How balanced is your life? Do you spend more time at work than you do with your family? Would you like to exercise more and commute less? Finding more balance in your life is key to managing stress and achieving your goals. In this article, we discover 7 easy ways to live a more balanced life.
How can you achieve a balanced lifestyle?
Balance is an important aspect of a healthy lifestyle. Having a balance can help you manage stress and avoid burnout as well as improving overall physical health, emotional health, relationships with others, and your ability to maintain a clear mind. When you have a balanced life, you get to spend quality time nurturing your personal life, which leads to peace of mind, satisfaction and healthy relationships with the people you love.
Balance is the key to having a healthy lifestyle. When everything is in balance, you have more time for yourself and loved ones, which contributes to a better overall quality of life.
There are eight elements that contribute to balance in life, namely work, physical activity, mental health, emotional wellness, spiritual growth, environment, social wellness and financial health. All of these make up a well-balanced life, but there isn't one magic formula that works for everyone. You must find what works best for you and make small adjustments as needed in order to be able to incorporate all eight elements of a balanced life into your daily routine. This 7-step guide shows you how to achieve a balanced lifestyle.
1. Switch Off
If you're constantly checking your email after hours, it might be time to draw the line. While online tools and longer work hours can make it difficult, aim to have set hours for work and leisure. Start small, perhaps by limiting your smartphone or computer use to two hours after work. Then reduce it gradually until you find a better balance.
2. Find a new hobby
Learning chess, studying art, scrapbooking… whatever your interests are, having a creative outlet is a great way to achieve balance in life and make it more enjoyable. By dedicating time to something you enjoy, you can relax and de-stress after a long week of work. Hobbies can also help you stay connected with friends and family, and keep your mind active and engaged. You're also likely to mingle with a new crowd. If you're not sure where to start, consider activities that involve physical fitness, like hiking or biking. Whatever you choose, be sure to set aside time each week to devote to your hobby. This will help ensure that it remains a priority in your life.
3. Stop multitasking
When you try to do too much at once, the quality of what you are doing suffers. There is a limit to how many things can be on our mind at one time. When you find yourself baking a cake while phoning the gas company and helping your little one with their homework, you may have gone a task too far! Multitasking can affect your focus and increase stress, so aim to keep your attention on the task at hand. Finish it and then move on to the next thing.
4. Volunteer
Many people point to the benefits of helping others. Whether you choose to volunteer at your local op-shop, help out at an animal shelter or teach English to migrants, volunteering can be extremely rewarding. It can also help put things in perspective and allow you to reflect on your life path and goals. If you're a natural therapist, you might like to volunteer for One Health Organisation.
5. Schedule "me time"
We all need time to ourselves to unwind and reflect. Scheduling a regular massage, consulting a naturopath or nutritionist, hiring a personal trainer or meditating can keep your mind and body in peak condition and help you enjoy a more balanced and enriching life. Additionally, research shows that people who devote a significant amount of time to their family life have lower stress levels and a more positive attitude at work. Allowing yourself some downtime will enable you to come back to work more energised, optimistic and motivated.
Source: aetna
6. Eat nutritious foods and sleep well
You may be wondering why you should even bother with eating healthy foods if a balanced life is what you're after. After all, who really has time to maintain a balanced diet? Imagine that you want to take up an exciting new hobby such as yoga or gardening. It's clear that some extra effort will be needed on your end in order to see any real results from this activity. If you don't eat healthy food and make sure to get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep every night, it becomes incredibly difficult for your body and mind to function at their full potential.
A healthy diet can enhance everything you do in life. Whether it's doing well at work or school, achieving success with relationships and friendships, or finding the time to pursue your newest passion, it all becomes more difficult without a steady supply of energy and motivation.
7. Engage in regular exercise
Exercise is a great way to achieve a healthy weight, reduce stress and prevent chronic illness such as heart disease. Exercise can also be beneficial to mental health, since it can be used as a coping mechanism when things aren't going as planned. Physical exercise reduces the symptoms of anxiety and depression by releasing endorphins which make you feel happy. Additionally, exercise has been shown to boost our self-esteem because it releases chemicals that make us feel more confident about ourselves.
Knowing what steps you need to take towards achieving balance will be beneficial in both your personal life as well as your professional life. You might find that being more balanced will allow you to be more productive and focused when working. A balanced life is attainable for everyone, it just takes a little effort and time to find what works best for you.
Originally published on Nov 20, 2012
