In today’s society, staying balanced can be quite difficult. Between work, family, hobbies and whatever else is on your plate it is easy to lose track of one’s self. There is really only one solution to balancing your life: attention to yourself. I don’t mean a spa day because who has the time and the money to mke that a regular thing. I mean turning your thoughts to yourself, even if it’s for a brief moment. Here are some ways you can balance your busy life with some inward thinking:
Meditate
Most people hear the word meditate and think that it takes a long amount of time where you do nothing, but the truth is that meditation is focus on the breath with a clear mind. You can do this for 10 minutes or 2 hours and that is the beauty of it. Meditation can be fit into any schedule and you can even do it while performing a task that requires little attention.

For example, I walk to and from work. It is only a 10 minute walk or so, but thanks to muscle memory, I don’t have to actively think about moving my legs which frees up brain space to focus on my breath and clear my mind. During meditation thoughts come and go. Acknowledging your thoughts and letting them pass is a good way to keep a clear head. If you find your mind going down a rabbit hole, simply bring your attention back to your breath.
When first starting meditation, it can be difficult to know where to start. Luckily the internet has a solution. YouTube has multiple guided meditation videos that can walk you through a session. The videos range from 10 minutes to 5 hours (sleep meditation). It is versatile in categories as well. Not every meditation needs a purpose, but guided meditation videos range from releasing negative energy to letting go of obsessive thoughts to chakra alignment. Meditation is an excellent way to give some attention to yourself, even if it is just putting the world on pause and taking a few deep breaths.
Connect with Nature
Reconnecting with mother nature can be very healing. We are all of this earth and it has given us life. There are many ways you can do this, even if you live in a major city. Arboretums are great places to walk through nature. There are even hiking trails that you can take and for the most part, the sound of the city goes away.

There are also parks you can go to, or even stand barefoot in some grass. Nature has a way of connecting us to what is important and that is life. The work we put ourselves through and the demanding society we are in can make us forget that. By connecting with nature on a regular basis, you can balance the chaos with serenity.
Clean
This one sounds weird and it may just work for me, but when I clean or tidy up around the house, I feel better. By cleaning you cleanse the area of any stagnant energy. You return your home to a homeostasis of sorts. It is almost therapeutic. It may just be the act of taking time for yourself to be productive while doing something that requires little effort mentally. Like I said, this may not work for everyone, but it’s effects are strong enough to mention it.
Loved Ones
It is always important to make time for loved ones. Finding a balance between your responsibilities, yourself and loved ones is difficult, but the key here is to balance them. After responsibilities are taken care of and you have made time for yourself, make time for the people in your life that make life worth living.

All things must come to an end and we always wish we had more time for the people we care about, so make the time now, because tomorrow is not guaranteed. Don’t spend too much time working if it doesn’t make you happy. Make time to focus on yourself. Make time for loved ones. Balance everything now and stop waiting till the time is convenient because it never will be. Past and Future are simply dreams. The only thing that is real is now. So what are you going to do in your now?






The face that makes all the dog videos so funny! All you need to do is indicate they did something wrong with the tone of your voice. Dogs pick up on your mood very well. The important note for consequence is knowing when to stop. Once the dog shows remorse and maybe has a brief time out, then you should give them affection. Otherwise, they will think you are mad at them for hours when all they did was tear up some toilet paper.





The first step in loving infinitely is to locate that loving feeling. A good technique to finding the feeling is to remember what gave you that feeling in the first place. For me, it is my family. I think of how much I love Jon, the dog and the cats and most of the time it is a simple memory, like all of us cuddling on the bed during a storm or a feeling of relief when I think something bad has happened to one of them. It’s not much and it is very specific to me, but thinking about it fills my heart with love. A love that I can feel in my chest.
The next step is to practice creating that feeling on command. Think of your loving thought randomly. The goal here is to have the ability of feeling that warm feeling whenever you want. This will take a few tries but the important thing here is to remember what you love and that all other feelings will fade.



