Maintaining a good balance in all aspects of your life is a key element to living a healthy and happy life.
Maintaining a good balance in all aspects of your life is a key element to living a healthy and happy life.
A balanced life means different things to different people. What I regard as a balanced life may not necessarily apply to everybody else’s lifestyle. But if I were to define the meaning of it, regardless of the different things it can refer to for different people, I would say that a balanced life is a life where you feel like you are devoting your time and energy to different aspects of your life in just the right amounts. The key to a balanced life is that you don’t feel torn or overwhelmed or unwillingly pulled into one single aspect of your life.
We live in high-paced, information-filled world where finding a balance can be very challenging. Beside the basic work-life balance there are also many other aspects of our lives that are in so-called ‘opposition’ to one another and need to be brought into equilibrium: me time vs. family time – time to exercise, to read, to be alone with your thoughts, with your friends vs. time you spend with your spouse and your kids. Most of these activities can be divided into two groups: inner activities that are focused on your inner being (your heart and mind) and external activities like spending time with people you care about or exercising.
Taking all of this into account, finding balance in life becomes a process – a way of living which is more than just a goal that can be reached and then not thought about any more. At times you will deliberately change the balance in favor of one aspect over another, because of your inner need, or because external circumstances will require it. By keeping this in mind you will not feel pressured to find that equilibrium, and will instead take the time to really see and feel what aspects in your life demand more of your attention.
Tips to help you on your path of living a better and more balanced life
- Make time to realistically look at your life and listen to your inner voice – see where your attention and your time are needed. Listen to your needs, your feelings, and yearnings.
- Prioritize – see where you want to and can invest more of your time and then set priorities within those areas.
- Make a step-by-step plan for improving those areas of your life (figure out how to invest more time and energy into those aspects)
- Don’t procrastinate/postpone – don’t start with it tomorrow or on Monday. Start NOW!
- Set boundaries – it is ok to say NO. It is perfectly fine and healthy to protect your space. Don’t do the things you really don’t want to do as long as you not doing it will not hurt or affect others in a bad way.
Always remember that reaching and maintaining that elusive balance is a way of living.
Good luck!
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