How to find balance can be a complicated task at times. When I think of balance I think of a 3-legged stool, and when one leg isn’t as sturdy, the stool will fall down. Our life seems to work much that way. When one aspect of life begins to take over others, (think work/love/play, spiritual/physical/emotional) then our whole world can feel like it’s crumbling. I can so relate to this. Like the time that I started saying “yes” too much in the work world, leading me to an off-kilter feeling that sent me into a period of discouragement and struggle. How do we avoid getting off kilter in our world? My name is Christina, a mother of three, and I am excited to join Simple Acres as a contributor to help with just that!

Often as moms we put the needs of others above our own. A good thing in my opinion, as this is an altruistic pursuit that can leave us moms feeling inspired to do great things, but without balance, can lead to feeling run-down and gasping for air. I am learning that as you add more kids into the picture (now with 3 myself!) the demands of life seem to steadily increase and often I am barely keeping my head above water. I wonder if there is such a thing as balance?

Feeling off-kilter and out of balance in life has lead me on a search for the things that create balance and order in my world. Here are a few things I’ve been learning….

How to Find Balance

• Acceptance and Attitude. Some stages of life with kids are very trying and balance is seldom achievable (think infant stage). Part of life is learning to accept these stages for what they are and adjusting our attitude toward them, knowing that they will not last forever. Your sleepless little infant WILL start sleeping, your terrible two year old WILL stop throwing (as many) fits. Learning to give yourself some grace and accepting these phases for what they are will go a long way toward a happier, balanced you.
• Practice Gratitude in All Things. One thing that has helped me tremendously this past year has been consistently journaling things I am grateful for. It’s amazing, the act of writing down three things I am thankful for each day helps to transform my day into a more positive one. So, even when you aren’t feeling the least bit grateful, just setting aside some time to journal about what you are thankful for will help you get into a better frame of mind.
• Learn to say “No” and stop feeling Guilty about it. Remember that ‘work incident’ I referenced earlier? Well, I eventually learned to say “no” to so many extra shifts. And you know what? It felt amazingly freeing! No one was telling me I had to say yes, except me. No one else knows how much of a toll saying yes to so many commitments places on our hearts and in our life. Begin to assess your boundaries with your commitments to others and learn to say “no” to help save your sanity and your family’s.
• Plan times to Unplug and Unwind. Taking time to put your needs in front of everyone else’s every once in a while is actually a good thing. We are better moms for it! When we lose our ability to connect with nature, ourselves and find regular time to do things we enjoy, we lose some of the joy in life that can turn us into frazzled, harried moms that lack the ability to see the positive side of life with kids. What can you do this week that will help recharge your batteries? Do you enjoy reading? Can you sneak away to a library for an hour of quiet time? Is walking your thing? Maybe you can walk around the neighborhood (sans kiddos) to have a little time to think and take in nature and your surroundings. It is so amazing how much just little increments of time for ourselves can do for our souls. It can help us to reframe situations in a more positive light because we have had time to take care of ourselves.

I challenge you in the weeks ahead to find activities that you enjoy, (or used to enjoy before kids 🙂 ) to learn to say “no” to outside commitments (if that is something you struggle with) and to practice writing down things you are thankful for on a daily basis. Maybe you will just find when you look back over your days that even the things we are stressing out about are things that we can also be grateful about as well. For more life inspiration read here.

Christina is a mother of three, an endearing wife, a Registered Dietitian, a lover of all things books and reflection. Christina is a loving soul always looking for new ways to enrich her life and the lives around her. She seeks personal growth and simplistic insight day to day in her life journey. She will be offering inspiring articles on how to simplify your life as a way to increase meaning, joy and peace in your life. Book reviews to encourage personal growth and SO MUCH more are coming your way friends! I am thrilled to welcome her to Simple Acres and I am sure you are to! How can you find more balance in YOUR life?

P.S. For more articles on finding balance in life:

This post is part of a blog hop from Blogs & Business. Check out some of the other awesome blogs participating:

The Art of Better | Being Mrs. Beer | Women Winning Online | Mommy My Way | xo -Ava | Kori at Home | Ma Bell Vie | Stellar Mama | The Jessie K | Make & Do Crew | This Kenyan Traveler | Blue Eyed Babies | HebrewDawn | Leah With Love | Fighting for Fitness | Tot Tot Goose | Nurture Her Nature | Blogihealth | A Cotton Kandi Life | The Bipolar Mama | Simple Acres | Dawn P Darnell | A Kreative Whim | Scarlett Ballantyne | My Unfiltered Chaos | The Big Red Patch House | The Mother Blog | Diary of a New Mommy