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Each day it can seem like there are so many competing demands vying for your attention. As parents, you may feel like it is a constant juggling act, and sometimes (or many times) you think you are “dropping” the ball. While we often strive for balance, why can it be so difficult to achieve? Let’s unpack this concept together.
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
Balance is a term that we hear often. We are familiar with phrases such as a balanced diet, work-life balance, and balance is key. Who remembers going to the park and playing on a seesaw as a child? The whole point of this game was to try to keep balanced for as long as possible, and in order to achieve this goal, you had to work together with another person. You could not balance the seesaw on your own. As adults, while we likely are not spending much time on a playground seesaw, we can easily relate to the seesaw on a metaphorical level. Interestingly enough, we may find that we are balancing our own “seesaw” of tasks and sometimes try to manage this balancing act on our own, forgetting the basic principle of this beloved childhood game. While the concept of balance can vary between individuals and situations, in order to help maintain balance in our lives, it is important to remember the value of leaning on others for support and relying on these two seemingly ordinary, however, extremely powerful concepts: consistency and acceptance.
Consistency- What do you think of when you hear this term? The same thing over and over again? Does boring come to mind? Well consistency does not have to be boring necessarily and actually can bring about comfort and inspire creativity. Are there area(s) of your life that you feel are not balanced? What is a goal you would like to see yourself achieve? As adults, we know that by breaking down a larger goal into smaller, more manageable parts, it is easier for us to start taking specific steps on the path towards our goal. When these steps are repeated consistently over time, this can bring about the desired change. Children also thrive on consistency and often need support in creating this in their lives whether it be their daily routines or clear behavioral expectations and much more. Consistency creates a sense of comfort and security, and once children (and adults) have this basic need met, they are better able to direct their energy towards their relationships with others, themselves, and can then focus on higher-order thinking, including problem-solving and creativity.
2. Acceptance- Trying to maintain balance in various aspects of our lives can be challenging and you may consider it to be in a constant state of “work in progress.” While it can be easy to get down on yourself for not being further along in a certain area or have regret that you did not accomplish something that you wanted to on a particular day, it is important to show yourself compassion. Remember that forward progress, no matter how small, is good progress. Encouraging yourself and your children to handle expected and unexpected bumps in the road with resiliency is crucial and can be modeled for children in everyday interactions. Let’s work together to help ourselves and each other balance our “seesaws.” Our younger selves would be quite proud.
At Think Happy Live Healthy, we strive to empower our clients to find balance in their daily lives. Please contact us at 703-942-9745 or info@thinkhappylivehealthy.com to learn more about how we can help support you in achieving your goals.