Life is full of choices but for many of us, moving us from one task to the next with little time to think or relax, we feel they are made for us. We overschedule, overwhelm, and overstress ourselves because we want to be the best, stand out, or maybe just because we don’t know any better.
Our western society puts a lot of focus on staying busy and accomplishing as much as possible to “keep up,” but this often leads to burnout and feeling tired, anxious, stressed, and frustrated. This is because often by living this way, we forget to develop our basic values, priorities, and needs. In other words, our life is out of alignment.
It needn’t be this way. You can choose to live a balanced life. Creating balance will help you feel in control of your life and ready to take on any task or adventure. Without it, you will continue to feel drained and overwhelmed.
Obtaining life balance cultivates a calm, clear-headed feeling and allows you to find a calm, peaceful mindset.
What does life balance mean?
According to the Medical Dictionary, life balance means “A harmonious blend of occupational, familial, social, and leisure pursuits.”
Life balance means that you give even attention to all areas of your life including:
· Work
· Recreation
· Rest
· Self-care
· Family Time
· Personal Time
When you are untrue to yourself, your mind and body feel more worn down and exhausted due to lack of purpose and most likely lack of rest.
When you feel your life is out of balance.
The first objective when defining if your life is out of balance is to evaluate and acknowledge your situation. Most likely you are here reading this because you sense that something is just not quite right in your life. This indicates that you are feeling like something is out of place or not working, and you are ready to search for a new path. Be extremely honest with yourself.
How is your state of mind, how are you feeling on a day-to-day basis, and are there areas of your life that are being neglected? If you answered yes to any of these questions, your life balance needs work.
Here are indications that you lack balance in your life:
You are often angry - maybe even experiencing outbursts that are disproportionate to the issue.
More forgetful - it may feel as though there isn’t room left in your brain to remember big or little things throughout your day.
Feeling unease or discontent without an obvious reason - may indicate that you know something is unbalanced.
Difficulty sleeping well – lack of balance can leave it difficult to wind down and feel at ease, affecting how deeply you sleep once you do manage to rest.
Lethargy - overwhelm and stress can affect how well you recharge, leaving you feeling depleted.
Increased instances of contracting an illness - your mental health plays a role in your physical well-being and feeling out of balance can affect your physical health.
How to create life balance.
Two segments of your life need to be evaluated to determine where your life is out of balance. These are the internal factors and external factors. Sometimes only one part is affected, but it could also be both or just certain pieces of one area.
Creating internal balance.
Internal balance applies to our mind, our heart, and our health; in other words, the things that we have control over within ourselves. This includes giving our minds the time to rest, challenging our minds if we are being lazy or unmotivated, loving someone or allowing ourselves to be loved, and taking care of our physical being with proper nutrition, exercise, and rest.
Good life balance allows you to get in touch with yourself. Creating balance will make you feel empowered and in control of your life. You have authority over your boundaries and what activities receive your energy.
A proper life balance will help you be physically healthy. When you provide yourself with the proper nutrition and physical exercise, you will be at your best physically and mentally. Exercise boosts chemicals in your brain that will enhance your happiness and confidence.
Creating external balance.
External balance relates to things like work, our social interactions, our family, and if we are making time for fun in our lives - the things that happen around us and directly impact our lives.
One aspect of a good life balance is identifying values and setting goals at work that help you achieve them. When you focus your energy where it truly counts, you increase your productivity. This brings you closer to your goals at a quicker pace and to become more successful in your career.
Creating life balance will help you nurture your interpersonal relationships. Having balance means you take time to be truly present in the lives of the people who mean the most to you. Engaging in and embracing these relationships will help you feel whole.
Creating life balance allows more time for fun. When you make time for the important things, don’t forget the fun. Balance leaves room for laughter and relaxation. Remember to enjoy life.
By avoiding devoting a disproportionate amount of time to work, and social interaction but leaving time to be an introvert, being present for your family but including healthy boundaries, and making time for play, a balanced life can be yours.
Identify what area needs work and get results.
Honestly evaluate your life - determine what areas of your life are doing well and which areas might be suffering
Plan - outline some new goals to return balance to your life and write them down! Then make a list of tasks to complete to achieve these goals. If you have already tried things in the past, reflect upon what has worked and what has not
Look inward - think about situations in your past where you have been successful and where you have failed. Then identify the things you did in the past that helped you with success. Actions? Thoughts?
Do the same for your failures. Recognizing these help and hindrances will give you thoughts and actions to use and to avoid reaching your new goals.Create backup - find affirmations to say to yourself when the going gets tough, maybe even put them on a post-it and hang them around the house for daily reminders.
Then find someone to be your support on your new path. This person should be positive yet honest and there to push you forward when you are slacking and celebrate when you are successful.
More ideas to discover balance
Have fun! Make jokes, be playful, reflect on activities you enjoyed as a kid, and then do them!
Make time to be alone. Downtime is important to revitalize your mind and body. Try solitary activities like meditation, yoga, or journaling.
Cultivate your social life. It’s important to find time to be with the people you enjoy, such as family and friends. Spend meaningful time with them and focus on being present during that time.
Take an electronic break. Disconnecting from electronics can be hard for many, but it’s important to reset yourself. Set aside some time to be present in the world around you.
Treat yourself. Get a massage, buy a nice coffee, or take yourself on vacation.
Set goals. This provides direction and meaning and gives you motivation in life.
Final thoughts.
Finding balance in your life will create a sense of joy and motivation that many people in our fast-paced society are lacking. When you focus too much on work and all the to-dos on your list, you inevitably ignore self-care, recreation, family, and all those things that keep you well and thriving. When you create life balance, you will be surprised at how good you will feel both mentally and physically.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post.
For more information, check out this post.
How To Create A Balanced Life: 9 Ways To Feel Calm And Grounded