Establishing Balance in the Midst of a Pandemic
““ Balance is not something you find, but it is something you create” ”
It can be a challenge to find balance, however, someone of us did find balance prior to the pandemic, whether it was spending quality time with close family members or friends, having date nights, traveling to different cities and states, etc. Once, the pandemic occurred in March 2020, everything was shut down, there was a loss of our opportunity to find freedom to travel, spend quality time with the ones we love, go shopping in-person, venturing to the movie theater, etc. This loss has impacted us as a whole within our entire mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Not to mention that some of us lose our jobs, family members, close friends, homes/apartments/land, our well-being, and so much more. The impact from last year is still present today. The pandemic has changed many of us, whether it was a positive or negative. It has led many of us to cherish the memories we had prior to the pandemic, and as a result, there have been changes made by many of us.
Defining Balance:
Therefore, you may be asking, what is the use of discussing “balance” while some of us are still processing and grieving the loss of employment, housing, loved ones, etc. Or, you may be thinking I never had balance before, so what is the purpose now. Balance is defined as a state of equilibrium (e.g. state of rest) (Dictionary, 2021). It is essential to have a healthy balance in our lives, as we continue to pour into things outside of ourselves (e.g. employment, job searching, etc.), it becomes alarming that we do that same work within ourselves. Whether it is scheduling time for reading a favorite book, obtaining adequate sleep, working on a puzzle, spending quality time with close friends and family members (e.g. virtual or in-person), exercising, providing great nutrients for our bodies, and more.
Importance of Balance:
Being balanced shapes your entire emotional, mental, and physical well-being which leads to a positive productive life both in our professional and personal lives. The consistency of finding balance is crucial especially as the world is slowly opening during this pandemic due to an availability of vaccinations, mandate of face masks in public, courtesy of the six feet distance, continuous sanitation cleanings, etc. Nonetheless, the pandemic as mentioned previously has taught us a great lesson about the concept of balance, and how it has impacted our mental/emotional well-being.
I am here to tell you that I support you in this new journey of self-discovery, especially in the midst of the pandemic to opt-in with creating balance within your life. Create that space or opportunity to enrich yourself whether it is a phone date with an old friend or family member you have been meaning to call for several weeks, going hiking for the first time, or diving into an audio or print book. Whatever it may be, please cherish this time and the memories that were cherished with others in the past, to create new memories.
2020, can be seen as the year of many things: tragedies/ loss, challenges, or growth, but what does 2021 look like for you. This year (2021) allows us the time to make room for ourselves. We have made room or space for everything else in our lives, now it is time for us to process and move forward with this new opportunity because “We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own “to-do” list”- Michelle Obama.
Take care, continue to be safe, and utilize this year for self-reflection as you create balance within your life whether role or responsibilities that have been to lay upon you as a parent, spouse, employee, caretaker, etc.
