A blog about my adventures as an athlete, adventures with athletes and just adventures!

Sunday, December 7, 2014

BALANCE

BALANCE:

Something that we all strive to achieve! And why not- it's a very important aspect in life and with today's society, we are pressured to take on more and more, life can sometimes be downright overwhelming! This is something that I have been struggling with BIGTIME over the past 11 months.

I won't lie, this exact blog has been in progress for a little while now. I have aspired to write amazing blogs about motherhood, and my journeys as "Jenn Turner- MOM, Athlete, and Chiro to the Athletes",  because I have been doing cool things as a mom, really cool things with baby Tanner in tow: 

-travelled to Netherlands with the national BMX team for World Championships (husband and baby came to make it a family ordeal) and we got to watch one of my own athletes win a silver medal!

-competed in the BMO half marathon, the Iron Knee 10k, the Coho run- all while training with my new running partner snuggled up in the chariot! 

-travelled to the BMX world cup finals in Chula Vista, California with a NANNY in tow for my little man!

-opened a BIGGER BETTER Moveo, my clinic in North Vancouver with my business partner Sarah. This process has taken OVER a year and it is a dream clinic come true. 

But, I digress... 

Balance means different things for different folks, it's a totally individual thing, and only you yourself, know and feel that you have attained balance, it's extremely difficult to hold that position, much like the physical realm of balance truly is. A great blog of an pro athlete/lawyer that caught my eye, talks frankly about balance being un-achievable, and prefers to call it "integration", a concept that I can wrap my head around.  Although many ideas in the blog were applicable, this line really spoke to me. " More importantly, what this integration style approach does is that it gives me permission to more mindfully engage in the task I’m doing because there is no guilt about it. I know why I’m doing certain tasks" Instead of rushing through (certain) tasks, and not necessarily paying the attention to things I am doing, as I am sometimes just doing things to "get it done" or to "balance" out my day.
I can drop the guilt of thinking that I should be spending my time doing the other of what I am NOT doing at the time- which happens to me all the time and does that really ever make me feel satisfaction??? 
I can fully ENJOY the things I am doing, as I know the other stuff will get done! 
I can give everything the attention that they need, as I know that I have scheduled time to indeed get it done/spend time with/focus on etc, etc, etc.  
THIS IS HUGE FOR ME!! Definitely an area I struggle with and something I hope to improve- both for organization sake, and so I don't drive myself crazy! 

Here's that blog I was talking about:

(http://cdamaampbell.blogspot.ca/2014/03/feat-talk-work-life-integration.html?m=1)


Let me tell ya, having a kid, is like one of those obtacles in "wipeout"- where the ground is soft and slippery and someone is wailing at you with one of those mallet-thingies: BALANCE//INTEGRATION , hits a whole new level!! These are some of the ways that I am "integrating" now that I have a baby: 

-doing a 2-3 hour hike with baby strapped to me- gets my baby fresh air, appreciation for nature and taking care of himself, but also gets me a darn good workout (especially if ya throw some north shore mountains in there!)

-bringing my baby to work to play with the physio equipment while I squeeze in a few treatments of athletes whom I cannot neglect- gets my baby socialized, comfortable in different environments, increases his development, but I feel "normal" like I am doing what I was meant to be doing, all the while, my athletes get better!

-learning daily about the neurological changes and motor developments of my kid- applying it to my work looking at the human body and how it functions

-talking and connecting more with my family, as they want to keep tabs on the baby and see him and watch him grow since we live so far away! 

-learning to have FUN and relieve stress, think about the simple joys of life (like playing in a puddle, or  watching the construction cranes, or looking at christmas lights) as this integration technique truly lets you be in that moment of pure baby bliss. 

I feel that this is important for all parties involved in my life, so I can give to each one of them, but also keep myself healthy and happy (so I can continue giving and making other people happy!!) It's also great to practice, as true "balance" would have it, things constantly change and re-arrange, so the template of life so to speak will always have to be changing as well now, this little guy amazes me at the new things he can do every. single. day. and how his needs change so much on a weekly basis.. To do what I do, one must be adaptable. flexible and not easily frustrated by a quick change of plans, as that is a daily occurrence! 

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