Balance Basics – Is Your Life in Balance?

By Lindsay Nauen, MBA, Health & Wellness Coach

One philosophy that has helped me on my fitness journey is the importance of Balance. The example of a wheel is often used to represent this concept.  Imagine a wheel that is not inflated evenly—it will not roll easily. The same is true for life balance—if the different components of your life are not in balance, you won’t move through your life productively.

I realize no one can ever be completely in balance. Throughout my day, week, month and year, there are few times when I am completely balanced. I’ve learned that the goal here is to work toward balance. At the end of the day, I’m happy that I can say that most of the time I am in balance.

There are many representations of balance (just Google Balance – Images), and for me, the most apt one is a wheel. For a wheel or a life to move forward, the entire whole needs to be in balance. The way I define a complete life balance is by the acronym SEMPS:

S Social

E Emotional

M Mental

P Physical

S Spiritual 

I learned these from my first mentor, Marq Stankowski, who saw something in a very young and inexperienced college student when he gave me responsibilities for documenting a summer program he had directed.

So, how do these components help with balance? One needs to have some of each—not too much and not too little—to be at peace. As I wrote in my book, No Quick Fixes: A Fitness Journey for the Real World:

Social – This is your relationship with friends and family. We all know social butterflies who are always going to events, and other people who are more solitary, going it alone. When you are socially in balance, you have friends and family that you enjoy. You have activities that you share. As you begin a fitness journey, your social relationships may change. You may have less time to hang out, and you may make new friends that share your new interests.

Emotional – This is your inner life, what you see in the mirror in the morning. An emotionally healthy person is self-aware, not self-absorbed. Being in balance emotionally means you are integrated and you see yourself as others see you. You know yourself and understand your strengths and weaknesses. Being in balance emotionally will help you make progress on your fitness journey.

Mental – This is your intellect and intelligence. You need to be a learner if you are going to be successful on a fitness journey. You may need to take classes or get a trainer. It will help if you enjoy learning. The more you learn about your body and how it operates, the better for you and your progress.

Physical – This was the part of my life that was not in balance before I began my fitness journey. The Greeks talked of a sound mind in a sound body. I am proud of my body now and proud of my accomplishments.

Spiritual – This is the part of your life that is deeply personal. For some, it is a connection with an established religion, for others it is more a quest for spirituality. Some find it in native religions or meditation. Finding expression in this aspect of life helps round out individual qualities and a sense of balance.

For example, if you have a demanding job, you need to bring work home and you work extra hours, you are not in balance and your life suffers. Your family misses you; your toddler starts acting up, and your health suffers. In times of stress, the rest of your life will not be healthy if you don’t focus on balance.

There are many ways to improve balance. You will need to figure out what works for you. Here are some ways to get started:

1. Be mindful of the SEMPS of balance and what they mean for you. For some, balance is needed daily, and for others, the goal is to achieve it over a week. Each day think about how you can improve your life balance.
2. Be flexible about achieving balance. There may be some days when all the elements cannot be realized. Just understand that the Wheel won’t move smoothly without it.
3. Set goals. What has helped me to achieve better balance in my life has been to set goals for the elements that need improvement. As I work to improve the physical part of my life, I have goals for motivation and accountability. By reviewing goals each week, I can see my progress and areas that need improvement.

Goals are most achievable when they are measurable, obtainable and flexible. Look for another blog on goal setting basics.

So, how do we achieve Balance? By being aware of these aspects in our lives and finding ways to nurture and enhance them. Balance will look different for each of us. You will know when you are in that state, and you will be better for it.

Here’s to a successful 2020 when your goal of being more in balance is realized!

Biography

Lindsay Nauen is a graduate of the Mayo Clinic Wellness Coach Training Program. She has been on a fitness journey for the last 14 years, during which she lost over 170 pounds. No Quick Fixes: A Fitness Journey for the Real World is the book she wrote about her experiences and the lessons she learned. For more information about Health and Wellness coaching, contact her at noquickfixes18@gmail.com.