The Circle of Life: Are you striving for a natural balance?

Most of us are striving for natural balance in our lives, however, life is challenging. The demands on our time, today’s connected world, financial pressures, responsibilities, social and work expectations, means we live in a world full of immediacy and distraction. Everything is clamouring for our attention, at the expense of life’s natural balance. This sense of immediacy leaves us feeling like events manage us, rather than the opposite. We rush around, always on the precipice of overload, not in control, tired disorientated and unsatisfied. These feelings, even if we don’t want to admit it, do much to impact both our physical and mental wellbeing. What we crave is a feeling of being grounded, for the time to enjoy life and to be in control. In other words, natural balance. So, what are the key elements of natural balance?

First, what do we mean by natural balance?

Thinking of this question, I was reminded of ‘The Balanced Scorecard’, popularised in business circles, by Kaplan and Norton. At the centre of the scorecard was an enterprise’s intent, supported by 4 key areas: Financial, customer, internal business processes and learning and growth. The central aim being to support the growth of the business through a form of organisational natural balance?

For us at TheBoldAge we see life balance, more as a circle. This circle is divided into various segments or slices, each representing a different aspect of life. Circles are a key building block within nature, think of flowers, tree trunks, acorns, ripples on the water and sun. All are part of the natural balance surrounding us, just like the seasons. Then there are man-made circles like roundabouts, polo mints and the humble wheel. Take a bicycle wheel if there are no supporting spokes and you apply pressure, the wheel collapses. If you have a too few spokes and pressure is applied it becomes irregular and your journey becomes, at best bumpy and at worse it stalls. For a wheel to be effective there needs to be enough support to be balanced and withstand natural pressures. Just like life itself.

So, whether you think of yourself as the hub (a circle in of itself) and the spokes as supports. OR, like a tree, a series of concentric circles that allow you to develop. Or a coliseum with supporting pillars or even slices of a pie. You need the supports to do their job to give the structure substance and solidity. Just like life’s natural balance.

Why should we be interested in natural balance?

Maintaining a natural balance in our lives is essential for several reasons. It can have significant positive effects on our physical, mental, and emotional well-being, as well as on the environment.

7 Key benefits of a balanced life

Health and Well-Being: Eating well, rest and living in harmony with nature often leads to healthier lifestyles. A Mediterranean diet alongside regular outdoor activity, can reduce stress. lower blood pressure. As well as boosting our mood, improve sleep and improve our overall mental and physical health.
Physical Fitness: Engaging in activities like golf, hiking, cycling, or simply walking, promotes physical fitness and encourages an active lifestyle. Crucial for maintaining good heart health. Furthermore, it can boost your immune system, especially your all-important vitamin D reserves. Whilst providing an opportunity to socialise, especially if you join a group, like a cycling club or a plogging group. All of which would hopefully boost your mental wellbeing and foster a positive outlook on life
Emotional Stability: Achieving a natural balance helps you recognise both positive and negative feelings, enabling you to manage them appropriately. This stability contributes to healthier relationships and a more fulfilling life.
Improved Productivity: Striking a form of natural balance between work, leisure, and rest can lead to increased productivity. Overworking or neglecting leisure time can lead to all sorts of issues including depression, comfort eating and generally feeling rundown. While a balanced approach promotes sustained productivity and creativity.
Personal Growth: Maintaining natural balance in our lives, at any age, allows for personal growth and development. It provides us with the time and energy for self-reflection, learning, and pursuing passions. Improving our sense of purpose and fulfilment.
Enhanced Relationships: A balanced life allows for quality time with family and friends. This strengthens relationships, fostering a sense of belonging and that all important support. Neglecting personal relationships can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness. So, when you need support the most friends and family are there for you and you for them.
Increased Happiness and Satisfaction: A balanced life often leads to greater overall happiness and life satisfaction. When in control of our time and priorities, we are more likely to experience contentment and positive mental wellbeing.

The preponderance of evidence suggests that successful ageing is helped by balancing, family, relationships, nutrition, mental, physical and financial wellbeing. For example, The University of Toronto’s and the Institute of Life Course and Aging. Carried out a 3-year study of 7,000 Canadians to try to understand some of the factors associated with successful ageing. They found that tackling sleep, obesity, an active lifestyle, low-income levels, which could impact the likes of healthy choices, nutrition, and mental wellbeing, was essential for a rounded, balanced and healthy ageing.

So, given the evidence about maintaining a healthy natural balance it is inexplicable that many of us take on more without thinking about the impact on other aspects of our life.

So, what are the key elements of life’s natural balance?

Living life in balance involves integrating key elements to help individuals lead well-rounded lives that promote overall well-being. Each of us will have our own ingredients for a balanced life. Which will be highly contextual, the spokes of a wheel, if you will. The intensity, we apply and associated activities and initiatives, will be specific to our own circumstances. Over time these intensities will adjust as circumstances change. Young adults starting out may have vastly different intensities to somebody entering their third age.

So, what are the life’s spokes or supports? Talking around the office, we thought of family, mental and physical health, nutrition, social wellbeing, financial, career or third age, environmental stewardship, relationships, spirituality and values, and personal growth. To this we would also add ‘on-line’ safeguarding, leisure and hobbies, time management, and community. You may think of other spokes, but these are ours. Once identified you could map various activities and initiatives, which support them. However, one key thing to build in, is make them simple, objective, and measurable.

Achieving and maintaining a natural balance requires self-awareness, effective time management, the ability to set boundaries. As well as making deliberate choices that align with your values and priorities. It may also involve seeking support and guidance from professionals or loved ones to overcome obstacles and create a more balanced life.

When up to your neck, trying to keep your head above water it is difficult to know where to start. Let alone gain a foothold on a continuously moving and slippery roundabout. Natural balance requires work and discipline. As well as an honest appraisal of where you are today, and what is important, now and in the future. The good news is that the balanced circle of life, is achievable for us all.