I just discovered the theme for this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD2019) “Balance for Better!” and it got me thinking…balance for better what? I am a full believer in balance in life in all circumstances and wish to explore where I believe our balancing act needs to begin in order to empower – not only women – but all humankind – to thriving, well-balanced lives!
Balance begins with YOU! How you feel as you navigate through life’s transitions is a personal journey and your self-care is at the very core of this feeling. Self–care, or care provided for you, by you is about identifying your needs and taking responsibility in making daily choices about lifestyle with things like nutrition, movement and sleep which allow you to feel balanced. Once you feel your best, you can operate on a higher level and move through life on an equilibrium. Only from that steady point can you truly enhance your life and exponentially improve the lives of others. Let’s explore…
Do you feel balanced when you eat too much or too little? When your weight is not where you want it to be? When you overdo sugar? Caffeine? Fat? Alcohol? Do you even take the time to actually taste and appreciate your food? Just think of when you felt your very best, how were you eating at that time? Are you confused about what’s right or wrong with all the dietary theories out there? We truly are what we eat, and the “Balance for Better” equation concerning nutrition sums up to better.
EAT!
How do you feel after a brisk walk? After your favorite workout? When you sit for hours? When you haven’t been outside for days? Human beings are made to move and the “sitting is the new smoking” adage holds true in 2019 more than ever. Balancing out adequate and appropriate movement is proven to better
MOVE!
How do you feel when you wake up in the morning? Refreshed or ready to roll over and go back to sleep? Do you awaken before your alarm? Do you find yourself sleeping more on weekends and vacations? Do you organize your entire day and then finally go to bed when everything is done or to you organize your sleep routine and then structure your day around that? A highly esteemed colleague of mine organizes his 24 hour day with an 8 : 8 : 8 plan…8 hours of work, 8 of sleep and 8 of other – now that’s balance! How does your schedule look? According to National Geographic, “Sleep may be more essential than food, animals die of sleep deprivation before starvation!”. Here’s what get’s better with adequate sleep:
SLEEP!
ACT!
Reminding ourselves of the feelings and better outcomes explored above requires attention and pausing our automatic pilot for long enough to take the time to assess ourselves. Balance is defined as “a situation in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions”., so each of these behaviors needs to be observed with impartiality. Yes, International Women’s Day is about balancing out the gender equation and everything that entails, but can you even think about solving that big equation if your personal equilibrium is off kilter? If you don’t feel your best? What better way to celebrate International Women’s Day than by mindfully pausing for 90 minutes to explore your personal balance?
Especially created for this occasion, I am proposing a 90 minute workshop entitled “Empowerment through Self-Care – Balance for Better!”. This workshop is aimed at professionals ready to discover and change to improve health, well-being, balance and personal empowerment forever. It motivates behavioral change in the 4 “empowerment zones” of Nutrition, Activity, Sleep and Mindfulness allowing each participant to leave with a clear personalized plan of objectives and tips to implement immediately. Description ENG / FR.
No time for the workshop? (Isn’t that funny?) Download my free E-WORKBOOK HERE to achieve your “balance” at your pace.
I look forward to hearing from you to organize this workshop for your group or organization to honor International Women’s Day! ekocher@whealthness.ch.
