Balance is key to success in life and as a person in recovery

I lived a life of complete chaos.  Going from one crisis to another never really slowing down and achieving any degree of balance in my life.   During active addiction that is pretty much what it is.  Chaos.  Even before I went into full blown addiction my life wasn't something I would call a balanced life.    I worked and was what is termed a "functional alcoholic", thus, I worked and drank...not much else.    There was some semblance of a "life" and it wasn't all bad, but, balance, as I discuss here, wasn't there.

When I went to treatment for my substance use disorder I started taking a look at my life and was taught about this thing I am writing about today....living a balanced life.   It has always stuck with me and since that time, in my work with others today, I teach it to others so they can experience the positive of having balance. 

What is "balance".   It is ensuring that you have multiple ways of being involved in your life.    There are some who put all of their time and energy into one or two areas of their lives.  This might be ok, but, for me, I choose to be involved in multiple areas in mostly equal parts.

Family is important to me so I ensure I spend time and energy there.    My career is also an important area, and, because it takes money to live life, it gets more time and energy than other areas.   Being healthy is vital to me...I am not a health nut per say, but, I do try to stay fit and eat a somewhat balanced diet.   Thus, I spend time and energy on exercise and paying attention to what I eat.  Having fun is something that I see as very important in life so I make sure to put time in my schedule for things I know will make me laugh and/or release stress.   Learning is a way for me to grow in my personal and professional walks in my life so I have time in my life for education.  Those are a few of the many areas of my life.   The time and energy spent ebbs and flows and I adjust as needed along the way.   I always try to remember the key word....balance. 

The above is my life, yours might be different.   But the key is to have time for each of the key areas in your life.    I can't determine what might work for you.  I can say that it is a trial and error thing.   I have to adjust and shift along the way as needed.  One key thing I have learned to NOT do is having all of my time and energy in one or two areas only.  This is unhealthy in any scenario.    Sure, there might be times where you need to focus on your family more than one of the other areas if you have a young family or there is a crisis, but, it shouldn't be your only focus all the time.    Yes, if you are just starting your career you will spend a lot of time focusing there, but, with time that should also balance out. 

Right now, for me, I am focusing more on exercise because I lagged for a while. This will balance out once I get back in shape and get a routine in place.    In the next few months I will focus more on the education side of my life while completing dissertation work, but, that will also shift with time and completion of the work.  Balance is the overall goal.   

All in all, balance is the key having and enjoying life.  I have seen many who get into recovery and put all their time and energy into just one area and they forget about the other important areas of their lives.     Many times, someone in recovery goes head first into all things recovery related and they forget about the people who have been waiting to have some of their time and energy while they waited for them to stop drinking and using....family.   Or, the person in recovery who focuses all of their time and energy on a career that they believe they lost during active addiction and they feel like they have to get it all back (I did this, it sucked).  All the while, they aren't focusing on their physical and mental health needs.     Balance is the key for a health life and for sure for a healthy life and for sure for a person in recovery.







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