Where it all began
The starting point and the inspiration to find more balance in life
Then, at the end of the day, I was so happy to crash down on the sofa and just let my head rest from all the hecticness from the day. I thought to myself, only a few minutes before I will get up again and make some proper dinner and then head out for a walk or a run. Well… I bet, you as well as I know, that those few minutes ended up as hours of endless scrolling on the phone. One day I caught myself in the act and thought this is not how I want to live my life. I refuse to let my work consume me to the extent that I wouldn’t have energy left to enjoy myself.
So that evening, instead of crashing down on the sofa, I sat down and did some real reflection. What did I want my life to look like and when was the last time I had felt I had it? Of course the big elephant in the room, what was I truly longing for and what could I do to bring it in? Pen and paper in my hand I started to scribble down letter after letter, that then turned into pages of journaling. I didn’t stop at free time fun focuses, but as I was already in the flow, I did what I would call “saving the day” and figured out all aspects of my life.
It’s amazing how many answers we hold within ourselves that we don’t even know of. I think, in todays world that is more or less best described as an Audi on the German highway, just speeding past us at a good 200+ km/h, we’ve ought to remember that life happens here and now and it truly is NOT what it is, but rather, it IS what we MAKE it to be.
After my journaling session, I saw a clear pattern in my writing. There was a red thread throughout the pages that all lead to health and balance. Looking even deeper into it, I identified 3 main highlighted topics, which were mental, physical, and emotional health. These three aspects was what I had masterfully managed to create a beautiful disbalance in but what I would now focus on to bring back to equilibrium.
Truth to be told, there is no one way to do this but one things is for sure… the deeper you know yourself the better you can keep the balance even when things get hectic and stressful. Just to add the quote “as humans we are equipped to handle stress, i’s when we don’t have direction that it overpowers us”. Having sorted out my 3 topics that would bring harmony, sunshine, and flowers back to my daily reality, I now needed to come up with an action plan.
If you are like me, you know action plans are not the issue. The bugger “consistency” is however, so my challenge was to find ways to keep consistent with my action plans and not let them stumble at the starting line. Your gal loves some simplicity so here’s what it could look like:
Physical health - I started to go on runs on a daily basis and my consistency tool was my dog. Obviously my dogs butt muscles grew faster than mine but needless to say he was the perfect tool to get me to dodge the sofa. I later also rejoined the gym as I had journaled about the gym being the happy place for me in the past. The immediate effect felt after just a few weeks was a rush of new energy and regardless of what had happened during the day, that run or gym session always was the highlight of the day.
Mental health - this topic can be misunderstood just by reading the word “mental” so let me set the record straight. In my version of it, I refer to the clarity of thinking and sorting out your thoughts and plans. I identified that for me, learning something is a vital part to keep my thinking straight. As a massive overthinker, I “save the world” in my head over just a coffee brake. Being able then to channel the energy in new directions can work wonders. Having to “save the world” constantly is consuming and exhausting (trust me) so the less I have to do it the better it is. This strategy has lead to positive outcomes not only for me (learning new languages and exploring new places), but also for my work as I have enjoyed certifying myself in budgeting and other useful career skills.
If you don’t know how to identify what would work best for you, slow down for a second and feel into it. Where does your head drift off to, and what are those places that doesn’t necessarily support you?
Last but not least, emotional health - the biggest loophole for me… As a true and trusted former nomad and vanlifer, I have created a trusted network around Europe. After years of living that lifestyle, I wanted to base myself and start to build some solid ground. This is a slow process just like Rome wasn’t built in a day nor is slowing and settling down either. It’s a constant work in progress of building a tighter network around your new lifestyle is rather an exciting long term project. I like to take part in events and workshops to feel social and active. Once in a while, someone sticks around for a coffee and a new friendship is built.
Not everyone will have the same 3 topics that will bring harmony and balance to life. Nor will everyone find solutions in the strategies I found growth and progress in, but that’s not the point. The point is, if you are feeling you live in an autopilot state but don’t want to, it’s only you who can change it and nobody but you stand in your own way to do so. Some people are changing their life in a matter of months whilst others do it in years, we are all in charge of what we want to accomplish. It all starts by knowing who you truly are on a deeper down level and what you want your reality to look like.
