Finding Balance

Finding Balance

?

I get it - there are a million things to do, and that little challenge called TIME has a habit of ticking on by - but before you drop yourself at the bottom of the priority list, pick a few of these quick and easy wins.?

  • Examine Your To-Do List

Analyse your tasks to determine what is essential and what can shift so you have time to look after yourself. (I needed help from a coach to figure out my priorities, and it's work I love helping my clients with, so message me if you need a hand.)

  • Breathe Consciously

Take a break to breathe deeply. There are many ways to invigorate the nervous system or calm it down, simply through breathing.*

  • Exercise

Exercise might not come in its pre-kiddo form, but it can still happen! Lifting a baby in the air ten times is as good as any weight-lifting. Copy a toddler for half an hour, and you'll have made more yoga moves than you can count, and nothing beats dancing around the kitchen for cardio.

  • Listen to Yourself

Meditation*, quietly thinking or talking to someone who can give you their full uninterrupted attention, enables you to tap into your inner voice. If you notice your self-talk is unkind, tell it to pipe down and begin speaking to yourself like you would a friend that you love.

  • Notice What You Are Doing Well

Take note of the positives! Did you dish out hugs before being fully awake, pat the dog, or smile at the neighbour? When we intentionally notice and give ourselves credit for these things, they can help counteract humans' natural negativity bias and make us feel better.

  • Engage Your Senses

Take a moment to notice what you can smell, see, hear, taste & feel without giving it a label (e.g. I see toys, not I see a mess!) Bringing our focus back to our body helps to cut out some of the stress caused by internal noise.?

  • Practice Gratitude

Recall a few things you are grateful for each day. It's quick and easy, and the science backs it up, so give it a go! Practice it with your children - together you can learn to focus on the positives in life.

When you find things more challenging than usual, pause and ask yourself, "What can I do to bring myself back into balance?" And then focus on finding time to do it because you?are?worth prioritising. Caring for yourself not only helps you feel better, but it also helps you parent better, which then makes you feel better, and so the cycle goes…

*There are apps and YouTube videos to help with both breathing techniques and meditation. I love?Balance?(even more since I discovered its ten minutes of sleep prep for kids settles my 12-year-old brilliantly.) You can trial it for free to see if it works for you.

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