Strive for Life Integration not Work-Life Balance

I am what you would call a part-time yogi. In the mornings, I practice yoga three times a week and absolutely love the way I feel after. In fact, the charged feeling after the thirty minute sessions leaves my mind and body light and relaxed. This encourages me to eat and think clean, as well as maintain an aura of calm for the rest of the day.

This got me thinking of how integrative yoga is, and how it’s benefits extend to various areas of my life simultaneously. It brings out the best of me in seemingly polar aspects of my life: from my spiritual state (yoga completely relaxes my body before my meditation) to my work state (yoga allows me to introspect and this switches my mind off, which in turn provides opportunity for new ways of thinking/ideas to emergence).

Integration can be defined as the unification and stimulation of your different states simultaneously.

Attaining a work-life balance is a phrase that has been thrown around by life-coaches and performance consultants for a long time. I would humbly like to challenge the very notion of achieving this balance and even go as far as saying it creates even more stress in life to mainatin it IF it is ever reached. Balancing anything implies there are separate elements to be balanced; hence you often have to place more attention to one thing at the expense of another, all the time!

Balance is the separation and isolation of your differnent states simultaneously.

Balancing your life limits your options to what you can give your energy to at any given time. Granted, there are times you need to focus on a specific task and give it most of your attention. For example, when a client of mine requested an urgent project brief by end of day in the morning, I knew I had to set aside specific isolated time to work on this, althought I had other activities to perform in various spaces in my life. Although it was an isolated task, I saw it as part of the bigger picture in completing my day.

Here are 3 integrative activities you can incorporate in your life immediately that will better your hollistic self and improve various states in your life simultaneously.

1. Meditation (if the word meditation scares you, call it relaxation!)

No, you dont have sit cross-legged and recite mantras you do not understand! It’s simple: find a quiet place you will not be disturbed and sit in a comfortable position in a chair or the floor (don’t worry I won’t ask you to levitate!) Close your eyes and take 3 big breathes. Visualize your body gently relaxing from the tip of your toes to the crown of your head. Now internalize this statement: “Today I will be my authentic self and and perfom my best in all I think, say and do.” Repeat this statement three times then gently let it seep into your consiousness. Try this for three to five minutes in the morning before you start your day.

The benefits of meditation/relaxation are numerous: from increased focus, improved concentration, better peer interaction to even increasing the number of cells in your brain! (see results from a Harvard Neuroscientist here).

2. Regular Exercise

The good thing about exercise is that you do not have to be a pro or fitness guru. There is something for everybody, regarless of your body of fitness level. If your are new to it, then start with a walk around the block. The secret is consistency and progression. So commit to to a walk/jog three times a week for a month then increase the distance every month. Be present when you are exercising so try not to think of work and focus on the task at hand and giving it everything you got.

Apart from the physical health benefits exercise provides, it assists me in my goal settings. It pushes me to my limits and instils discipline in me- these attributes are then integrated into my work goals seamlessly as I am familiar with the feeling of digging deep to achieve something.

3. Escaping to a Different Universe

Can’t afford a time machine? Don’t worry, neither can I! But here is something just as effective: a good fictional book. A more recent study published in 2013 in the journal Brain Connectivity found that reading fiction improves the reader’s ability to put themselves in another person’s shoes. This means your empathy and relatability to others’ can be bettered by delving into the pages of a good story. That’s because when we read about a situation or feeling, it’s very nearly as if we’re feeling it ourselves. I’m quite certain this is useful in a variety of areas in your life! Alternate reading a fictional book between a non-fictional book and see the impact it has on your outlook on life.

When reading, try not to be so literal; read between the lines and get the deeper meaning behind stories. This is an attribute that can help you see the deeper meanings in other situations in life.

Work-life implies ‘work’ as being separate from the rest of your ‘life’ . The integrated approach places work as an consolidated part of your overall life. Stop seeing your life in silos and separate categories. Instead, begin to break down these limiting walls and allow your life to flow. Integration allows different elements of your life to benefit from each other. This in turn, will improve your productivity, time management and self-awareness.

Thanks for reading! Take a listen to my latest Your Authentic Self (YAS)Podcast, where I interview global citizens who are unapologetic of who they are and are leaving a distinct mark on the world! Do you have something better to do? Good! Do it while listening to the podcast!