Simone Giangiordano, creator of BalanceUP® Community, is a business and lifestyle coach with nearly two decades experience as a business analyst and consultant and 15 years of entrepreneurial experience.
Every day, we are impacted by the societal and cultural norms surrounding us. These norms, such as the addiction to busyness, the pressure to overachieve, and the pursuit of impossible perfection, often lead to stress in our lives. In this environment, embracing more calm and inner balance in everyday life may seem daunting.
How can we feel the peace of inner balance when there's not enough time in the day, anger and fear permeate our news and social feeds, and life is full of pressure and obstacles? These challenges are why it is crucial to consciously incorporate more balance into your life.
Inner balance sustains us with a sense of centeredness, of being grounded. Without a sense of groundedness, we can feel like we are sinking. You might feel overwhelmed, stressed, and full of anxiety.
Living a more centered life with greater inner balance is key to maintaining our health and well-being. It also nurtures our relationships and supports our work.
5 strategies to bring ease, balance, and joy to your day
1. Focus on the big picture & let go of the minor distractions
To enjoy a greater sense of inner balance, it's important that you focus on the big picture and let go of minor distractions. This means prioritizing activities and key deliverables that support your success and well-being. For instance, if you're a small business owner launching a new service or product, stay focused on the key priorities driving your success.
Avoid allowing distractions, such as comparing yourself to others, overreacting to a harsh comment, or a minor tech issue, to take you away from your core priority. These situations will arise. Overly focusing on them will drain your time and energy and add unnecessary stress, ultimately impacting your sense of balance and well-being.
This principle applies to all life challenges, whether managing your career, caregiving responsibilities or even planning a vacation. In all cases, identify the desired outcome or goal, and don't allow minor distractions to take up unnecessary time and energy.
2. Enjoy the small things in life
Life is full of paradoxes. While minimizing the minor distractions from your big-picture goals is essential, it's equally important to focus on the small activities and items that bring you peace and joy.
There are many such opportunities throughout each day. A smile while accepting a cup of coffee, a heartfelt word to a loved one or friend, a few seconds to enjoy the beauty of a flower. These small moments can ground us throughout the day.
3. Set your tone each day and as often as you need
If you feel your stress escalating and your smile fading, whether from having too much to do, facing a difficult or annoying situation, or the weariness of life's challenges, stop and reset your tone:
Pause: Take a moment to stop and pause.
Breathe: Take a few breaths. Inhale peace. Exhale stress and tension.
Repeat: Continue this practice for a few moments. Allow yourself to be present.
You'll feel less stress and more peace as you continue your day. This is a great way to set the tone at the beginning of your day.
4. Nurture your inner landscape
Your inner landscape represents the sum of your emotions, thoughts, and beliefs. It is ever present and impacts everything in your life, from your work to your relationship with others to your relationship with yourself.
You can nurture your inner landscape by incorporating mindfulness practices into your everyday living. Practicing self-compassion is a wonderful way to observe and support your inner landscape. By observing your thoughts and being aware of your own suffering, you can work towards replacing self-critical thoughts with thoughts of kindness. In short, self-compassion has been shown to lead to increased resilience and productivity and decreased self-criticism and stress.
You can also incorporate other mindfulness exercises, such as spending time in nature, practicing gratitude, and journaling to explore your emotions and experiences. These practices can help you manage stress, improve well-being, and enhance your relationships.
5. Let go of the outcome
When we cling to specific desired outcomes in life's journey, any deviance from that outcome can result in stress. There are many dangers to unmet certainty, such as anger and resentment. Instead of being set on a particular outcome, focus on the actions that support your desired outcome.
For instance, you might focus on daily self-care activities while letting go of the concept of achieving "perfect" health. Or you might focus on the quality of the relationship with a peer or loved one without expectations as to the final outcome.
By embracing the concept of letting go of rigid expectations and allowing things to unfold naturally, you free yourself from trying to control what you cannot possibly control. You create space for flexibility and adaptability, which are key components of a balanced life.
An extra strategy
Spend time in solitude: When you need to clear your head, solve a challenging problem, or create space for creativity, stepping away and reflecting in solitude can result in clarity. Consider spending a few moments in nature, taking a stroll, or playing music to create space for healthy solitude for yourself. Journaling in nature is one of my favorite spaces for exploring & practicing self-compassion.
Closing
Incorporating these five strategies into your daily life will help you cultivate a sense of inner balance. Keep in mind that achieving greater balance is not about perfection. It's about making conscious choices that align with your values and support your well-being.
As you begin incorporating these practices into your life, you'll likely notice improvements in various areas, from reduced stress levels to enhanced creativity and deeper connections with others. You'll also experience greater resilience to life's everyday distractions and challenges and even to life's more significant challenges.
You can learn more strategies for incorporating inner balance into your workday here. Ultimately, operating from a place of balance is about creating a more peaceful and fulfilling life.
Simone Giangiordano, BalanceUP Business and Lifestyle Coach
Simone Giangiordano, creator of BalanceUP® Community, is a business and lifestyle coach with nearly two decades experience as a business analyst and consultant and 15 years of entrepreneurial experience. Despite chronic health challenges, Simone has empowered clients to create businesses that are aligned with their unique lifestyles and that support their well-being through her Building Balance to Empower® programs. Her signature program, The Power of I Can't®, focuses on helping individuals with health challenges live a life of peace, joy, and success.
