There's a popular idea going around the healing community that there's no such thing as Work-Life Balance, and that we're destined to be off-balance in life. Friends, that's just not true! That kind of thinking comes from a mentality of pushing. If you're always pushing to do more and be more, you will not have balance, you will just have moments of sacrifice. We can have balance, and as energy healers it's an imperative. There's no way to sustain a professional healing practice flowing energy for others if you don't have space for personal growth, rest, professional development, and magical surprises. Without these aspects alive in your life, you'll slide into burnout. So let's make sure you know how to create work/life balance!
When Life Is Not Balanced
As an energy healer, I've found that balance in my own life is dynamic. I don't approach my life like a tightrope walker afraid to fall off. That would be terrible. I see people living this way, and I have in the past: rushing to get everywhere on time, sacrificing my feelings and free time to fit in my responsibilities, put myself aside constantly for the kids, and using my planner as a personal jailer instead of as a source of inspiration. Yuck.
I used to do a million and one things and it was really fun until I began to burn out. On the road of recovery from burnout, I had to figure out true sustainability in my life, and I did! I understood that balance is a beautiful thing, and that when you balance your life in the best way for you, then you suddenly have time for all of the nourishing memorable moments that fire you up to keep living.
The key to work-life balance is your daily practice. I know, sounds a bit trite. But it's true! Your daily Reiki or meditation practice sets up a consistent space for you to receive spiritual fuel for your life. Just like a car needs gas, you need spiritual energy to run. You receive this energy all day, through:
+ meaningful connections
+ nutritious food & water
+ restful moments
+ interactions with nature
+ experiences that spark love and gratitude
But sometimes your mind can be so active and the ego so intent on doing, that your ability to receive spiritual energy from the world around you dwindles. Then you're like a car with no gas! You end up feeling:
+ tired
+ crabby
+ unable to make decisions (or you make poor decisions)
+ motivated but lacking in actual energy
+ incapable of completing tasks in your desired timeline
+ drawn to extended time in addictive behavior or activities with short term gratification
The reason the "no gas" feeling happens is because your body needs direct spiritual nourishment, and you receive that when you ground your energy, in the same way that we ground electrical cables in the earth for safety. As Earthlings, we're meant to be grounded. Our brain constantly fires electromagnetic energy as we think and process. The more we work up electromagnetic energy through excess brain stimulation, or through physically running around, the more we need to counter-balance that through rest. Yoga calls this savasana. Parents and school teachers everywhere call this a time out.
How Do You Create Work/Life Balance?
...Which brings us back to that daily Reiki or spiritual practice. When you put aside time for even 5 minutes to calm your mind, it changes the neural firing in your brain. The chemistry in your body begins to flow differently, and as your endocrine system lets loose a different hormonal cocktail, your sympathetic nervous system has a chance to reset. You start to move out of fight or flight, and into your natural state. What all of this means, is that even a short daily practice will ground your energy, re-aligning you so that you can make better decisions.
Because of the fast pace and overstimulation of living today, most of us are in a state of constant fight or flight without realizing it, and this can become other conditions (like anxiety or chronic fatigue) over time.
People don't make great decisions when they are in a place of panic or trauma, because they lose the long vision and are only thinking of survival. The human brain functions this way whether panic is provided by good stress (a fun event upcoming) or "bad" stress (a phone call from an angry co-worker or stressed out friend).
We also have compromised thinking whether panic is provided by real survival (you are running from a bear in the wild) or perceived survival (you mess up on a work presentation and egoic safety programming says you might lose your job, resulting in homelessness, starvation, and death). In both cases, we'll still make different decisions in our day versus if we felt totally secure, safe, and relaxed.
Daily practice returns you to a place of being able to deeply witness your life. From there you can look at the decisions you're making and the habits you've developed.
Your practice is the space in which you can:
1) adjust your mindset or expectations
2) charge up your spiritual energy and focus
AND
3) make changes to your trajectory
This special time allows you to see where you may need to give yourself more time doing what you love, and how you might need to delegate, or create better boundaries. It's in your practice time that you can prioritize better education around the life skills you don't have, and choose happiness for yourself.
Healing Your Inner Voice
Many of us are raised to be cruel to ourselves. Our inner voice, often patterned after the voice of parents or society, may push us hard to succeed. The inner dialogue we keep is powerful because of how it directs us in each moment, but if we're telling ourselves toxic or mean phrases, or if that voice is mis-aligned with our true values, then we'll suffer. Your daily practice is where all of that can heal. It is your reset. It's your special time each day to reboot.
Begin Creating Balance Now
A life that's truly out of balance often needs several small adjustments. If you're reading this and you're wishing for more balance and free time, then you'll want to look at:
❤️ Your Inner Voice
❤️ Priorities & Values
❤️ Time Management
❤️ Personal Boundaries
❤️ Self-Care
Your can free-write in your journal about these themes above, and that will open up a lot of healing. Then ask yourself, "What is ONE thing I'm willing to do today to create more balance in my life?" Just one.
In working with clients, I've found that all of these aspects of life are most easily realigned when you've been able to designate a few minutes a day for yourself and your well-being. If you're having trouble with these and need more support, you can reach out to me with questions! Just be sure to let me know you read this articles and you have a question about work/life balance.
Many blessings,
Dailey
DAILEY LITTLE is a healing practitioner, transformational life coach, ordained Priestess, and teacher who founded Healing Heart Reiki to help others navigate life with joy. She offers private sessions, and teaches classes in healing and mindset from a magical peaceful corner of the world in Northern California. For more info see: www.SantaRosaReiki.com