Maintaining Balance. It’s jsomething we could talk about forever. There are a lot of things that seem so easy to talk about and this is no exception. We could give a lot of methods on how to maintain balance for hours but then, we get knocked down, just one time and we get to see that it’s not so easy. So when it comes down to it, the pressure mounts and you’re at the edge of the cliff, how do you maintain balance?
I felt it all crashing about last week. And I knew then that with all my talk, I didn’t have it together at all. I was practically a preacher of proper balance maintenance but apparently, I failed with the level of strain I felt, physically and mostly, emotionally. I was trying so hard to make sure everything was running smoothly, striving for perfection in all the areas I was experiencing stress. It was like stacking cards on shaky ground. The foundation was already bad but I kept stacking and of course, it took one gentle breeze for everything to crumble down.
I had strained myself so hard till my emotional and physical elasticity snapped. I didn’t need a seer to tell me that I needed to slow down. I was already down on the floor. So, I mandatorily took a break from everything that was contributing to that strain for me. And Hive, of course, was one of them. At a point I could've hesitated, the accountant in me mentally ticking how farther I would be from the goals I’d set for myself and how much I’d stand to miss out on but I knew that I couldn’t possibly remain when even picking up a pen sounded like a dreaded chore.
So I knew I made the right decision. And then I decided to focus on all the things I’d stopped doing. The piled up books in my phone to read, movies to watch and food to eat. I froze all Hive-related apps, ceased all social media operations and stayed in bed, amusing myself with books and binging on fruits, mostly bananas which were straight from the backyard.
It was weird not writing something for Hive, especially since I’d written every single day for more than three months now. My body had already been programmed to that schedule and I could wake up from a nap suddenly and say, “Woah, I’ve not written anything for Hive today.” And then I’ll remember that I was supposed to be hibernating and smile and go back to sleep.
I wouldn’t lie. That little break made me happy. It’s like when you’ve been running on a treadmill and then you suddenly face the calm that comes with slowing down to a stop. It’s more than a little exhilarating and it made me relax my mind and just focus on taking care of myself and putting back that smile on my face that I didn’t even notice had ebbed away.
But I didn’t just relax. I made plans. Plans to ensure I didn’t have to go through such a breakdown again, at least not if I could help it. I needed to find ways to maintain that balance and so I started jotting down the things I’d been doing that had been detrimental to my health and better approaches to it.
First was, knowing when to STOP. Because whether we choose to admit it to ourselves or not, our body gives us signs when it’s getting strained and it’s no longer comfortable. But we choose to ignore it. Forging ahead and not giving care to it. I was very guilty of this and I knew that I had to learn to take a break. Stop for a bit and reflect on what was going awry.
Next, as it pertains to me, was not forgetting the things I loved. I guess part of that subconscious resentment stemmed from the fact that I’d completely alienated myself from the things I loved doing. My other hobbies asides writing. And this time I had made me reconnect and I felt a lot of peace doing it.
I’ve made a lot of mental notes on changes I need to implement in my life. Big on the list is taking life easily and living my life one day at a time. Bearing in mind that if I collapse in a bid to meet all those goals, I won’t still achieve them and end up losing even more.
I guess no one is under any obligation to slow down just because I said so but I promise, you’ll do yourself a great service if you calmed down sometimes. Breathe. And maybe you may not eliminate the things stressing you, but you’ll be calm enough to work it out. Rationally. And with a clear head. I can't be sure not to go through stress again but I'm determined to be better at dealing with it.
All images are mine.
Jhymi.🖤
Life is a marathon and not a sprint. In my view, we need to take breaks as often as we can. That's how we increase our elasticity giving us the ability to do more work over time. Maintaining balance is hard but it is a skill we can all learn. Great post :)
Thanks for your thoughtful comment dear. You're very right. Have a great day.✨
You're most welcome :)
Cheers!
Hi @jhymi,
I appreciate your perspective on maintaining balance and your ability to identify things in your life which restore and maintain your balance.
The one day at a time approach is my personal mantra, and a faith that everything will work out as it is intended to.
If we view life as a set of learning experiences, it also helps to restore perspective and maintain balance.
As well as inherently knowing personal value and worth to yourself and others.
Nicely written :)
That's right. So glad you resonated with it. Was a little worried that it didn't make a lot of sense. But if you're able to relate with it and leave this heartfelt comment, which shows that you do understand how these things work, I guess it's all worth it. Thank you so much and it's nice to meet you @futuremind
It definitely makes a lot of sense.
Blogging has been instrumental in working through things in life for me over the years, like making connections with other likeminded people who've experienced similar things, self reflection through writing, and exploring new creative pathways.
