5 Ways to Live a Balanced Life
Living a balanced life is not always easy, between the time crunches, the to do lists, the places we need to be, things we need to plan, careers, family, children, houses to maintain, vacations to plan, the list continues on and on. In reality there is never enough time in the day to do all the things and trying to balance just one or two of these tasks alone can feel overwhelming.
When you’re trying to do all things it’s just not possible to really find balance. Right? We always tend to give more time to specific parts of our lives depending on the season of life we’re in. Usually we let go of somethings, like our exercise regime or when we’re hurried or stressed we tend to give in on eating well and just grab what’s convenient.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. Trying to find balance in all the things and it just doesn’t happen. It’s either more work, lots of kids events and activities, it’s tax season and my husband is a CPA which means I carry more of the load on all things family, house and errands on top of my business moving into busier seasons and wanting to do other things for myself.
So I have to prioritize and really make myself take care of me first, so right now as I type this, I am sitting outside on my bistro table in the sunshine, trying to work and get outside for some Vitamin D, fresh air and be a part of nature. This morning, I made sure to squeeze in Pilates, walk the puppy and jump on the bike for 15 minutes to make sure I got some movement in for the day. It’s not my ideal scenario for exercise or accomplishing the work load but I take little pieces of what I can depending on the day.
So I thought I would share five ideas to living a more balanced life. This may be something you have to work towards and do the small steps and readjust as the moments in your life change. Hope some of these ideas help you to really find time for yourself and focus on a little more balance even when we can’t achieve a fully balanced life.
5 Things to Live a Balanced Life:
- Nurture Yourself:
You have to put yourself first! The best thing you can do for your family, everyone around you, but mostly you, is to find time for the things you love and to nurture yourself. Remember if you’re constantly unwell and living with exhaustion, pain or sickness then you’re no good to anyone else.
Exercise regularly-this can mean as little as 15 minutes, sleep well and longer, eat properly-eat to fuel your body for your activities for the day, allow time every day for the things you love, and stay hydrated. (Cue to sip water!)
2. Maintain Positivity & Happiness:
Oh this is a good one and a tough one. When you have a lot on your plate. It’s hard to not feel stressed and have anxiety about everything. Life is full of adversity, learning to stay positive can be a hard task.
Set each day with intention as soon as you wake up, unforeseen events and things that our out of our control can mess up the plans for the day. If you have a mindset for the day, you are more apt to adapt to the wrinkles that happen throughout the day. Learn to let the little things go. Plan ahead and prepare achievable goals to stay motivated. Don’t set your standards so high that you set yourself up for failure.
3. Create an AM or PM routine:
Get up a little earlier or find time before you go to bed. My routine is in the evening, it’s just less rushed for me, I have more time to do the things I need for myself and it tends to be quieter, but pick the time that works best for you and your schedule.
Need some ideas for your daily routine? Savor a cup of coffee or tea, meditate, journal, write what you’re grateful for, squeeze in a work out, read a book, listen to your favorite music, take a hot bath, watch the sunrise, jump under the covers to watch your favorite show. Doing the things that give you the opportunity to relax and unwind helps you be yourself. When it comes to something like a good book at bedtime, it works to relax, but helps you disconnect from the world and your daily thoughts. A PM routine becomes something we crave after a while because of the balance it gives us. To make it something we savor, treat yourself to little things, like a reading lamp, or reading glasses from a site like https://eyeglasses.com. These are such small things but you will notice the difference when you go without them. Do the things that help you unwind and focus on yourself and self-care.
4. Find Community:
Stay in touch with old friends, reach out with a call or text to let them know you’re thinking about them. Make new friends, join a club or group-step outside your comfort zone a little to get out there to meet new people. Find connection. Spend time with family. Plan a dinner party, make plans to meet at your favorite restaurant in town. Write a letter, visit your grandmother, volunteer your time.
5. Be one with Nature:
Nature and being outside can be one of the most grounding things you can do for yourself and your mental health and well-being. We all have our favorite places that give us a sense of calmness, serenity and peace. Most people tell me the beach is their solace place. Others would say the mountains or wilderness. Just taking a walk can be amazing for helping you find balance. Sit outside and listen to crickets at night, build a little garden to get your hands dirty, plan a camping or hiking trip, getaway to a beach town, rent a boat and cruise the river for a day, plant flowers in your front yard, lay on a blanket close your eyes and let the sun warm your skin.
These are just a few ideas that can help you feel more balanced and grounded. When you’re feeling a little lost, overwhelmed, out of control, stressed or anxiety ridden, check back to one or more of these ideas and see if implementing just one of them can make you reconnect with your mindset and refocus on your day’s intention.
If you haven’t heard we just launched our podcast! The Inspire & Thrive Podcast! It’s all about letting go of perfection, living life with more authenticity and finding hope and inspiration through other’ people’s amazing stories. If you love this kind of thing make sure to check it out! We’ve gotten a ton of feedback about how it’s already changing lives and that’s exactly why I wanted to put it out into the universe. You can find us on any major platform. iTunes is always the easiest one if you have an Apple device. Make sure to subscribe, rate and review so we know what you think and we can get this podcast out into the world to reach more listeners!!