Take a moment and think about the things in your life that may need to be balanced.  Your first instinct may be to say your checkbook or your work and social lives.  And that’s an okay place to start.

Look around yourself.  Now ask yourself “Why are people not reaching where they want to be in life?”  It’s simply because things are out of sync…and they need balancing.

When I was given this lesson, so many things just clicked in my head between this and cultivating my own happiness.  They are somewhat relative and this one made me look at specific areas and things that I could be doing wrong or that I could definitely make improvements upon.

I looked it up and this was the closest thing I could find to the Life Balance Wheel that I want to look at.  There are several different ones out there that throw in a few extra things here and there, or even leave out elements that this one has.  I prefer this one, so this is the one I’m going to use when talking about creating balance in my life.

Life Balance Wheel

Don’t kill your eyes trying to read whatever that is scribbled in the colored areas.  The main things I want to look at are those big words around the edge of the circle.

You may be looking at this thing and wondering what on Earth it is or what it means.  Don’t worry..I’m going to break it down as it applies to me.

Environmental-enjoying the surroundings in which you live. What
you come home to has an important effect on how you feel day to day. If you’ve got
lots of unfinished jobs around the house or you’re not happy with where or how you
live, look at what you could do to change it. Pick one outstanding task and aim to do
it by the end of the week. (http://clareevans.co.uk/life-balance-wheel/)

Did you know that the environment that you spend most of your time in can alter your mood or add extra anxiety to your already full plate?  I had never even thought of this before.  And this is where I got my decluttering blog topic from.  Your environment may include people, where you live, clutter, etc..if something is out of whack, you’re going to feel it.

As I looked around my house, I saw nothing but things that needed to be done and clutter.  And then I made up my mind that it was time to get rid of everything that I don’t need or don’t want.  Or even clothes I wish still fit me.  Every day that I’ve done this, I’ve felt so good and like I’m being cleansed.  It’s really hard to explain.  I have trouble doing this at times because when I was younger, we had things…but, it wasn’t a lot.  So, when I got older and decided I could earn whatever I wanted, I didn’t want to let go of ANYTHING.  So, this has been EXTREMELY good for me.

I have to remind myself that if my environment is not conducive, I will not feel well.  So what I/we need is a good, healthy and therapeutic environment.  Whatever that means to you.  For me it’s new paint and a lot of extra clutter GONE!

Intellectual (not be confused with IQ) – get to know yourself better. What steps could you take this year to increase your own personal development? What behaviour would you like to change? Is there something that you’d like to learn to do better? (http://clareevans.co.uk/life-balance-wheel/)

This is the one that I enjoy working on the most.  Though, I tend to get carried away with it at times and then neglect other areas that need balancing.

By expanding our creativity, our knowledge and our skills; I/we can help to refresh our emotional selves.

Often times, once we finish schooling or Education, we stop thinking about growing as if there were a cap on that.  There isn’t!  We have the ability to learn as if we were sponges and to take in so much more.  Get out there and take classes on something new!  There are community activities available in most areas, especially larger communities.  Places like Hobby Lobby, Lowe’s, Home Depot, Michael’s and even the Public Library all off classes or resources on how you can get involved.

For me, I love the arts.  I go out to the theater from time to time to see plays, I’ve been to see the Community Orchestra, I work on paintings and crafts and I write.  All of these things are using my creative mind and help to make me feel good.

Physical– being fit, healthy and well. Are you a healthy weight for your height?  How physically active are you – do you take regular exercise? Do you have a healthy diet – limited intake of sugar, caffeine, alcohol and processed food? When was the last time you visited the dentist, got your eyes tested, checked your blood pressure? (http://clareevans.co.uk/life-balance-wheel/)

Sure the above things from the cited website are important, but there are other things that fit into this category as well.  It’s basically recognizing our need for nutrition or diet, sleep, and exercise.  If any of these things become imbalanced, you’re working against Mother Nature and it isn’t going to bode well in the end.

With my anxiety, I actually have trouble sleeping.  A lot of trouble.  Even if I go to bed early, I wake up multiple times throughout the night after only two to three hours of sleep.  The next day, I feel like complete shit.  I’m on medications to help with the amount of rest I should be getting – but at the moment, they don’t seem to be working.  And I like to walk because it’s a natural form of stress relief for me.  Feeling the breeze, the ground and taking in everything around me.  Unfortunately, all Seasons and weather don’t permit me to do this during certain times.  And at night, it just isn’t an option.

Career/Occupation– enjoying your work. Is your job enjoyable and fulfilling? Do you have a plan in place to improve your career/business prospects, gain promotion or plan your retirement? How are your working relationships with your boss, colleagues and others around you? Get to know what makes them tick – after all they’re people too. (http://clareevans.co.uk/life-balance-wheel/)

The above website cited this strictly from a Business standpoint.  However, this could be something that you do on your own or even volunteer work, as well.  Balance comes with how much satisfaction is derived from what you are doing.

For me, inactivity leads to depression.  It’s best that I kind of stay busy, but not get too carried away to the point where I don’t know if I’m coming or going anymore.  I have to make time to rest, too.  It’s all part of the balancing act, isn’t it?

Toxic co-workers and work environments also can lead us to be miserable.  In order to avoid this, set your personal boundaries from the get-go and learn how to say “no” more often.  There were many jobs that I had when I was younger, where I didn’t know how to say “no”, and to be honest I’m still learning how, but I suffered from severe burnout and often got taken advantage of because of it.  Don’t be like younger me.

If you need somewhere to volunteer (I volunteer most of my time to animals), you can Google the United Way or get matched with an agency near you at volunteermatch.org.

Emotional-Stress is inevitable.

