Balance should be a natural state for us, but is it? Do you
sometimes feel that you want to stop the world, even just for a moment, to
catch up? Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed and unable to complete all the
items on your ‘to do list’? Do you sometimes feel that time is speeding up,
giving you less time to do what you were able to do years ago? If you say ‘yes’
to most or all of my questions, welcome, and you are not alone. If you believe
it or not, time is actually speeding up, and yes, we do have more to do, or so
we believe.
There was a time
when we basically just had your profession, or work, and family. Time was
naturally balanced between work time and free time to pursue private interests. Without computers, air travel, instant messaging etc. our
lives would be more focused within our families and communities; it would be less
exciting, maybe, but naturally more balanced. We would live off the land, be in
harmony with the seasons by eating what was natural to our bodies. Yes, I know
we don’t really want to live there anymore. The past feels so far away, so
antiquated, and many of you are too young to have experienced this tranquil
life anyway. But there is a primal instinct for balance in every living entity.
Our human instincts become more and more covered up in our modern world of
‘instant reward’ with the push of a button, and the overwhelming world of
plastics and toxins.
Then there is the
information overload. It is a love/hate relationship with the media, the TV and
the computer. Can you imagine your life without these inventions? No, of course
not, me neither, but how many times have you spent late night hours on your
computer until your eyes burn and your back aches? It is so easy to ‘get lost’
on the ‘world wide web’. It is definitely exciting as long as it does not rule
your life. Yes, there is an
addiction
to TV and the computer in many of us. Of course it is an amazing tool; I am
using it right now to write this article for you and will send it shortly to the
newspaper with the click of a button. The question is whether we stay on the
computer for hours on end or not. We have to ask ourselves this question: how
much time do I spend on unnecessary ‘surfing the net’, and how much time do I
spend with my family, friends and in community activities? When was the last
time you sat down with a good book?
You have to become
aware of how much time you spend on unsocial activities, isolated from others,
or only connected through a devise like the phone or computer?
Although we are blessed being connected to the world through
these devises and they have their purpose in our lives, they can also prevent
us from satisfying our most primal
desire to be in physical contact with each other. A lot of
our modern mental, emotional and physical problems have an unrecognized root in
this unnatural isolation; it can be the source of pain on all these levels. It
creates tension and stress, impatiens and anger, amongst other disturbances.
What can we do about this?
To balance your
life will be a lifelong exercise, but well worth it. Why? Because only a
balanced life will create the joy, peace and happiness you crave for, and are
actually the most natural states of life. What are the things that soothe your
spirit, stimulate your imagination, and energize your body? Only you can find
out by taking stock of how you live your life each day.
Very often,
unwanted habits creep into your life, first uncomfortable, but through
repetition you become accustomed to them until they create problems on a
physical, mental or emotional level. Now you feel you need help, but nobody can
help you unless you recognize the root of your stress and are willing to break,
or replace your bad habits with good ones. Your body always knows when it is in
misalignment, which means out of balance.
After you have
become aware of the reasons why you feel so stressed (this may need the
assistance of a healthcare professional), and you are willing to create more
balance in your life, you only need to re-create your timetable. That means,
breaking old habits that prevent your natural state of happiness. Here are a
few tips of what you may want to do: Throw out as many junk-food items as you
find in your kitchen, because unless you start honouring your physical body and
what you feed it, your body will be in stress and toxic overload. Supplement
your food with appropriate vitamins, minerals and special combinations to
support the weakest part in your body system, because your unique genes may
need some extra support. Schedule time for outside activities; the gym is only
a substitute for outside, and not the only one; your home can be your gym, even
without equipment. Besides, our warm weather permits almost year round outside
activities and sports training.
Laugh and sing more
often, it works wonders for your body chemistry, stimulating happy moods. Sing
in the bathroom (there is something about the acoustic there, because even my
voice sounds pretty good in the shower), or sing on your beach walks, even if
you just hum a song. Sing all day long, it will keep your mood balanced. My
grandfather used to hum all day long, not really a song, but just from his
heart and spirit. I have never heard him raise his voice in anger; he lived a
very balanced life up into his 90’s. Play an instrument, play with your pet,
play with your children and play with your partner! Play and child like (not
childish) behavior is the best stress relief and a great communicator.
We never lose our inner child, it may just be
a bit dusty or covered up; bring it out again. Life is serious, but it is also
fun and beauty. We can only enjoy it to the fullest when we are in balance with
ourselves, and the natural world around us.
In my next article
I will tell you about an easy to learn method to ease stress and pain almost
instantly. It is called Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT.
In the meantime, take stock of your life and take note of
where you need to let go of stressors. You can always contact me for support.
Angelika
Christie ND is the
managing director of Radiant Health Center
Balance should be a natural state for us, but is it? Do you
sometimes feel that you want to stop the world, even just for a moment, to
catch up? Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed and unable to complete all the
items on your ‘to do list’? Do you sometimes feel that time is speeding up,
giving you less time to do what you were able to do years ago? If you say ‘yes’
to most or all of my questions, welcome, and you are not alone. If you believe
it or not, time is actually speeding up, and yes, we do have more to do, or so
we believe.
