What is Balance Anyway?

In 2002, I hung my shingle and called it Balance Design.  I named my company Balance Design because I was searching for ” balance”.  I just had a baby, and was working 50-60 hours a week in a high-stress environment. Ed and I discussed alternative work options for a very long time.  Was he going to work less, or was I? How would we manage a significant pay cut?  All the considerations of parenting. Balance Design took about 2 years to give birth to, but once it did, I was very excited.

Growing up, my mom was an interior designer, my dad was a carpenter.  They designed and built their dream home: a modern passive solar home with a composting toilet, wood stoves, an indoor greenhouse, and other sustainable features in the early 80s.  They were ahead of their time.  My sisters and I were along for the long journey of building a custom home.  Looking back, my excitement about designing my new room (shared with my sister), looking through magazines, and sharing some of the ideas with my mom filled me with a new curiosity.

Back in 2002, we thought we could find more “balance” with a baby and starting a new business!  That part is very comical when I think about it now.  Nonetheless, “balance” has been something that I have been searching for, and I still am. Many of our clients, and my teammates, also seem to be on this quest.    Yet, “balance” is not a solid state that you can remain in; it is simply a continuum to realize whether we feel more or less balanced.  This has taken me a long time to understand, and I am still exploring this concept.

Today, I’d like to share some of my “quick fixes” when I begin to feel out of balance.  These areas of consideration are what I often need to consider daily.  Whether in my home, at work, with my health, in relationships, and in my solitary time, these “quick fixes” help me until I take the time to do a deeper dive into the underlying issue.

Quick Balance Fixes:

Home: When my home feels in disarray, cluttered, and generally “yucky”,  I figure out a quick blitz.  I put away dishes, clean up the countertops, make my bed, clean off the dining table, and the coffee table.  This does not mean that I have dealt with all of the clutter, just that I have moved it to a place where I can deal with it later and give my eyes and my feelings a chance to rest and feel gratitude for my lovely little house.  This process takes me about 15-20 minutes, and it makes a world of difference to me.

Health: I try to move at least 45 minutes each day.  Whether it is walking, working out, or a big home installation, this more strenuous movement helps me get out of my head.  The release is incredibly helpful for my swirling brain.  I also try to focus on what I eat, because I tend to overconsume chocolate when I am stressed.  Allowing a slowdown to eat a salad for lunch usually does the trick.

Relationships:  This is a tougher one for a “quick fix”, mainly because important people take time and attention.  I don’t have a quick fix for this aspect of my life, just that if I notice that someone has not had enough quality time, or I miss them,  I try to schedule it with them as soon as possible.

Work:  I am very blessed to actually love my teammates and many of our clients.  So when I feel stressed about work, it is usually regarding tasks to complete a project.   To contain my worries better, I make a brain dump list to get the tasks that are running rampant in my head onto a list.  This list does not get the job done, but it gives me back my power to work on it.

Solitary Time: Even though I believe that I am an extrovert, I need a lot of solitary time to refuel.  I like to “dilly dally” by myself, whether I am gardening, reading, writing, or just sitting and pondering.  Typically, I give myself at least an hour or 2 each morning to spend alone before the day begins.  I love this time!

Quick fixes don’t always make me feel in balance, but they do start the process to help me feel better.  Often, these fixes will give me some time to process until I get to the root of my feelings.

I have been reading  The Practice by Seth Godin. He offers 219 ideas for continuously shipping creative work. There are some practical and helpful ideas that I am beginning to implement.   I like thinking of what I do as a practice, and allowing the grace that the word “practice” embodies.

I hope that this blog resonates with you.  I’d like to know what practices you use to help maintain your balance.  Send me a note at stephanie@balancedesignatlanta.com.  I love hearing from you!

Thank you,

Stephanie