As lady bosses, we have the ability to choose and control our surroundings—building joy, balance, and pleasure into our days—in a way that many other folks don’t.

But often, we don’t use this to our advantage, letting our to do lists & never-ending workload run the show.

We may:

Juggle too many responsibilities,

Work long hours,

Allow our thoughts to dip to the realm of anxiety and worry,

Make poor food choices or skip meals altogether,

Stop including fun and play in our schedules,

Stretch bed time later and later in order to finish ONE more thing,

All the while putting added stress on our health and well-being…

You may have started your business with dreams of time & location freedom, but suddenly find your business is the thing standing in the way of the freedom you crave.

You feel me? I get it, sister. I’ve been there too. Now let’s talk about making some change…

In order to relieve any stressor, we must become aware of the internal cues given to us by our bodies.

Those feelings of anxiety, dread, overwhelm? They’re your body’s alarm system alerting you that something’s not right.

Those feelings of ease, calm, excitement and joy? They’re your body’s way of showing you you’re right on track, in alignment with what’s best for you.

**Your body is one of your greatest assets when it comes to a successful business, FYI. ***

The awareness of your body’s cues and your tending to them, is the difference between a long, joyful life and thriving business, or otherwise.

The first step and ultimately the biggest key to creating greater balance is this: “Know Thyself.”

Ayurveda, the Indian, sister science to yoga, suggests that if we could learn to handle and balance the various forces that are at work in and around us, we could live even longer lives, entirely free from stress & disease.

It’s proposed in Ayurveda that if we could really learn to live in balance at every level of our being, that our inner and outer growth would have no foreseeable limits.

The key belief in Ayurveda is that such growth is intended by nature to be automatic and as such is programmed into our very cells. Whether we experience it or not is simply a question of following the “silent river of intelligence to its source”. In other words, creating a deeply intimate partnership with our bodies that focuses on balance and awareness moment to moment.

But how do we create greater balance in life & business when all of our responsibilities get in the way?

Believe it or not, it can be simple. There are very easy things we can do throughout each day to help create balance and awareness from the most basic level of our existence.

And, as entrepreneurs, we have the luxury to build these tools into our daily lives as part of how we work each day.

Here are three of my favorites:

1. Meditation.

Meditation is a beautiful way to cultivate the practice of looking inward, otherwise known as self-referral. When we look inside of ourselves to influence our next action or behavior, we are literally tapping into the messages and signals provided by our bodies, therefore helping us to move into greater alignment within all areas of our lives, including our way of eating, relationships, career, etc.

While the idea of meditation can feel super daunting or downright frightening to some, meditation can take on many forms. Active meditation can include moving your body in order to “get out of your head”– dancing, walking, running, for example– whereas passive meditation requires introversion (usually by means of sitting or lying still) in order to quiet the mind. Whatever your preferred method of cultivating presence, the key is to do it regularly, dropping out of the mind and into the heart and body. From here, we can create not only deepened awareness and reduced stress, but increased joy and greater alignment with our greatest desires for our life.

New to meditation? Try an app like Headspace to get started, or even better, visit Charleston’s very own, absolutely gorgeous meditation studio Still Soul Studio.

2. Music.

Music helps to create balance in the mind and body as well as your surrounding environment. In fact, research shows that plants grow healthier and more rapidly when exposed to beautiful music and that their growth is actually stunted when they’re exposed to loud, jarring sounds. Listening to music throughout the day can help to reset the senses into self-referral mode.

Make it a point to include more music you love throughout your day: while you drive, answering email, in between meetings… Play your favorite song instead of ruminating on a stressful conversation or email you received. See how this one small activity can elevate your mood all day long.

Spotify has some great playlists with titles like Perfect Concentration, A Soft Backdrop and Deep Focus designed to help your brain and body stay calm and present.

3. Smell.

Every smell you experience goes straight to the hypothalamus, the part of the brain in which TONS of bodily functions are regulated (i.e. temperature, thirst, blood sugar levels, growth, sleeping, waking, emotions and digestion). To smell anything is to send an immediate message to the hypothalamus, hence sending a message to the whole body. We can use our sense of smell to help create a state of peace and emotional well-being.

Consider diffusing your favorite organic essential oil, burning some incense, lighting a candle, or keeping fresh, fragrant flowers nearby. Notice how implementing this simple touch can calm and elevate your mind without much effort on your part at all.

I’d love to hear from you. What are your favorite ways to create balance in your life and business each day? Which of these tools do you want to try?

Share what you’re up to on online and tag me and Hatch Tribe at @stephaniemburg and @hatchtribe on Instagram. Or find me inside the Hatch Tribe Members Circle to learn more about striking balance in work, life & everything else in between.

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ABOUT STEPHANIE BURG

Stephanie Burg was a professional ballerina for over a decade. After years of restrictive, disordered eating and utter disregard for her body, a series of injuries took her from the stage and forced her to reevaluate every facet of her life, starting with her relationship to her body.

Now a Board Certified Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach, Stephanie is a fierce advocate for the human form, drawing upon her expertise in movement and studies in holistic nutrition, gut health, food allergies and spiritual + emotional well-being to teach women how to return to the innate wisdom and brilliance of their female bodies. Stephanie teaches women to shed outmoded, limiting beliefs about themselves and their bodies and to prioritize excellent nutrition and self-care. Stephanie believes that when a woman loves the body she calls home, she embraces her power to create the life she was born to live.

Stephanie’s work has been featured in publications such as ABC News, Colorado Public Radio, Dance Magazine, Mind Body Green, Elephant Journal, Tiny Buddha, and various national and local publications. Stephanie was selected as one of Charleston, SC’s “50 Most Progressive” celebrating the most forward-thinking individuals having an impact on the future of Charleston.

Stay connected with Stephanie and gain access to powerful interviews with some of the greatest experts in holistic health by visiting: http://www.stephanieburgcoaching.com/

Additional Links:

Email: Stephanie@StephanieBurgCoaching.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sburgcoaching

Instagram: http://instagram.com/stephaniemburg

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/smbu/

3 Tools to Create Greater Balance (& Success) in Your Life & Biz

1. Meditation.

2. Music.

3. Smell.

Meet the Tribe - Erin Lingle

Meet Your Mentor - Stephanie Burg