If you’ve ever pondered synonyms for the word “balance,” you may have come up with “perfect.” But living a balanced life doesn’t mean living a perfect life.
What would a perfect life even look like!?
In reality, our entire lives are consumed by the constant act of balancing. It’s exceedingly rare to be completely balanced at any one time. And when you are, it’s typically fleeting.
Still, there are times when we are far more out of balance than others. That’s when we really need to pay attention because a chronically imbalanced life can have negative consequences.
Is Your Life Falling Out of Balance?
Maintaining a healthy equilibrium requires work. But some days, the effort can feel overwhelming.
Yet, if we continue to ignore the need for balance, we’re treading a dreary path toward bigger issues such as money troubles, poor health, or relationship issues. There are early signs, however, that clue us in that our lives are becoming increasingly imbalanced before we hit the tipping point.
For example, if your dominating emotions are negative ones such as anger, anxiety, frustration, indecision, procrastination, or resentment, these are signs that life has shifted off-center. You may also notice physical signs such as headaches, stomachaches, difficulty sleeping, or trouble concentrating.
In order to combat the chronic discomfort you feel, you may be self-medicating with caffeine, sugar, alcohol, or smoking. And if you frequently find yourself making excuses, blaming others, or always unfavorably comparing your life to others, it’s a sign that the scales are tipping in the wrong direction.
So How Do You Go About Living a Balanced Life?
Humans love simple answers that can be neatly placed in a box and tied up with a bow. And they want them immediately. Of course, life doesn’t work that way.
Every person is different. Each of us possesses a mind and a body that have their own unique demands for maintaining balance. There is no right or wrong answer.
There are actions that counselors and life coaches recommend though that you can help to balance the scale.
1. Practice Self-Care
Achieving a balanced lifestyle can’t happen if you’re always stressed, tired, and scarfing down junk food while you’re trying to get the next thing done.
If you don’t have any sort of exercise routine, you don’t need to hit the gym every day. Try something calming like yoga, walking, or swimming a couple of times per week to start.
The same goes for your diet. It’s difficult to go cold turkey from a diet of comforting foods that aren’t necessarily nutritious to one of whole foods. So start with swapping out a couple of meals per week and go from there.
Finally, for as important as diet and exercise are, it’s essential that you balance them with rest and relaxation. Carve out a little time each day to go outside, read a chapter in a book, or meditate.
2. Clear Your Living Space to Clear Your Mind
Decluttering your home or apartment of stuff that’s simply taking up space will help you to start clearing your mind as well. When you’re able to move through your living space and clean it with ease, you’ll feel a heavy weight lift.
By eliminating the “outer” clutter, you’ll be amazed at how the “inner” clutter lifts. You’ll be able to better organize your thoughts. Goals become clearer. And it will be easier to start identifying the priorities in your life and giving yourself permission to do something towards meeting them.
3. Pay Attention to Your Spending
Many of us will go out and buy unneeded items or partake in unnecessary services in an attempt to fill a void. This is known as retail therapy and it’s not really therapy at all. It’s a quick fix that delivers a short-term high – much like alcohol or drugs. And it can have dire consequences if not curtailed.
In addition to building awareness around how you’re spending your money, take a look at how you’re spending your time. After all, there are ways to make up for lost money. Lost time, on the other hand, can never be regained.
4. Set Boundaries
Being able to say no when you need to say no is a way of letting go of those activities and people that don’t have your best interests at heart. This is especially important when life starts to get very busy – as it is bound to do. Establishing those boundaries early on ensures you have as much on your plate as you can handle without everything getting thrown out of balance.
5. Do Something You Love Every Day
This one sounds pretty easy, right?
Doing something you love seems so simple. But when our lives are out of balance, we may not feel we have the time to snuggle our pets or kids, or that we deserve even an occasional square of chocolate or small treat.
But you do! Because when you allow happiness to pulse through your body, it allows you to recognize you’re worthy of it. And this goes a longer way than you may realize toward balancing your emotional and psychological wellbeing.
Seeking More Balance In Your Life?
Living a balanced life reduces stress, improves your physical and mental wellbeing, improves your mood, and boosts energy through healthy eating, exercise, and proper rest.
So if you’re ready to see how staying more balanced can greatly improve your life, contact us today. We can bring yoga, meditation, and life coaching services right to you or your place of business.
Because you’re MORE than worth it.
