How Many Plates do You Have Spinning?

In Latin, the word for spring is “ver.” Add an “nal” to it and you get a word that translates to “of the spring.” Tonight at precisely 11:06 Eastern time, the northern hemisphere moves into spring with the official-sounding term “vernal equinox.” Day and night are each approximately 12 hours long on the vernal equinox, meaning that for a moment, at least, we can say we’re living in balance.

There are a lot of ways our lives can get out of balance. Sometimes we don’t realize we’ve over-committed ourselves until several important deadlines coincide, making it tough to make time for anything but those commitments. Sometimes a person in charge of an important project gets sick and you get deputized to pick up their workload, along with your already full one. Sometimes we think we want something – job, relationship, child, whatever – and then when we get it, realize that the responsibilities and time commitment were not at all what we thought they would be.

Balance doesn’t exist then.

Have you ever seen one of those circus performers who keeps dozens of plates spinning on long poles all at once? It’s entertaining and amazing and also nerve-wracking and stress-inducing. Occasionally a plate falls to the floor, splintering into an unrepairable mess.

That plate could be your life. Don’t let it be. ?

As the planet experiences a moment of balance, look for ways to introduce more balance into your daily life. Prioritize things that help you de-stress, connect with friends and family, and feed your own soul. If you need to, use the one word that’s guaranteed to help you set and maintain healthy boundaries on your time and resources – “no.” The world’s second-shortest podcast, Wellbeing Wisdom Tiny Bites, deals with keeping your life in balance often – here are three episodes that can help you.

• Need help for the workaholic in your life to regain balance? Here’s a Tiny Bite for that!
• Is uncertainty over a big change making you feel off-balance? Here’s a Tiny Bite for that!
• Do you need help saying the one word guaranteed to help you regain balance? Here’s a Tiny Bite for that!

For today, where the world is in balance on the vernal equinox, focus on what feels out of balance in your life. Maybe even make a list of the pieces of your life that take too much of your time and focus, leaving you feeling like you’re short-changing other parts of your life that matter. Think about what can be delegated, what can be streamlined, and what can be eliminated altogether. Now that you’ve done that, make a plan to create more balance in your life, starting today.

Wags,

Sandy Weaver Program Director, Center for Workplace Happiness

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