Alright, I’ve talked about balance and working to find balance a decent amount here in the blog and on the insta. I feel like finding balance is a good way to keep things in perspective, not to get too worked up over small things or go too far to one extreme or the other. For me, sometimes, when I go to an extreme, I go to an EXTREME. If I’m not paying attention to balance and am thinking mostly about exercise, I become obsessed with exercise. If I’m not paying attention to balance and am thinking about how badly I want cake, I bake and eat nothing but cake. That happened early on in the pandemic. I gained 5lbs almost immediately. 

I came across another person on instagram recently who was now trying to demonize BALANCE. WHAT. THE. HELL. No.

I think I get what she was trying to do. She was trying to say that if you want a donut, eat a donut and don’t stress out about the calories in the moment, similar to what I was saying about exercising for weight management a couple of posts back. Keeping track of calories in vs. calories out doesn’t work because all calories are not created equal. 

However. 

I’m going to be careful in how I say this. Balance is important to me because without it, the “one donut won’t kill me” mantra might turn into “one donut a day won’t kill me” which might turn into “one donut and ice cream everyday won’t kill me,” and so on. I am not talking about dieting. I am not talking about restrictive eating. I have dessert most days (ok, everyday, whatever), and I basically feel ok about that because I have reached a balance point that seems sustainable. I’m not super stressed about my weight, and I’m not over-indulging and then being really restrictive from one day to the next. For right now, during pandemic times when my family is still almost completely quarantined, with the occasional trip to the grocery store and visit with grandparents, I’m spending a lot of time in my house, near the pantry where the snacks are. This type of balance is about as good as it’s going to get until I have something occupying my time outside the house. 

Balance is not just another thing to stress over. It’s my answer to stress. It’s the in-between of the extremes, the center of the stream, where the banks are rigidity and chaos. And it’s an absolute necessity. 

I think there’s a lot of advice out there, including here, but my goal is always to be open about what I think and for you to know me before you listen to me. For someone to say that balance is another thing that The Man is trying to sell you, or whatever that woman was trying to say, feels disingenuous, like she thinks she has a NEW answer to all of your problems or a NEW thing to engage about on her social media account. No one has all the answers. I don’t mean to get so bent out of shape over what one insta-lady says. The point I do want to make, though, is that what works for her might not work for you. Or me. And what works for me might not work for you! Maybe the scheduling that keeps me on track is too rigid for you. But for me, balance is a must, and insta-ladies can keep their anti-balance advice.

Here’s the thing. Mental health is important. Throwing up one’s hands and saying, “Everything restrictive is bad! We should all live in the moment and be happy!” is a one-way ticket to depression for me. I can’t be ok without some kind of schedule. I can’t be ok without a routine. I can’t be ok without balance. I love some spontaneity, don’t get me wrong, but creativity and out-of-the-ordinary fun only work when they’re OUT-OF-THE-ORDINARY. If this balance thing isn’t your way, your cup of tea, ignore all of my statements about balance. But maybe still tell your friends to read my blog. Thanks.