Create more balance in your business with the 4 elements
“I feel out of sync; I’m overwhelmed, unmotivated, indecisive, or burnt out – or some combination of all of these! How can I find more harmony and flow?”
Sometimes as an entrepreneur, you’ll start to notice days, weeks, or even season when you feel indecisive, unfocused, stagnant, emotionally overwhelmed, or otherwise out of balance.
I’ve been there many times – it’s a normal part of growing a business :)
When this happens, you can use the four main elements – earth, wind, fire, air – as a subtle but powerful way to energetically recalibrate and rebalance your business! This method has roots in many sacred spiritual and health traditions around the world, and it’s a popular technique in the world of somatic coaching and facilitation.
First, let’s meet each of the elements and see how they show up in your business!
This is for you if:
You’re feeling out of sync or unaligned in your business. You’re putting in a lot of effort, and not seeing the results.
You’re comparing your energy to other people’s energy, and wondering if you don’t have what it takes for your next chapter.
You’re feeling “out of your body” and a disconnect between how you want to show up, and how you have been.
Earth
Stability, groundedness, stillness (the body)
In an “earthy” state, we are grounded, stabilizing, and deeply present. We feel our deep roots and connectedness with the ground; we are calm, in touch with the physical body, and present in the here and now. This is a beautiful place to be for making calm, intuitive decisions, and taking practical, down-to-earth action to move ourselves forward.
Water
Emotion, flow, healing, purification (the emotions)
In a “watery” state we tend to be emotional, dreamy, and focused on emotions. We’re receptive and responsive to the needs of others, and have an adaptive, go-with-the-flow attitude. This is a beautiful place to be when we’re connecting with and holding space for others and for ourselves, or when we have work to do that requires us to still calm and open.
Air
Inspiration, ideas, expansion, excitement (the mind)
In an “airy” state we’re bursting with ideas, creativity, and enthusiasm. We’re energized and inspired by new ideas that spark our curiosity, energize our thoughts, and lead to even more ideas! This is a beautiful place to be when we’re exploring our passions, brainstorming ideas, and looking for out-of-the-box solutions.
Fire
Passion, power, action, courage (the energy)
In a “fiery” mode, we become decisive, passionate action-takers. They take powerful, bold action and channel their energy into creating forward momentum towards their goals. As entrepreneurs, we need to cultivate this inner blaze in order to take decisive action and apply our personal power to create new impact.
Correcting imbalances
Now, let’s look at how these elements can become overactive or out of alignment, so you can recognize imbalances when they happen, and use the four elements to bring harmony back into your business!
When you’re feeling…
Scattered (overactive air)
overwhelmed, unfocused, and disconnected
You’re bursting with ideas but getting overwhelmed by all the directions you might take. You’re struggling to commit to any one idea, your attention is spread thin, you’re feeling influenced by too many other opinions and voices, and you can’t seem to focus on one thing at a time, or narrow your attention in one meaningful direction.
This is a very air-y state! It’s a beautiful space to be in for research, brainstorming, and ideation, or in a season when you just want to follow your curiosity and see where it leads you… but if you linger here too long, it can become hard to make a solid choice and move forward. When you talk to others about your plans, you may struggle to talk fast enough to fit in all your ideas, and overwhelm people with too many thoughts that feel disconnected and unfocused – making you feel even more confused!
Try rebalancing with: Earth
Bring some grounding, stabilizing earth energy into this moment with some gentle meditation. Rest, slow down, breathe deeply, feel your feet on the ground... allow your nervous system to downshift. You might even imagine yourself as a mountain, stable and steady over time. Once you’re there, listen to your body. Wait patiently, resist the urge to rush anything, and see what surfaces. Give your intuition room to speak, while appreciating the support always available to you.
Journaling prompt: What is true for me now is...
Stagnant (overactive earth)
Stuck, uninspired, and unmotivated.
You’re not moving in any direction and not particularly excited about any path forward. You haven’t taken any meaningful risks lately, and have had your head buried in practical routine tasks that create stability but no forward movement. You may feel uninspired and start to wonder if this is all there is.
This is a sign that earth is overactive. You may enjoy these seasons in your business when you’re craving more peace and stability, connection to your intuition, or are taking a step back to focus on other things, and need stability and reliability in your business for a time… but when you start feeling the itch to take new action, it’s time to bring in some other influences.
Try rebalancing with: Air
Introduce some air energy into the mix. Clear up space to explore new possibilities – put it all on the table! What has been sparking your curiosity lately? Maybe you’ve been drawn to oracle cards, or feeling the nudge to apply for a speaking spot at an event, or craving more collaborations. Let your imagination play with all these possibilities, invite some of this airy energy into your world, and see where your curiosity leads you. This is also a good time to get outside and explore some wide-open spaces!
Journaling prompt: I’m excited to explore...
Exhausted (overactive fire)
Burnt out, irritable, impatient with your results
You’ve been overextending yourself, putting 110% into everything you do, burning the candle at both ends, and maybe even pushing your team harder than usual too. You may be feeling more impatient or frustrated with yourself or others, and caught up in the doing, forgetting to make space to simply be. Maybe you’ve found yourself reaching goals but feeling unsatisfied, because you’ve just been powering through without stopping to consider whether you’re on the right path or after the right goals.
Try rebalancing with: Water
Introduce some water energy into your physiology. Remind yourself that you don’t have to fight at every step, there is also room for relaxing, receiving, and letting things evolve naturally. When you feel frustrated, impatient, or anxious, imagine yourself as a flowing river – a powerful force of nature, even if it doesn’t strain or fight. It simply flows. You too have power that doesn’t require effort or striving, but simply being who you are. Ask yourself what you need to make space for: your feelings? The feelings of others? Notice the areas where you’ve been exhausting yourself trying to force things to happen – and consider what you need to simply make space for.
Journaling prompt: I am ready to accept, allow, and make room for...
Wishy-washy (overactive water)
Emotional, indecisive, swept away & unanchored
You’ve been holding space for others and immersing in their emotional state so much so that you’re feeling disconnected from your own experience. You may start to feel like you lack agency in your own life, and are spending all your energy responding to the needs, emotions, and opinions of others. Maybe you’ve also been in such a go-with-the-flow state that you’ve forgotten to take meaningful action to move forward, and feel stagnant as a result.
These are signs that water is overactive. It’s time to initiate, act, and reclaim your agency over your life. Yes, there are things you have to make room for and allow – the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of others. The realities you can’t change or do anything about. But you also have goals, desires, and dreams that are worth pursuing and fighting for, and it’s time to get back in the game!
Try rebalancing with: Fire
Reconnect with your passions and sense of purpose. Remember your why, the reason you started down this path, and envision the journey to reaching your goals. Remember the powerful fire burning within your heart for the things you care about, and imagine that fire becoming brighter and stronger, lighting you up and energizing you to take meaningful action.
Journaling prompt: The time for action is now. My next bold step is to...
Recap
Here’s a quick summary of everything we’ve explored!
Which element feels a bit overactive in your business, and what do you want to lean into more?
Which element feels like a strength for you, and which feels like a strength you’d like you develop even more?
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