Dr. Kate Naumes On Finding (The Elusive) Balance

This week, our D Moms Daily wellness expert Dr. Kate Naumes addresses the importance of finding balance, embracing downtime (i.e. indulging in a Saturday morning magazine fest with zero guilt), and being kinder to ourselves. I, for one, needed to read this post today. Thanks Dr. Naumes.

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By Dr. Kate Naumes, ND

Amidst our hyper-busy, multi-tasking urban lifestyle, I’m often asked about finding balance in one’s life. The art of saying “no” (which I like to reframe as the art of saying “Yes!”) starts with organizing your big picture around what’s truly important to you and your family, long-term. Here are four specific ways to do this.

Make a family mission statement — A strong mission statement can drive every other decision that your family makes. If you and your partner can agree on your mutual mission, you may find that assuming this bird’s eye view of life helps you decide what is worth pursuing and what to set aside. Look at your primary relationships and take care that your actions support each other rather than push your family members away from one another. From time-to-time, my husband and I get out our family mission statement to use as a litmus test – we want to see if we are being true to vision. Then we try to let go of everything that’s not of vital importance.
Look for balance — Even after you’ve narrowed your focus down to the jobs, activities, and pursuits that support your family’s mission statement, you may find yourself still having to choose between conflicting ‘good things.’ Should I cook a healthy home cooked meal for my family or go on a walk with my husband? Be gentle with yourself, be forgiving. Take a long slow deep breath and let go!
Assume an attitude of compassion towards yourself — Beating yourself up for ‘not being a good enough mom’ is self defeating. Do what you can and then take pride in all that you’ve already accomplished!
Acknowledge the importance of downtime — The connection between mind and body is quite real. Without frequent time to turn down and tune out your thinking, your body will have a difficult time unwinding.

I speak to my clients all the time about making hard choices. Luckily a naturopathic view of daily life that includes compassion, space, balance and a clarity of purpose can do a lot to help us get there. Use this Valentine’s day to sit down with your partner to talk about where the two of you are going.

Dr. Kate Naumes, ND runs a Holistic Wellness practice in uptown. She provides pre-conception and fertility counseling, newborn and pediatric wellness education, as well as ongoing well-woman support. Learn more at naumesnd.com.

Disclaimer: Dr. Kate Naumes, ND holds a Doctorate in Naturopathy and a Certificate in Midwifery from Bastyr University. The state of Texas does not license Naturopathic Doctors. As such, she holds her license in California and acts in Texas as a wellness consultant, not as a physician.