Learning how to manage and cope with stress levels is a vital part of life and balance.  Things that you can be doing to work on emotional balance are identifying triggers or things that amp up your anxiety levels, going to therapy/counseling, attending support group meetings, and make sure that you have the proper medication if you’re prescribed any.  This also means to make sure you’re taking the appropriate dosage and not skipping any.

Whoa!  That’s a lot.  For me, this one is extra important, too.  If it’s neglected, I will notice right away.  I have triggers such as: a lot of random noises going on at one time, family, money, and a whole slew of things that I’m now forgetting because I’m having to try and jot them down for you.  ha-ha.  I do attend therapy sessions once per week and have been making great progress with our weekly meetings.  We usually just talk about anything that’s been going on in my life, or things that may have come up over the past week and how I’ve dealt with them.  This combined with my medications (disregard my sleep medication at the moment), help me to feel as though I have some balance in being able to communicate openly and honestly with someone who will not judge me in any way.  Then, I also attend a weekly Support Group, as part of my after care and to help keep me on my toes.  It’s nice to be able to go through things with people in the room that understand what it is you’re going through.  And I never stop learning in there.  Never.  I had a second Support Group that I was going to, but I just didn’t find it as helpful.

Financial/Money-having enough to meet your needs. Do you know what it is that you
need on a monthly basis? Do you have any large credit card bills or loans? Do you
save 10% of you income? How well do you manage your expenses, investments
and savings? Would you like to have financial independence? (http://clareevans.co.uk/life-balance-wheel/)

This is everyone’s go to item for balancing.  Having satisfaction with your current financial situation.  This encompasses living within our means, Retirement, Savings accounts, 401k, you name it.

I don’t really have a lot to say about this one.  And there isn’t a lot that I can say about this one that applies to me right now.  I do have a Savings account, a 401k and enjoy living within my means.  I am a thrifty, frugal person and I don’t typically like spending money on things that I don’t immediately need.  And if it’s on myself, forget it.  I’d rather go for necessity or giving to others.

For those of you interested, here is a sample of a simple budget.

Social-having time to relax and enjoy yourself. How regularly do you take time out for yourself to go and do something you really enjoy? This is one area of our life, which can get out of balance when we spend too much time at work. Arrange to do something this week to increase your fun. (http://clareevans.co.uk/life-balance-wheel/)

When I was taught this lesson, I was told that it’s best to have good and meaningful relationships.  It doesn’t have to be many as long as the quality is there.  Remember this.  I’ve had to, as I’ve isolated myself off from pretty much everyone.  I also need those people that I can trust to bounce ideas off of.  When I’m facing a difficult decision in my life or even an easy one where I’m being completely indecisive, these people can help to steer me in the right direction.  Or they may be like “hey, no, let’s not do that – it’s not a good idea.”  I’ve also found that if I surround myself with uplifting people, I feel better about myself and who I am as an individual.  I wouldn’t make it through the day without these people.  And I have to ensure that I have a good support system.  My support system up until now has been very thin because of events and choices…and because I did isolate myself for so long.  But, I now have my best friend to include; who has been there for me every step of the way and who always finds the time to encourage me to keep working at it.  He’s been a tremendous help and someone that I can trust and lean on.  And thankfully, he never seems to get tired of me going off on the same old subjects.  I can be me.  I love him dearly for that and more.  Anyone who has that kind of friend, should count themselves blessed.  Beyond that, I have the weekly Support Group and my Therapist.  I think it’s a healthy foundation, though quite a bit smaller than most peoples’.

Spiritual-having a sense of purpose.

When I went into the Hospital, I had lost this.  I went in and said that it was my last resort and that I was “hoping to find hope” there, as my last stop.  And I did.  And I’ve regained my sense of purpose.  Even if one person reads my blog and learns something from it or takes something from it.  That’s purpose.  Even if I smile at a stranger and it makes their day entirely better, that’s purpose.  Helping others and animals.  I have my purpose back.  I’m not religious, but I have considered becoming more Spiritual.  And although, I may not attend Church on Sundays, that doesn’t mean I can’t have Faith in Something more than myself.  I still question what I was put on this Earth for, but I think it was to teach and to touch other peoples’ lives in a positive way.  At least, that’s what it feels like to me right now.  And I can live with that, because that’s something.  And where I walked in, all hope lost..I found it again.

Remember when you’re trying to balance these areas of your life that one can feed off of the other.  All eight need to be in balance.  If your wheel isn’t balanced, think of it as a wobbly and uncomfortable moving object.  Life isn’t going to stop for you.  Instead, you need to find what you’re neglecting and fix it.

While I was in the Hospital, these were the things I wanted to work on in each category to become a more balanced individual:

{Goals for the Balance Wheel}

• Environment-I need to declutter and find a way to organize my house.  I may need to even repaint some areas.  And fill the house with a scent that will reduce my anxiety (ie Lavender).
• Intellectual-I can learn new photo/camera/editing techniques for my photography.  I will pick up my arts again and do my best to experience new things.
• Physical-I will do my best to eat better and to increase the amount of water that I drink.
• Career-I will learn new ways to promote my photography and will set aside time during each month to Volunteer.
• Emotional-I will learn other methods to cope with anxiety, stress, and high emotions other than cutting.
• Financial-Continue to be thrifty and frugal in a healthy manner; not spending on things that I don’t need to spend on and to put up extra money.
• Social-I will interact with more people in different environments to help break me out of my ‘comfort zone’.  I will join a Support Group.
• Spiritual-I will find meaning and blessings in the things that I am able to do.  I will understand that I’m touching someone or something positively through the work and volunteering that I do.

If you knew me, I think you would be proud to know that I have been doing a fantastic job (imo) at all of the above things.  And I’ve been doing great at switching between them when I feel one or the other is being neglected.

As always, thanks for reading.