Self Care & Balance

Welcome to the final week of the self care series. This week is all about balance. Before we get into it, let’s recap where we have already journeyed:

In our first week we looked at the role our relationships play in our wellbeing. I put a challenge out to reconsider the relationships that are bringing you down and to nurture the relationships that lift you up.

In our second week we talked about creating environments that makes us feel good. I put a few ideas out there of how I set up my own environment so that I can be clear, focused and calm. This included sunshine, colour & fresh air.

In our third week, we considered how our diets impact on our wellbeing. The challenge here was to really listen to your body and give it what it needs (and to stop focusing on numbers!).

Last week we discussed time management, but with a twist. This was about time management by doing less, not more!

And that brings us to balance. Self care is all about it. The ideas I’ve been talking about over the last few weeks have been resting on the principle of balance.

gorgeous black scales & more loveliness by Reclaim The Throne available on etsy

I’m not great at this. Discipline I can do, but balance? Balance is tough. The difference between discipline and balance is that discipline is all about rules and goals that exist outside of you. But balance exists within you. There’s no escape and no rules to break!

As someone who has not practiced pilates in six months, I can confidently tell you that balance is achieved through strength of core. Pilates (and yoga) experts are referring to using your core muscles, the ones that sit deep in your gut. The muscles that, funnily enough, are at the very core of you.

It’s this part of you, deep in your gut, that you need to switch on to achieve balance. Your core is the part of yourself that knows best. Listen to it. Trust this voice above all others.

The beauty about pilates is that it uses only your own body weight. No weights. No treadmills. No cycling classes that bruise you in ways you didn't expect. Just you. Nothing more. Nothing less.

When you are working toward life balance, the same principle applies. Switch on your core and lift your own weight. Your strengths. Your weaknesses. Your passions. Your needs. 

Other people's expectations, judgments, goals, passions and problems are not for you to carry.

I am by no means suggesting that you ignore or neglect your family and friends. As I said in Week 1, it is important to your self care to nurture your important relationships. What I am saying is that you will never achieve balance by blindly adhering to what other people say. You know your needs better than anyone.

If you remember nothing else from the self care series, remember this:

Self care is not about adding more expectations to your day. Forget rules. Forget lists. Forget consequences. This might lead to better time management or or a clean home, but it wont lead to peace. Instead, get to know your core. Trust it and it will treat you well.

Kate xxx