Listen to the podcast on this topic here

Maintaining a healthy work-life balance that genuinely suits me is nowadays all about "the moments in between." For a long time, I considered this balance in a "work-hard-play-hard" manner. I would work tirelessly, completing tasks even faster than my initial goals, and then I would let go of everything and relax.

Time and time again, I've learned that this specific method doesn't work well for me. After hours of intense work, attempting to maintain a constant state of productivity, I'd find myself physically drained, mentally restless, and unable to quiet my mind from thoughts of to-do lists and unfinished tasks. My heart would race, leaving me feeling breathless and anxious.

‘I'd find myself physically drained, mentally restless, and unable to quiet my mind from thoughts of to-do lists and unfinished tasks.‘

This has been my journey for the past two years. Running my own business, living in a bustling city, and wanting to do everything all at once has taught me a lot about how my own system operates. It seems that balance for me personally is about the little moments of relaxation in between. Instead of pushing myself to the brink and then attempting to relax, I now try to incorporate small breaks into my daily working routine. During these breaks, I reconnect with my body and notice the subtle cues it's always giving me.

The mind as a runner in a marathon

Imagine your mind as a runner in a marathon. When your thoughts are sprinting at full speed, your body instinctively tries to catch up. You start to breathe more superficially, your heart rate increases, and parts of your body tense up. Just like in a physical marathon, we need the proper composure to finish our run successfully.

So, during these breaks, I give myself time to compose, calm my nervous system, breathe deeper, and integrate. After all, overwhelm is nothing but an overloaded nervous system that needs time to process all the input it has received.

During the group coaching sessions I used to offer to women seeking to improve their relationship with food, we called these moments 'reset buttons.' We strategically placed them throughout the day, and they held each other accountable. These little moments in between, moments of simply breathing without distractions, acted as anchors in their hectic lives.

‘These little moments in between acted as anchors in their hectic lives.’

My daily practice

In my current day-to-day life, these reset buttons are spread all over. I take screen breaks every hour, sit outside in the sun for five minutes, ride my bicycle through the park while listening to nothing but my surroundings and my thoughts, walk around the block without my phone, or simply close my eyes and deepen my breath while sitting in a busy cafe working.

The three essential elements I ensure these breaks contain are:

1. Breathe: Paying attention to my breath, slowing my entire body down by taking in more air and breathing deeper.

2. No screens: Taking my eyes off any screens.

3. No other distractions: Trying to avoid any other external input like podcasts or music that might draw my attention away from my internal state.

I don't think striving for balance is a rigid practice. To me, it feels like a dance—one that combines structure and flow. It's like having a container to store water while making sure the container is large enough to give the water some space to move inside it too.

‘Striving for balance is a constant dance and it’s meant to be that way‘

Checking out the podcast here >>