In the year 1865 French physiologist Claude Bernard first described the tendency of an organism to maintain balance. In 1926, Walter Cannon termed this tendency as a state of homeostasis. Loosely translated homeostasis is the property of a system which actively regulates to remain very nearly constant. It explains the functioning of our body both physically and mentally to seek balance. A classic example of this mechanism is the control of body temperature that explains why on a hot day we sweat so as to cool down and why in cold weather we shiver so as to warm up.
We are complex machines with inbuilt mechanisms that are micro managed to get precision so nothing comes up unexpectedly. Warning bells are always in place. Unless of course it is an accident. Undeniably however the greatest imbalance in the 21st century is the work-life balance. The outcome of which has taken enough douche from the World Bank to become termed as the silent killer of the 21st century.
Managing stress has become the preoccupation of health and industry in the recent years and with the latest statistics by WHO stating that one in every 5 men and one in every 7 women are going to experience depression once in their lifetime, one has to seriously look at inoculating oneself from stress.
So it is not surprising that often when we are stressed up we find ourselves behaving in a complete irrational manner. Doing things that don’t make sense. The mind seeks comforts in doing irrational things. If ever we pay close attention to our body and mind we know how and when this tuning off is needed. Unfortunately this is never the case. We ignore subtle signs and push on till we stretch far enough to break.
I recently attended a workshop on stress management training and one of the key features that stood out for me was the wheel of well-being. It is not only doable but worth a try.
It begins with a premise that we as humans of the 21st century, have to play varied roles. We are both parents and children, spouses and friends, boss and subordinates, professionals and colleagues, family and relatives, alone and social. Although we often tend to compartmentalize our life into school/work, home/family, self, and relationships we forget to see that these varied components are more connected than separate. Also they are more interdependent than we hope them to be.
The wheel of well-being (WOW) is about maintaining balance between these varied roles. The WOW helps you connect the dots and realize that if we want to grow and progress then the way we function has to follow the same principles as the one that governs movement.
If we want optimal level of functioning than we need to ensure that every spoke in our wheel of life has to be in balance. This is where we need to checkout our alignments with the various roles we play. What roles do we pay more attention to and which roles do we deny attention? How do we prioritize our time? We confront ourselves with this question often when it is too late.
Coronary diseases, diabetes, depression are amongst the leading causes of why we need to alter our spokes and seek balance.
The first step to a lifestyle change is awareness. Following are some cues that will help you decide if you are already travelling down the road to a new you.
I begin with the one we pay least attention to and that is the Self.
The self is comprised of the physical, emotional and creative dimensions.
The physical sphere looks at how comfortable you are in your own skin and is measured by the amount of energy you devote in exercise, nutrition and body image. You don’t need to go to the gym; a half an hour walk every day is all it takes.
Your emotional self-deals with your ability to deal with your feelings and managing emotions. What strategies do you have in place while going through emotional up-heaves?
And your creative self looks at how you express your mind and connect with the world. One way to increase the creative self is through the pursue of hobbies. (Paint, write, sing, play an instrument, gardening anything that allows you to express your creative thoughts)
We are social animals and need Relationships. The support of friends is undeniably one of the more important sources of well-being. It is important to have a network of people whom you can turn to in case of unwarranted stress and sometimes just to vent out. Maintaining these relationships is what is important for well-being.
Gaining a lot of attention is the spiritual dimension. It is not about religion but understanding oneself in the greater reality of life. A sense of belonging to the world, community and nature. Understanding the purpose of life and the role one plays. The comfort one receives from the knowledge of this purpose and belongingness.
I bring Work last which often takes most of our time and is the leading cause of stress. Often people hide behind their love for their job, but the truth is unless you learn to equally love your family, relationships and self in the same equation, work nor money will help.
