments to reflect the fulfilling life you want to live. You get to choose! And if you need some help and guidance along the way, contact our office to schedule an appointment with me today. It would be an honor to take this journey with you!