Work/Life Imbalance, Part I

In my last two posts, I laid out the basic theory of the Art of Balance system. But theory is of no use without practice.

In the next several posts, let’s step through the six stages of recovering and maintaining balance through the example of a common UnBalancer.

Work/Life Imbalance

1. Detect. Balancer notices when we’re starting to tip or have gone down for the count.

Let’s say that recently, there’s been a lot of pressure at your job.

You’ve started to work late or bring work home, and you’ve been skimping on the things that keep you even-keeled. You skipped your last vacation, you find yourself eating takeout on the way home, and you’re short-changing yourself on sleep and exercise.

Balancer is struggling to stay upright, but for a while you don’t see it because the erosion of balance comes on gradually. You ignore the early warning signs and soldier on.

Soon, you’ve stopped spending time with your kids, your friends, your significant other. You’ve started drinking, or you stay up half the night lost in video games or Internet porn. The signs of a crash are all too obvious to friends and family, and even your co-workers are starting to notice.

Balancer’s on the ground. UnBalancer raises a fist in triumph.