Maintaining work-life balance is a daily challenge and some days are definitely better than others. So I started paying attention to the days I felt balanced and asked myself . . .
What am I doing on these days that makes me feel balanced?
The answer was exercise.
Mind you, I’m not big into exercise, but understand it is a necessary evil to stay physically healthy. So I do pilates to help with my chronic back pain, run the track these days because I’m training for a mother/daughter 5K, and go on family outings like letterboxing where the primary goal is fun, and exercise is a secondary benefit.
While I knew my body was benefiting from exercising, I wasn’t expecting my mind to improve as well. Yes, I’ve heard of runners getting a high from endorphins, but that has never been my experience. Gasping for breath while trying not to vomit has been more like it. But at my last pilates class, while I focused on my breathing, I felt at peace. While running the track, I felt inner strength. Yesterday while hiking with my daughters and their friends, I felt contentment.
Therefore, I’ve concluded that exercise keeps me balanced because when I exercise . . .
The nagging details that often cause me to feel mentally imbalanced, are quiet.
The ever-present urge to be productive every second, is gone.
The manic multi-tasking is reduced to one singular task . . . be in the moment.