Nicole Friedman, Psy.D.
In today’s modern world where women are required to juggle several hats, creating balance can be quite a challenging endeavor. As a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend and professional, I am all too familiar with walking that fine line on a daily basis. We as women are innately relationship based, and feel the need to give 100% of ourselves to everything we do, often at our own personal expense. However, attempting to be all things to all people leaves us feeling depleted, angry and resentful not to mention depressed and anxious. It took me a long to come to terms with the idea that giving a little to me goes a long way at home and at work. In fact, when I take the time to take care of myself, I am much more present in my relationships. Remember, it’s quality not quantity that counts. In all honesty, some days are clearly easier than others. On those more challenging days, instead of beating myself up, I remind myself to continue to set clear boundaries, prioritize, learn to say no, and accept that people may not always like that. If I lived a life trying to avoid disappointing others, I suspect my emotional resources would be quickly drained, and I would end up disappointing myself as well as those around me. With that said, I encourage each of you to evaluate whether your life and your relationships are in balance. If not, there is no time like the present to make life-altering changes that will ultimately bring peace, harmony and balance to your world.