by Katherine Zimmerman
As a culture we are hell-bent on accomplishing tasks, aren’t we? We strive to be more productive, to 
book a few more activities, to achieve one more goal, see one more movie, read all the books that we can… it’s just endless.
We are too often overbooked, overworked and rushing from one activity to another, completely ignoring our inner needs. We can keep up that pace for quite awhile but eventually there is a price to pay: our lives are completely out of balance. And if you’re in a helping profession it’s critical that you take care of yourself first.
Before I moved to San Diego I had been working more than six days a week, every week for several years. I was attempting to make enough money to cover my overhead and provide myself with an income. It was exhausting. I felt as if I were dancing as fast as I could, but never fast enough.
Naturally, when I arrived here in San Diego I decided to take four months off to rest up and get settled. I ended up taking a year and four months off. And that’s what I mean when I say there is a price to pay.
So here are some ideas that you may wish to incorporate into your life to help you live a life that is in balance.
Spend time in nature. I am 100% calmer now that I exercise outdoors vs going to a gym.
For your mental health, practice meditation or self hypnosis. Just 15 minutes a day will make a significant difference. Even if you have to wake up 15 minutes earlier to fit this in, it will be worth it.
To enhance your emotional health, spend time with people you love. Reach out and connect with like-minded friends and family. They really are just a phone call away.
Physical bodies love to stretch. Did you know that even five minutes of yoga breathing and stretches will help you to feel more comfortable in your body? I bought a DVD on chair yoga a few years ago. Now I do my stretches while the water heats for my morning tea. And I think that is the key: lock your new activity to something else that you do daily.
As for your spiritual health, connect in whatever way fits into your belief system, but connect. Whether you’re connecting with your inner self, Source, God, or nature, make that connection part of your daily routine.
Since I first wrote this article I have followed my own suggestions. I was already doing most of it but still working every other waking minute. I’m more committed now to allowing myself to just be. Be still. Be open. Be receptive. Be present. Learn balance.
The result? I live a more serene, peaceful and yet still productive life. Perhaps more productive since when I do work I am fully present. Do I stay in this mindset all day every day? No, I don’t. But it is easier now to return to it when I wander off track.
What small change can you make today to bring your life back into balance? It can be as simple as listening to a self hypnosis recording when you go to bed at night.
Copyright 2017
All Rights Reserved
Photo by Kea Mowat of http://unsplash.com
Katherine Zimmerman is an internationally-known author and speaker, Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, Reiki Master, and EFT Practitioner with a private practice. Since 1989, she has taught classes on self-hypnosis, EFT, and other related subjects, along with doing presentations on hypnotherapy at professional conferences nationwide.
Katherine is the Director of the California Hypnotherapy Academy, a former guest lecturer for the University of California Medical Center, Davis and former guest instructor for Hypnotherapy Training Institute of No. California.
