Dynamic Equilibrium – Moving Beyond Work/Life Balance

Every year Dr. Kathy Allen spends time on the North Shore of Lake Superior. This is the first in this year’s series of blogs from that trip.

This morning I woke up thinking about dynamic equilibrium. I arrived on the North Shore of Lake Superior yesterday and have been listening to the waves crashing on the granite rocks. Their constant movement and soundtrack influenced my thoughts and led me to write more about the nature of dynamic equilibrium.

Earlier in my career, I was constantly seeking “balance”! I mistakenly thought that achieving a balance between my work and my life was a goal worth pursuing.  My worldview at that point was that I could control my work/life balance by my choices.  After years of aspiring to this goal, it finally dawned on me that the way I was defining the problem was the problem.

Nature has much to teach us about a different way of balancing because Nature runs on dynamic equilibrium. A dynamic equilibrium exists when the forward and reverse processes occur at the same rate, resulting in no observable change in the system. Waves are an excellent example of dynamic equilibrium.  At the same time the waves are creating, the next wave forms underneath it. The waves crash along the shore and recede, waiting for the next incoming wave, providing an example of dynamic equilibrium.

Applying dynamic equilibrium to our lives

We are all part of Nature, so we may also be examples of dynamic equilibrium. Our heart beats and rests in a process of dynamic equilibrium. Our breath goes in and out dynamically, and if we stopped this process, we would die. This might be a good framework to apply to our lives as well.

I now know that my work/life balance isn’t about a static state of perfection. Instead,  it is about a flow between work and life that has times of high work focus, and at other times there is high life focus. The dynamic equilibrium process means that these foci flow between each other just like the waves advance and retreat in a constant flow.

When we apply this view to our life, we can invite these forward and reverse processes into our lives. We can start seeing the dance of life and how this constant movement brings stability – just not in a static way. We could judge ourselves less because we haven’t achieved a perfect balance.

Consciousness helps

When we see work/life balance as a dynamic dance instead of a static state, consciousness helps us to optimize this equilibrium.  A good friend of mine believes that life is filled with this dynamic movement that pulls us one way or another. The difference between those with wild swings in their lives and those who achieve dynamic equilibrium is consciousness. When we are self-aware, we notice when we are being pulled out of balance/equilibrium sooner which can trigger the forward and revere processes that bring us into dynamic equilibrium.

As I sit listening to the wave advance and retreat in a constant process, I am contemplating how I can invite this felt experience into my life over the coming year. Sometimes I use visual or auditory cues to help me anchor a life lesson. The vision of the constant movement of waves and the sound of this process is something that I will take with me as I return to my life post-vacation. When we take a vacation, it can exhaust us depending on how we structure them. I like to gain a reset from my holidays on the North Shore. This reset reminds me of lessons I have learned but have forgotten or a habit that I have stopped practicing due to the daily stress of life. I am grateful for the lessons I learn from nature and for spending time alongside this big inland lake!

Dr. Kathy Allen’s insights are bountiful when she’s visiting the North Shore, so stay tuned for more from here trip next week. In the meantime, here are some more insights from last year’s trip.