On the flipside sometimes a self isolation for self reflection is also necessary.
There's many kindred souls who understand on Hive.
It's nice to meet you as well @jhymi.
its funny i'm reading this today! I was just looking at the daily rankings on dreemport and you won 1st place on this hehehe
but I was just talking about my balance with a dear friend today. He was asking me how I'm managing with some of my own issues and we went back and forth talking about how life has changed for me over the years hehehe
balance. it really is the key to so many things in life - but so very difficult to maintain!!!
I prefer no balance HAHAHAHA
i prefer to go full steam ahead - without stopping, no pauses, no breaks. just keep going.
but that leads me to very bad places. very HIGH HIGH places - and very low low places.
we do figure it out over time though, because necessity dictates that we must. survival is our top priority.. hehehe
i'm glad that you took some time off and got refreshed :)
Really? I didn't even know that. That's nice.🤗
It's usually not so easy, maintaining balance I mean, but like you said, we figure it out as time goes. We get to understand ourselves better and know how things work for us or what could assist us maintain that balance.
Thanks for your insightful comments as always Dreem. And I hope you're doing well too.🤗
You needed a reset.
I do and just go offline, I guess the older you get the more you actually learn the signals and just say fcuk it and do it.
Glad you took the advice of @deraaa and took that break to recharge your batteries.
Yeah, I guess we youngsters keep trying to stretch our limits.
I'm glad I took her advice myself. Thanks Tengo.🤗
Stress is something that can multiply if we aren't careful. The things we're supposed to do that just pile up and then we're drawn to the unlucky side where we have to ignore the signs our body/mind gives us because we don't want to seem lazy. But if we don't take a break, how human are we?
Your approach is one of many you're yet to discover. You'll see that as time passes, your approach towards things like these would change until you find the one system that just works for you.
Kisses Love 😘
That's true. And the beautiful thing is that I have these amazing people in my life to work it through with me. Thanks for everything sweetheart.🌺🤗
This is the summary 👌.
One of my bosses (pastor) once told me that if I die while fasting, others will continue from where I stopped. lol😄.
In life, we are our first doctor before the one in the hospital. We first notice when a pain is coming and it's ideal we do everything possible to curb it because, to prevent is better than to sacrifice.
See the way it's looking like I'm preaching. Lol😄
I think your boss is right. Even though he had a funny way of putting it.
It's good that you can resonate with this Pastor Kingsleyy. We are our first doctors indeed. Thanks for your thoughtful comment.🌺
Pastor?😏😏😏.
Lol.
You writes well🤗
(I'm saying this often like I promised)
Thank you. I won't grow tired of hearing it.😁🤗
It's nice if you take the time to provide valuable content and blog if it makes you feel great. However, slowing down every once in a while is better than pushing yourself to a limit where you feel stretched. I'll like to fire away at things, but when I need time out, I take it without apology.
This was a lovely post:)
Thanks for your #KISS
I enjoyed it 😉
lips sealed
That's honestly the right way to go. Thank you for the opportunity to reflect and share our thoughts and experiences like this.🤗
I just posted my response to this wonderful prompt and I kid you not, it is all about slowing down.
How can we really live, if we don't take the time to experience life itself xxxxx
I read it and it really resonated with me. Slowing down and experiencing the beauty of life is really the best way. Thanks for stopping by.🤗
Boundaries! Yes, that's the word. Boundaries with oneself; super important.
I was listening to a couple of ladies on their podcast—christian show—and they talked about boundaries; boundaries with people and self. The part about boundaries self is something people often over look.
Knowing when to stop, slow down, shift, and all that, is a
Very crucial for one's healthy continuity in this life. It's important to recognize that. You do, and it sure is helpful. It helps to maintain balance.
I hope you're well now. I hear from dera...
Thanks for this really thoughtful comment. It's nice to see that you resonate with things like this. Knowing your boundaries and limits and stopping or slowing down when it's time is necessary for overall peace of mind.
Really nice to meet you. @olujay
And yes, I'm doing quite well now. Thanks again
Stress comes automatically if we treat ourselves like a machine. So, sometimes we need to take a break and refresh our minds. In this digital world staying disconnected from online platforms can help us to feel stress-free. I also do it sometimes.
True. Thanks for stopping by.✨
You actually experience life better when you slow down
True. Thanks for your input.
I can relate so well with what I just read. I hope you are good and feeling better now.
we all deserve a break from life, am everything and just enjoy the peace that comes with the natural air.
Be strong for all our good wishes are with you.
came across your post from dreem
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