I’m So Off With On

I’m so down with up. I’m so off with on. Living out of balance has taken its toll. By being “on” too many days in a row without balancing the work with play, or the being up-and-at-’em too long each day without pulling equally from what I define as the Four Buckets of Life (Health, Wealth, Work, and Play), finally knocked me for a loop.

Learning to live a balanced life for maximum joy and energy is a process, not a destination. It’s an ever-changing target of lessons and decisions. If it’s a lesson I keep learning, you probably face similar challenges and learning curves too.

It’s interesting to see where the challenges pop up that can leave you out of balance. It can be managing your time and focus, scheduling too much to do in a day, or eating too much — especially of foods that drain you and don’t support you — that throw you out of balance. These sure are things I see in my life and the lives of my clients. Undoubtedly you can add to this list.

I seem to have built a month of this out-of-balance living for myself recently. Not by design, but my body didn’t care if I did it accidentally or intentionally — it was suffering. My joy and energy, which are closely associated, weren’t at their usual sparkle when I noticed the problem.

What’s this month look like that’s so out of balance for me? Let me describe the first week; you can take it from there. I had a meeting that was a 7-hour drive away, and not reasonably flown to. The day before the meeting started I made the drive, and met an associate since I was in town. We connected so well that the 1-hour coffee turned into a 3-hour coffee. That was great, and I then we back to my room to get some work done. During the three days of all-day meetings I stayed busy each night either meeting with friends or networking with my business associates, and then returning to my room to get my regular work done. My morning meditations were only five minutes long, as opposed to the much longer sessions I usually enjoy. I did at least take opportunities throughout the day to walk and get fresh air and sunshine. On my way home at the conclusion of the meeting I stopped to visit my folks. My car got broken into and tending to the police report, and the repair so I could drive home the next day, tapped the last of my reserves. That was the first week of the out-of-balance month.

Being out of balance had me feeling tired enough that I was falling asleep during meetings and classes. I was snacking more than usual and with foods I try to avoid. My cranky level had risen and I was snapping at my loved ones. And my productivity was suffering. No wonder my energy and joy were dulled! I wasn’t supporting them, or myself.

Scheduling a full day doesn’t allow for serendipity or intrusions. If your life is such that you get pulled away or things get added to your day, as mine can be like, then one solution to implement is to schedule a lighter day, say 60% of a full day. That approach leaves space for those expected-unexpected events to come into your life. When you keep a list of projects to work on when all the necessary work is done you can fill in when your day doesn’t get those interruptions.

But, it’s more than that. If you don’t schedule some down time, some play time, or some relaxing time you’ll burn yourself up. It’s easy to be so excited about what you’re doing that you keep doing it. Even when you’re having fun and meeting new people in your work world, it’s still “up time”. You’re still “on”.

During the day it’s important to take a break hourly to re-energize and refresh with water, movement, fresh air, and the like. In the same way, during the day it’s important to do something different to give your brain and body a break.

Heck, even too much play can wear you down! Have you ever said something like “I need to take a vacation to recover from my vacation”? Too much play is as unbalanced as too much work.

When you do too much of one thing, especially work, you don’t get the needed injection of a fresh perspective, down time for rejuvenating, or a change of pace and position.

Living out of balance will take its toll. By being “on” too many days in a row without balancing the work with play, or the being up-and-at-’em too long each day without pulling equally from the Four Buckets of Life, you will pay a price. Sometimes the price will just be getting knocked for a loop. Sometimes the price will be much steeper.

Join me in getting down with up. Vary the activities of your day and week. Take regular breaks for nourishing food, hydration, movement, and fresh air. Plan for the unexpected. Meditate. Keep a positive outlook on life. Play and laugh. Keep your joy and energy by being off with on.