Food For Your Soul: Dawn McGee
If you’ve ever wondered how to find balance in midlife, you’re not alone, and the answer lies in being intentional with your seasons of rest, work, and fun.
I’ve been talking a lot about seasons of life lately. How we ebb and flow between them. How we create a balance that works for us. But what does that actually look like in practice? How can we create balance between seasons of rest, work, and fun? And why does it matter so much?
Why It Matters:
Why is it essential to have a balance between the seasons of your life? It’s all about living a full, healthy, joyful life. If you spend all of your time in a season of work, you’re going to get burnt out. You’ll begin to experience high levels of stress, both mentally and physically. This looks like higher levels of cortisol, leading to more systemic inflammation and a cascading impact on your physical health. Your body and mind need time for rest and recovery, and for fun!
But if you spend too much time in a season of rest, you’ll stagnate. You won’t reach your goals. Even though rest is vital for your health, too much rest can actually keep you from living a truly healthy lifestyle. And while seasons of fun are good and necessary–eventually you will need to step back into seasons of rest and work.
It’s all connected. The Yin and Yang of everything. Your body needs to rest, and it also needs the hard work of intentional exercise. Your mind needs to be challenged in seasons of work, and it also needs time for fun.
How To Find Balance In Midlife: 4 Practical Tips for Navigating Rest, Fun, And Work:
1. Define “Fun” On Your Own Terms:
When you hear the word “fun,” what comes to mind?
For a lot of people, it conjures up images of big adventures or time spent out on the town. But I believe that each of us needs to define what “fun” means to us.
Maybe your idea of fun is a family trip to Universal Studios (I visited with my son recently). Or maybe it’s a pottery class. Maybe you think an afternoon reading a book in the sunshine is the epitome of fun. Or maybe it’s trying out a new restaurant with your significant other or bestie.
Whatever “fun” looks like to you, embrace it. Plan it. Make time and space for it in your life. Shift your thinking to encompass seasons of all sizes. Make sure you’re creating seasons of fun throughout your year, not just when vacation week kicks off.
2. Get Intentional In Seasons Of Work:
We all have to go through seasons of hard work, and that’s okay! These seasons are good for us. They help us to grow and reach the goals in our lives. But if we want to balance the seasons of our lives, we must make the most of those seasons of work.
When you enter a season of work, enter with intention. It’s easy to get stuck in the mindset of busyness when we’re in a season of work. We’re so focused on being productive, that we can actually block our productivity with busy work that doesn’t matter.
So approach your next season of work with intention. Decide what matters most. Figure out what your goals will be. Let go of the ‘busy’ things that don’t support your goals.
3. Take Time Away To Rest:
It isn’t easy to rest when we live such busy lives. But it isn’t a luxury, it’s essential. You need time to relax–mentally, emotionally, and physically. And sometimes you will need more time to recover (I recently went through a season of recovery after surgery).
It can be difficult to set aside time for rest when we’re in our everyday environments. So I recommend taking time away from your home base when it’s time for intentional rest.
Take time off of work. Go out of town. Book a hotel nearby or stay at a friend’s house. You can rest more easily when you’re not surrounded by your daily life filled with errands and housework. We all know the temptation to check “just one more thing” off our to-do list. Changing locales is one way to escape your to-do list.
And here’s the thing: it doesn’t have to be a big vacation or a trip across the world. Time away can be as simple as a few hours off the grid. It could be:
- A full day with your phone turned off.
- A weekend out of town.
- A few hours alone at your favorite café with a book and no to-do list.
The point is that stepping away from your routine gives your brain and body the reset it desperately needs.
And remember, you don’t need to “earn” your rest. You don’t need to wait for burnout. You don’t need a special occasion. You just need to make it happen, intentionally. Schedule time away. Put it on your calendar before everything else can crowd it out. Don’t wait until you’re already running on empty to take a step back.
4. You’re Not Alone:
If there is one thing I want you to know, it’s this: You aren’t alone. We all struggle to create balance in our lives. We all get so busy at times that we neglect rest and fun. Don’t be afraid to seek support.
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About The Author:
Dawn McGee is a Nutrition Evangelist and Lazy Cook. She is super passionate about putting the fun back into being healthy and does that by teaching women how to eat to serve their body, brain, and soul so that they can get off the sidelines and back to doing all of the things that bring them joy. She works with women who are ready to make their health a priority and just need someone to help them get started and guide them through the process.
Dawn has been coaching clients in person, online, in groups, and in a 1:1 capacity for more than a dozen years. Prior to becoming a nutrition and fitness coach, she spent over 25 years in the high-tech industry, so she truly understands the life of busy professional women.
Are you a fellow professional in the fitness or wellness industry? Did you know that Dawn spent 35+ years honing her skills in sales, marketing, and business strategy–and 20+ years in the Wellness industry? Now she is using what she knows to support entrepreneurs like you. If you’re ready to move into the next phase of your business journey, schedule a complimentary call with Dawn here or email her at
