Finding Life Balance
During Midlife Transitions
Life balance shifts during your life journey. Life can be such a wonderful adventure, and savoring the different experiences of each stages is important. However, life has a habit of speeding by, and days slip quickly into the past. Before you realize, you are smack in the middle of midlife. Maintaining a life balance is a helpful way to
deal with stress in midlife.
Instead of scampering through the events life has laid out before you, take the time identify and prioritize what is important in each of these life chapters. This strategy helps you to keep your eyes always focused on balancing your long standing goals and dreams. There is no one formula for achieving a life balance between your career and home because each person is unique in what she brings to the table. But here are three suggestions to help you enjoy a fulfilling, meaningful life as you move toward and through midlife.
Let Go of the Past
As you experience the life's stages, ideas, possessions, relationships and professional responsibilities shift in relevancy. Although achieving a life balance may be a permanent goal, in reality, the balance continually changes. Priorities change much like a spotlight on a stage production. The spotlight shifts to shine on different characters throughout the story just as the spotlight on your priorities shifts with each life stage variation. Take a critical look at yourself during mid life. There are often value shifts regarding what is important. Eliminate distractions from your life: organizing your clutter can be a great
stress reducer.
Re-evaluation your outdated habits, possessions & unsatisfying ways of interacting with others.
Don’t Compare Yourself to Others.
You will never be good enough when you compare your inner self with other’s outer self. You can fall into the trap of thinking that they have a better life or have fared better than you. That kind of thinking can lead to envy—wanting what you only perceive they have.
Be Honest with Who You Are.
As you move through your life’s stages continually construct meaning about who you are and what you believe. By midlife, you have become very experienced in daily life routines from raising children, preparing meals, doing laundry and pursuing a career. It is not unusual to find in this time of your life that your life did not follow the path you thought it would. Dreams, goals, and passions may have been put on hold while you attended to other aspects of life. But now what? Can you reach your full potential now? The answer is yes. By making the commitment to change those aspects of your life that are no longer relevant to you, you can discover the authentic “you” and enjoy a meaningful life. Nancy Anderson, in her book, Work with Passion in Midlife and Beyond, helps you move through three stages of change—(1) facing your fears head on, (2) eliminating outdated habits, possessions & ways of interacting with others, and (3) finding the niche to achieve the freedom to pursue your passion and purpose.
It is possible to have a meaningful existence here on earth and to live a life pursuing your passion. You have the ability to love what you are pursuing in both your professional and personal
life balance.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trust, always hopes, always perserveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.
How to Deal with Stress in Midlife
Embrace Your Life Transition & Dare to Dream
Is Your Wheel of Life in Balance
Return to Stress Management Home Page.
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