Inner balance can be a mystery. We all need it. And we all want it. Yet, often we think it is beyond our reach.

1. What is inner balance?

Often we can tell, when we have not got it. When we are in a state of inner balance, our heart and brain are said to be synchronised, level; no hyper or de-pressed physical, emotional or mental sensations. We are on an even keel, feel grounded, less vulnerable, more positive, reassured and strong.

Yet inner balance can also be an enigma, a mystery, because it is:

• fragile, yet it gives us strength;
• physical, mental, emotional, spiritual;
• not permanent and changes with us.

We have ways of finding inner balance, keeping it and strengthening it. We can have it, and before we know it, it is gone again.

Inner balance feels great, when we have it, but it takes work and maintenance. @KarinSieger (Click to Tweet!)

Sometimes, we can sense instantly when our inner balance has started to leak away. At other times, we can carry on for a very long time without much inner balance at all.

Our balance is individual to us. It changes over time. And change can be unpredictable. 

We all have thresholds of carrying on without sufficient inner balance. We all have ways of managing.

2. What affects our inner balance?

People, pollution, location, time of day, noise, light, stress, circumstances, thoughts, feelings, the weather, money or lack of, spirituality, responsibilities, health or lack of, politics, art, nature, seasons, love, fear, hate, creativity, procrastination, food, alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, loneliness, intimacy, sports, sex, music, religion, beliefs, ethics, mindfulness, meditation, therapy – I could go on – they all affect our balance. They can strengthen or weaken it.

And we are at the centre of it all.

There are consequences to whatever we do or don’t to keep our inner balance. Some times in our lives are more challenging than others. At times the cards we are dealt are very though. At other times they are feather-light, pure bliss.

3. Two important keys to your inner balance.

Embrace two realities and act accordingly:

• Inner balance is a living thing and a process that you can shape. Balance is at the heart of your well being, which you should not take for granted. There is no blue print, and it is your responsibility to figure it out.

• Intuition and gut feeling is your radar that scans for im-balances. It is a very special tool, which relies on self awareness: knowing what triggers your loss of balance, and what are helpful activities and life style choices, that help nourish and replenish lost balance.

Not trusting or ignoring our intuitive scanner will ultimately leave us vulnerable and disempowered. 

4. What I have learnt about my inner balance.

With time I have learnt the hard way to trust my intuition and to adhere to some strict rules of self care. I know which activities or events will be more draining for me than others. And I try and organise my daily or weekly schedule accordingly.

But difficult things happen unexpectedly. Then I need enough down time to process and re-charge.

I have created a self care, self help, maintenance tool box, to assist me with my inner balance. What’s in it?

Activities, beliefs, thoughts, dreams, music, the odd biscuit, my dog, people, writing, silence ….

You get the idea.

What’s in yours?

Watch Karin’s YouTube video:

Originally published on KarinSieger.com.

Karin Sieger is a psychotherapist, writer and podcast host. She offers support globally with motivation, personal transitions, grief, making peace and the emotional impact of cancer, with which Karin has been diagnosed twice. She does her writing and recording on her orange houseboat in London. You can sign up for her free newsletter, and listen to her podcasts ‘Soul Cravings’ and ‘Cancer and You’. Connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube Channel.

Image courtesy of Caique Silva.