Balance is B.S.

CHAPTER 8Filling Up Your Soul: How to stay stable and ride the roller coaster

When I was pregnant I noticed people loved the saying, “Happy mom, happy baby.”

But I got a bit annoyed because I thought, why does that only apply when you're breastfeeding or have a newborn? Isn't it always “happy mom, happy kids”?

And why does it only apply to moms? What about “happy me, happy marriage” or “happy home, happy business”?

And why is it that we only look after our health when we have an event to go to, or when we want to look good for something, like a wedding?

Those things annoy me. Making your health a priority only when it's on show. Focusing on your well-being only if you're in a special time of life, like having a baby.

I think looking after yourself has to be a constant. Sometimes, when you're busy with other priorities, you find yourself varying from the constant. That's when you recognize that you're getting a bit off-kilter and need to get yourself back on track. But it's always something that needs to be there, underneath everything else. This is your foundation.

So I have this baseline level of well-being, of feeling okay, of being myself. The level that I set for myself is about what I give myself permission to be worthy of.

And I know when I'm not there. I know the warning signs that tell me I'm not doing well, and I know what to expect when I let certain things slide.

Finally, I know how to reset myself to where I need to be. I don't look to Florian or my friends or my ...