[Alicia Davis] So, we’re curious: are you sick of talking about balance and self-care? Balance and self-care for yourself – for your team – like we kind of feel that it’s overused in a way, and yet, at the same time, we all need balance and self-care. So what’s up with that, Stacie?

[Stacie Watson] Well, it is interesting. You know, when you talk to leaders and team members, you hear both – and – right? Everybody feels like all they do is talk about the importance of balance and self-care, and yet everybody feels out of balance and the fact that they need some care. And I just had this really interesting experience in a session that I was facilitating a week ago where there was a leader in the room, and we were just exploring what does it mean to have moments of just, whether you call it self-care or just, how can I, you know, sort of set a boundary around a little bit of time that’s really for me. And so she described this really specific set of things she could do. I could sit in front of a fire. I could read my book and maybe have a glass of bourbon next to me, right? We could all see the picture of what that moment of balance might look like for her. And then, at the end of this beautiful picture she painted, she said, but that’s not possible.

[Alicia Davis] Right!

[Stacie Watson] And it was so interesting because I think that is exactly what many of us do. We sort of have a sense of these moments that we can find, or these practices that we could participate in, that can offer us a little bit of that. But when it comes to setting that boundary or sort of actually doing it, it can feel impossible, right?

[Alicia Davis] Yeah, it’s really interesting how our mind can get very focused-in on what’s not possible, right? That’s part of overwhelm, actually, is that the brain starts beginning to think, oh, I can only do certain things, and I can’t do other things. And so, you know, I think that’s part of the conversation is to really, be really curious and really kind to yourself and say, well, well, how true is that, really?

[Stacie Watson] Exactly!

[Alicia Davis] And one of the things that we like to talk about is micro-moments, like could you take five minutes? Could you take five minutes and sit down in that chair and enjoy the fire? Could you take 10 minutes? Right? And so it’s what are those little things that I think, whatever the feeling state is for you, you know. I know somebody said to you that they felt a little bit more ease.

[Stacie Watson] Yes!

[Alicia Davis] That really resonated for you. Sometimes it feels to people like it’s being able to focus, sometimes it’s being able to slow down, right? I had somebody in my sessions last week – we were talking about how when they feel more in balance, they feel grounded.

[Stacie Watson] Yeah.

[Alicia Davis] Everybody has their own experience of it. And I think that’s the other thing that we just really want to emphasize here – whatever you refer to it as, it’s how do you do something that is a little bit restorative to you.

[Stacie Watson] Yes, and recognizing, you know – exactly – it’s different for each person. And while you know the big things we can do for ourselves – taking a vacation or going on a retreat – you know those are amazing, and honestly, those don’t come that often. Our lives are very busy, so finding these moments where we can just set a little bit of a boundary. And really it comes down to just boundary setting, a little bit of a boundary around, as you said, a micro-moment, a small period of time to do something that’s meaningful. And this is really a big part of our upcoming training session on the topic of balance, right?

[Alicia Davis] That’s right, and our topic in the Learning Academy is Balance is a Verb.

[Stacie Watson] Yes.

[Alicia Davis] And it’s really very much based on how we set boundaries. How do we manage the guilt that comes up when we set boundaries, and how can we have a little bit more self-compassion for ourselves in whatever this process is around balance? So I’m Alicia Davis…

[Stacie Watson] I’m Stacie Watson…

[Alicia Davis] And that session is coming up, I believe, on October 30th, and you can check it out at academy.TLStransforms.com. Thank you so much.

[Stacie Watson] Thank you.