Finding Balance with Compassion and Discipline with Annelies, F45 Gym Owner in Brussels

I’m so excited to have Annelies on the podcast! She and her husband started the first F45 studio gym in Belgium. She was also a client of mine! I helped her reach her wellness goals before her wedding.

I brought Annelies on the podcast to talk about finding balance in your life. It can be difficult to balance several things happening at once. Personal life, kids, work, school, hobbies, relationships… It’s a lot! Annalies knows this feeling well. She’s very disciplined with herself, and once she puts her mind to something, there’s no stopping her. 

However, this active and busy lifestyle finally caught up to her. Life was crazy, and she started to feel burned out. She was reaching her goals but felt exhausted and started to lose the joy these activities once brought her.

I’m sure some of you have felt this way before, too. I hope this episode shows you that you aren’t alone in your struggles and gives you some ideas on how to find balance in your life.

Be Compassionate with Yourself

It’s okay to slow down and say no to things that aren’t filling your cup. Your gut and body tell you everything you need to know. You’ll have a feeling that it’s time to slow down. You’ll end up damaging yourself if you continue working at the speed of light all the time.

Everyone goes through a busy season of life, but that eventually needs to fade into some form of normalcy. It’s much easier to slow down than recover from burnout. You’ll eventually hit a rock bottom moment where you say to yourself, “I don’t want to live this way anymore.” And that moment looks different for everyone. Your life might look great, but it doesn’t feel great. That’s how you know it’s time to slow down and be patient and compassionate with yourself when you do.

Improve Self-Discipline

Being self-disciplined isn’t easy. You need to be strict with yourself as you would with a child you’re teaching. You wouldn’t let them skip a day of school every week like you might be tempted to skip a workout every week. 

When you start to feel burned out from your lifestyle, everything feels out of control. You’re going a million miles an hour and feel like you can’t stop to breathe. You don’t have any balance. Discipline brings control into your life. When you can take a pause in life, you’re regaining control. You’re saying, “I need a break, so I’m taking one.” Part of being disciplined is listening to your body when it tells you it needs rest and actually taking it. 

Finding Balance Takes Time

There isn’t a magic switch where balance happens. You constantly have to work at it. You might feel balanced one week and completely whack the next. Give yourself grace and work to get back on track.

Finding this balance between compassion and discipline takes time. It’s a trial-and-error process because it varies from person to person. Your version of balance isn’t the same as your friend’s. You have to learn to let go of expectations, timelines, and other people’s successes. Your journey is uniquely yours! Take the time to learn what works for you, and you’ll be on your way to a more balanced lifestyle.

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About Annelies

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Go to their studio and get an amazing workout!