By Kaeli Van Regan
Balance is something you might have pondered, talked about and strived to achieve. Often it is something that you work on or that will come in the future when you have more time and energy.
Some areas where you might feel like creating more balance are time with family and friends, self-care, hobbies, relaxation, healthy eating habits, exercise, and increased purpose. Having a checklist can bring you a feeling of being more overwhelmed or guilt when you are not able to accomplish it all.
It is wonderful to recognize what types of practices and activities bring you happiness. Naturally, you want to eliminate what is causing stress and add what brings you pleasure. It is not the items on the checklist that bring the balance but the feeling of balance that fills your life with enrichment.
Going about balancing your life this way really is a balancing act. Both sides of the scale might be carrying the same weight but how long will it be before something or everything starts falling off?
The question is: how do I get the feeling of a balanced life if it’s not by following a list? What do I need to do?
One simple way to start is with gratitude. Being grateful for your life and the world you live in brings you the same feeling that balance brings you. This is a feeling of inner calm and freedom that allows you to live your priorities.
Let’s get on to how you can easily introduce the benefits of gratitude in your life:
Window of Gratitude
When you open up those curtains in the morning speak out loud how thankful you are for everything you see.
Add the Attitude
Every time you finish an activity or transition in the day be thankful for your abilities and experiences.
Hint* You may be thankful for booking an appointment or that you arrived home safely.
Family Heart Song
Give each member of the family a chance to say thank you for what made their heart sing or what brought them pleasure that day. Mealtime is a great opportunity to be thankful for the meal and what the earth provides.
Hint* It could be feeling snowflakes land on your face, the excitement of playing a fun game in gym class, or satisfaction of having a good conversation at work.
Gratitude Journal
Before you tuck yourself into bed you can write out what you were thankful for that day. When you write them in a journal it gives you the chance to look back and see how many things there are to be grateful for.
Hint* Work your way up to 15 gratitudes and challenge yourself to list new ones each day. You can also list three things that you did well that day just to cap it off.
Have fun trying out one or more of the Gratitude Practices and let me know how it goes for you. Stick with it for a couple weeks and you will start to notice how the benefits increase for you and your family.
Kaeli Van Regan is a certified life coach with the Quantum Success Coaching Academy. She guides individuals, groups and families towards ideal lives through the creation of skills and goals. She lives with her family in Old Ottawa East.
She welcomes questions or ideas at
kaeli@ohthatsite.com ~ 613-292-0652
