Logos and Eros - the inner equilibrium

I was going to sit down quietly and do some writing today. Then the phone rang (not for me), then the doorbell rang - a delivery (not for me either). Unfortunately, I then opened the post and discovered some quite complicated forms I need to complete. I started to feel anxious, overwhelmed. Several emails and text messages arrived that demanded for it to be dealt with. All this happened within half an hour. Feeling positively beleaguered now, a slight panic began to rise: "Oh my goodness! Where do I start? I need to fill in these forms! I need to respond to all these messages! And what about my writing?!".

That's when I decided to stop and take a break. I left my office and made myself a sandwich and a cup of coffee. I sat down in the living room, put my feet up, took some deep breaths. Inwardly, I said to myself: "You don't have to handle all this right now; there is time. Eat, drink your coffee, relax. Nothing bad is going to happen! Some people will have to wait a little. That's okay." Slowly, I unruffled myself and calmed down.

Isn't this kind of scenario the norm for so many of us? - There is an endless stream of stuff we need to deal with, endless demands and tasks, endlessly beeping and ringing phones, and we always feel behind and live in constant stress and anxiety. Or we harden ourselves, shut down and power through it all. Logos takes over and runs the show. Logos: Thinking, working, being logical and rational, structured and ordered, making lists and plans, trying to be in control. If its counterpart, Eros, has its place in our lives too then that's okay; we need to make our lives work. But if Eros is out the window and forgotten, then the usual suspects turn up: Anxiety, depression, anger, fear, stress etc.

Eros: Fun, play, free time to ourselves, lighting a candle in the evening now that the days are getting shorter again; a walk in the cool air, admiring the trees' autumnal display of colour; warming your hands on a hot cup of tea... Eros has to do with the senses, it's about reconnecting with ourselves, here, now, and with what's around us, seeing beauty, smelling or tasting something delicious, touching something comforting - like stroking the cat, listening to music that makes us feel good.

We live in a Logos-dominated culture; work, chores, duties take over if we let them; drivenness is now seen as a virtue while our souls starve. The more starved we are of Eros, the worse we feel. Logos and Eros - we need them both, and they need to be balanced. If they aren't, then we are out of balance, and we fall. The neglected parts of us will cry out until we listen and restore the balance. When we are in balance we are stable, and life feels good!

Counselling can help you to bring balance back into your life. Logos and Eros affect each and every aspect of our lives, and therapy can support you in finding out how to take better care of yourself and how to restore the inner equilibrium.