It's All A Balancing Act

By ALICE O’BRIEN Alice O’Brien Counselling, Newmarket

As the saying goes- all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy- poor Jack. But all play and no work wouldn’t be very good for Jack either. The lesson being that we need balance to have a fulfilled and healthy routine. It is very easy to fall into patterns that upset our balance, leading to stress, work, anxiety or low moods. We can see the importance of getting the balance correct at least some of the time- we can’t get it right all of the time. But how do we do that? Well here’s a few tips on what to focus on, the 5 P’s of balanced mental health:

Purpose - Find activities that bring a sense of purpose to the routine. That can be our job if we

are lucky enough to enjoy it, but purpose can be got from feeling like we’ve achieved something in the day- housework, gardening, cooking- whatever it is that makes us feel like we’ve done something meaningful in our day.

Pleasure- Make sure to include activities that are enjoyable in the day. If we focus on enjoying the small stuff we will notice it more- the first cup of coffee in the day in our comfy chair, enjoying the nature around on our walk or playing with the grandchildren are all enjoyable events if we slow down and notice them.

People- Finding meaningful connection with people we enjoy being with does wonders for your mood.

Pace- are we on autopilot? Rushing around with a sense of urgency that we have created in

our own minds. Take a breath and slow the pace.

Peace- peace of mind. Notice the thinking patterns, if worry is a big part of our thinking then find ways of managing that worry. Often when we worry excessively it can be a habit that’s hard to break. So, notice our worry thoughts and let them go. Worrying will never solve our problems.

As for Jack, maybe he could heed Oscar Wilde’s words when he said- “Moderation in all thingsincluding moderation”