Finding Balance

Finding Balance

By Breanne Szabados

Balance. It seems like it should be so simple to find, but with all of the things we are juggling these days, it is often a struggle. Especially since balance looks different for everyone. There isn’t a secret formula that works for every person. Sometimes, balance even looks different for each of us depending on the week or the month or the season in our lives. I think this is one of the reasons why finding, and actually maintaining, balance can be such a challenge.

What does balance look like for you in this season? Maybe it’s leaving a few nights a week unscheduled or making sure to block out time to move your body a certain number of days each week. For me, these past few months have felt so busy and overwhelming at times. As a result, I have learned to see empty dates on my calendar as blessings. Time where I don’t have to be anywhere or do anything, unless I really want to be. I am an uber-organized planner, so I usually have my weeks planned out in advance. However, balance for me lately has been to resist the urge to plan every day and week to capacity. Instead, to embrace some open calendar space and if I feel energized or social, then I can commit to plans when it feels right to me, even if it is last minute. This feels unnatural for me, but it feels much better than having tons of plans and wanting to cancel them at the last minute because I’m exhausted and not up for it.

I used to thrive on having a calendar full of events, trips, concerts, dinners and excursions planned for months in advance. But, having so many years of quiet during the pandemic and not being able to have many plans has truly changed me in that regard. Part of me feels disappointed about it, like I’m missing out on things and not truly living life to the fullest, but this quieter, more balanced schedule feels more aligned for me right now. That’s not to say that things won’t ever shift again (as we know, everything is constantly changing in life), but I am really trying to embrace this mindset and truly listen to what my body and spirit need right now. That is what balance is to me, which means that it is never fixed, but is ever-evolving and changing, as our lives ebb and flow with time.