balance
/ˈbal(ə)ns/
verb put (something) in a steady position so that it does not fall.
Greek fabulist and storyteller Aesop is quoted for saying "it is possible to have too much of a good thing." After the last world war, we (as a global collective) have managed to live our lives almost without interruption, being able to obtain near immediate responses to our questions, travel far and wide to our heart's desire, and became unstoppable in our quests. That is, until March of 2020. In order to safeguard the health of as many people as possible and prevent our healthcare systems from collapsing, we find ourselves in a global quarantine to keep ourselves out of harm's way.
The majority of those alive today do not remember ever having gone through something like this (we all may have had specific incidents particular to where and when we were born) on a global scale, and the uncertainty of when the recommendations to "shelter in place" will be lifted is a huge contributing factor to everyone's rising anxieties.
This is where balance comes in.
We started these series stating that the key during this time is perspective, and in order to change our perspective we're focusing on four main things: gratitude, creativity, balance, and empathy. So how can we find balance in a time of uncertainty and fear?
First, let's remember the most important reason for being in a good mindset right now: one of the ways we can be proactive is by optimizing our immune system and giving it the resources it needs to work hard to protect us. Those components include getting enough sleep, eating well, and remaining as active as possible. While many of us battle many anxieties on a regular basis, these may be exacerbated during this time, and thus it's key to recognize them and help ourselves dimish them so that our bodies won't suffer.
The easiest way for us to find our center and cancel out the 24/7 cycle of bad that is in our faces via the news, is to focus on the good parts and look for (or create if you must) silver linings.
Actor John Krasinski (The Office, A Quiet Place) decided to start a small YouTube broadcast titled "Some Good News" to share and help everyone enjoy the good in the midst of these unprecedented times.
Animals have been free to roam around cities due to the desertion (including most recently these mountain goats strolling about in North Wales), and there's been lots of wild sightings of all kinds of species thanks to the decreased human presence. This is very much in line with the idea that this time should serve as a reflection of what our impact on the environment is, and that we can actually take action to decrease our footprint so that we don't keep having "too much of a good thing" and affect our futures negatively.
People are getting creative in order to celebrate the important moments, and Social Distancing Parades have been born. Whether for milestone birthdays or even as a celebration of a chemotherapy treatment ending (you might need tissues for this one), communities have found ways to stand together while respecting the rule to remain six feet apart.
We know that these stories might seem distant or hard to relate to for you, so we gathered our team and asked them for their input on how they're finding their balance these days, and what positives have come from the current shelter orders in their personal lives:
Moni (in Slovakia) looks up home workouts to do with her boyfriend every morning to start the day off active, which also provides a bonding opportunity they may not have tried before. They both also are cooking more at home which is healthier and more budget friendly, and they've been trying some new recipes that have exposed them to new cooking styles.
Kari (in Germany) is cherishing the opportunity to spend more time with her family, especially her son. Not only are they taking advantage of the time to have lunch together, but this is actually helping Kari have better nutrition as before this she oftentimes either had a "working lunch" or skipped it altogether, so this is unexpectedly improving her work-life balance.
Heike, Sabrina, and Kathy (in Germany and London) have been able to stick to their workout regimens while in self isolation thanks to virtual classes. Their ability to continue to do yoga, pole fitness and Zumba respectively has helped them keep a sense of normalcy in their lives, and also contributes to their health (both mental and physical) and overall wellbeing.
Mica (in Argentina) has found a great deal of comfort and almost a mission in helping others navigate their transition to working from home. Since everyone knows that we're a fully remote company, her friends and family have asked her for advice to do it as best as possible which shes been very happy to provide, and much of which inspired this entry.
Finding balance or being balanced means trying to ensure our intake and output of all things doesn't lean too much in any direction, in order to prevent (as the introductory definition shows) a fall. If we picture ourselves as the physical representation of a balance, where on our right hand we carry all the scary news and negative information we're exposed to daily and on the left we have the good that is usually filled by our social contact with others, we may be teetering on the edge of a physical or psychological fall. Because the news and all governing bodies have to be focused on caring for those in need and containing the situation, it's up to us to find the strategy that works for our individual selves, to offset what's on the right hand.
Finding the right kind of self care for you - your ideal fitness routine, enjoying footage of pets being happy their owners are home (maybe too happy, to the point they may have broken their tail from wagging it too much, etc.) - is all part of our own self-discovery and a crucial element in securing our balance until things improve and we're gradually able to return to some semblance of a normal routine.
We're open to more suggestions to share, so please feel free to send us a message or leave a comment below with your own experiences in finding balance during this time. To keep up with our content (which we're ensuring is full of resources you will find useful), please subscribe at the top of our blog page, that way you'll be the first to know and try our tips!
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