Finding Balance

The psychologist Erik Erikson taught that the three main goals or activities in life were: to love (by this he meant friendships and family and romantic relationships), to work (this includes school too) and to play (having fun and being creative). Working, as you go through life, on balancing these 3 core life ingredients will help put you on a pathway to a fulfilling, meaningful and balanced life.

Growing up, we hopefully learn to connect, relate to and love others. We also learn how to learn, take care of our responsibilities, stick to and complete tasks (work). And if we are lucky, we learn how to explore the world, play games and enjoy ourselves.

And while we learn to love, work, and play we also need to be able to recognize how to keep ourselves balanced, how to remain flexible and how to stay centered. There are times in life in which the balance needs to focus more on schoolwork (getting ready for exams for example) and other times when you might put more energy into play (trying to make a sports team) or love (your friend is having trouble and needs help). Being aware of the need for flexibility and adjustments helps us to keep our basic life balance in check.

The search for balance is a challenge that continues throughout life but if you start thinking about these basic ideas now and keep them in mind throughout your life, you’re off to a great start!

Additional Reading
Managing Stress
Time Management