Finding Balance

When computers overload, they shut down. Our human bodies can have the same reaction. This happened to me, at least three times. Suffering from physical stress and mental anxiety produced unexplained seizures in my brain. High sensitivity and extreme empathy causes my system to shut down, literally, when it becomes overloaded. Having experienced this during periods of my life, when balance wasn’t a priority, I now find it imperative to maintain a stable and steady life.

We are all different. Anxiety creeps into my system when I don’t have a plan. I feel ill ease when I can’t control situations or outcomes. When life is busy with activities that keep changing and people are stressed out around me, my nervousness skyrockets. Whether it is a messy room or an over crowded environment, I feel unbalanced. I know this about myself now. In the past, I ignored it. Pushing through the feelings, I overdid it, until I couldn’t do it any longer. I don’t do that now.

My daughter is completely the opposite. She hates schedules and plans. They stress her out. She loves her mess. She loves crowds and busy places. Hanging with people discussing life’s dramas is her favorite pastime. What works for one doesn’t necessary work for another, when finding balance. Know thyself is key.

I sit and write, with a cat on my lap, drinking tea, after a walk in the woods. Yoga, healthy foods, reading, and music offer relief from everyday stresses. Incorporating a few of these into each and every day, keeps my teeter from tottering These are my balancing tools.

A teeter-totter needs to go up and down, back and forth, before it finds the sweet spot of balance. Some entities bring both balance and stress. I love my friends and family. They are a great source of comfort and calm. They bring happiness and joy, but like any relationship, they provide a dynamic that needs daily adjustments. Similar to water, friends and family can be both a source of life and at the same time, can be detrimental and destructive. Understand the people, places, or situations that are both life affirming and life retracting.

Use the tools that work for you to step in and help restore peace to your nervous system. Managing balance is a constant job of checking in with yourself and adjusting as necessary. You mind, body, and spirit will thank you. Living in harmony is the reward.


Susan J. McFarland

October 5, 2018

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