Life balance: a mindful equation
We’re all looking for life balance and yet, not everyone finds it. How do we cope with too much work, endless ‘to do’ lists, the pressure that comes with them? Moreover, how do we find, at the end of the day, the energy to do what really makes us happy? Are there any tools, tips, and tricks that we can use on a daily basis?
On 16 January, we had Catherine Henrotte, Philippe Grégoire and Laura Abbraciavento to arm us properly for the year that has just begun.
Catherine Henrotte: “It’s not the stress that kills us, but our reaction to it”
Stress can easily evolve into a burnout when our exposure to it is too long. Researchers have shown that stress is correlated to the demand (how demanding is our job or how complex the situation) and control (how much control do we have over our job, how much flexibility). When the complexity of the job is high and we have no control over it, no autonomy, we’re likely to go down the slippery slope of burnout.
When our life lacks balance, we open the door for stress. So, how can we identify the imbalances in our lives? One very simple exercise, as Catherine has shown during the workshop, is called the ‘Wheel of Life’. The wheel looks just like in this photo and you can find blank templates online. With one colour, mark the time you spend now on each of the eight domains of your life. Then, with another colour, mark how much time you would ideally spend on them.
This should give you an idea of the areas where you’re investing too much of your time and the ones you are neglecting. But how can you free up some hours and move them from one side to the other? Luckily, Catherine has the solution for that, as well. Here’s a video explaining the LIMITER method, filmed during the event.
Philippe Grégoire: “For better life balance, move well and more often”
There are many myths about sports and women. And Philippe debunked them all. There’s no age when it comes to moving and the more you move, the happier your body will be. Physical activity helps you clear your mind, release the pressure and could be a booster for your life balance.
There are, however, some female specificities that can influence your levels of energy and stamina. The most important one: your cycle. And although we all go through it, God did not create us equal. Depending on our estrogen type (hint: there are three of them), our capacity for performing physical activities changes during the phases of our cycle.
Curious to know what type of estrogen you are and what that means for your training? Here’s Philippe explaining it to our audience, at the event:
Laura Abbraciavento: “When everything else fails, go to your secret sources”
We can’t just hide in a corner and hope life won’t happen to us. And because life happens to us, we feel emotions. There are four basic emotions: anger, fear, joy, and sadness. Unfortunately for us, just one of them is positive. So, how do we cope with them? Laura gave us a simple scheme to follow: R (recognise), A (allow), A (accept), E (express) and A (act) – RAAEA. Try and find the answers, identify where the emotions come from and accept them.
If you have a hard time anchoring yourself in the present and enjoying every single emotion as it comes, then sophrology might be the solution for you. Sophrology brings together the mind and the body and helps them communicate, eventually leading to a better life balance.
If you want to watch more videos from our event and see some of the insights Catherine, Philippe and Laura shared with our participants, go to our Facebook page. For the full experience, it’s always best to be in the room.
By the way, our next event is on 27 February, featuring some fearless speakers who will show the way towards successful entrepreneurship!
