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Podcast #28: Finding Balance

  • Writer: Lynda Price
    Lynda Price
  • Jul 9, 2024
  • 4 min read

Updated: 2 days ago


There's one more piece to the puzzle of your life that can make a critical difference between satisfaction and unhappiness as an adult with an invisible disability. It's called balance--and once you figure out how to find that, you'll open the door to a truly satisfying quality of life as an adult.


"In today’s fast paced life tempo, the question of how to find balance has never been more important.

This topic is usually discussed in the context of achieving work-life balance, as this is a common challenge for the modern generation. Overworking yourself by compromising the time you set aside for yourself, self-care, and spending time with the people you love leads to burnout, and, from that point on, it can quickly snowball: the negative effects of stress further impact productivity, which stresses us out even more, and so on. It’s a vicious cycle.

Achieving balance can be hard — it can even seem unattainable for some people. And that’s because balance is so much more than simple time rationalization. It begins with setting up a positive mindset and progresses to better organization and life satisfaction." (Intelligent Change, 2021)


"Achieving a balanced life will lead to you feeling happier, and what’s more important than that?" (Intelligent Change, 2021)




DEFINITION

What is "balance" in your life? A great definition from Frye (2024) is: "Balance in life is the act of creating harmony in various aspects of your life. These aspects include your physical health, mental well-being, interpersonal relationships, work life, emotional state, and spirituality." This lofty goal is often made up of two components: internal and external balance (Intelligent Change, 2021). Examples of internal are: "Mind (thought processes, cognition); Health (mental, physical); and Emotions (control, expression)." Examples of External balance are: "Work (professional goals, the level of enjoyment at work, relationships with colleagues); Friendships (nurturing your relationships with the people you like and satisfying your needs for socialization); Family (fulfilling your responsibilities towards your family as well as enjoying spending time with them, plus setting healthy boundaries in your relationships); and Fun and hobbies (me-time, participating in activities that are exciting to you and have nothing to do with pleasing others)" (Intelligent Change, 2021).

Remember, that balance in your life is a very personalized concept--it will look different to different people. For instance, one adult may need to have their family as the center of their life and everything else is secondary. Another person may be called to a certain occupation and being of service to others will always be a top priority. But, no matter what you discover to be the preeminant area of your own life, the research clearly shows that you can't achieve that without the balance of other areas as well (CITATIONS).


Balance in: work, school, home/community + friends & significant others





APPLY TO ADULTS WITH INVISIBLE DISABILITIES


While balance is an often unknown, but critical factor for happiness and positive quality of life for all adults, it is especially important for individuals with disabilities. This may be true in the area that is too often a priority for most adults--working and making a living. But the research shows that adults with disabilities may be particularily at risk. As Cook (2025) states: "Finding a balance between work and the rest of your life isn’t easy, and having a disability can make it even more challenging. With funding from the National Institute of Disability Research, the Employment and Disability Institute at Cornell University is currently conducting research on the topic of work-life balance and disability . . . [W]hat we understand is that while working contributes to enhanced mental and physical health, as well as to a better quality of life, employed people with disabilities may have even more to juggle than their colleagues without disabilities." The staff at ALSO (2024) add: "Our lives are filled with daily tasks, activities, and responsibilities. For those of us with a disability, these tasks might be more difficult to complete. The specific limitations depend on what type of disability a person is living with. In addition, it depends on the kind of support we have; and how we balance our strengths, needs, and challenges." Why is this so?

One influential, but rarely discussed area, is mental health. Wood (2024) explains that: "For many, the daily realities of living with a disability can be exhausting. Managing chronic pain, mobility limitations, or sensory impairments often requires significant emotional energy. Tasks that might seem simple—like grocery shopping or attending a meeting—can involve intricate planning and adaptations. And when you look at it from that perspective, it’s no wonder that people with disabilities are five times more likely to struggle with their mental health." She adds, "The impact of ableism, loneliness, limited energy, and financial strains from accessing healthcare all contribute to the hidden impact of disability on mental health.  This impact can range from navigating inaccessible environments to coping with social stigma and feelings of isolation. . . People with disabilities may encounter stereotypes, pity, or outright discrimination. These experiences can make them feel invisible or excluded, contributing to feelings of loneliness and worthlessness." ADD EXAMPLES HERE....








*note: the vast majority of the literature focuses on people with moderate to severe cognitive and physical disabilities--however, most of their suggestions and ideas relate well to people with LD, dyslexia, or ADHD as well.....








Tip #1: Are You Having Fun?






Tip #2: Self-Care





Tip #3: On-going Stress and Anxiety




Tip #4: Who's Driving Your Bus?


























REFERENCES

 
 
 

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