Secrets To Live a Balanced Life
Balance. What does that even mean? According to Google, it means: “a condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions.” So, to me, living a balanced life means that you have all of the various elements of your life in order and in ‘correct proportions.’ Meaning, nothing is too overwhelming or stressful. You give each element of your life proper focus and you own your life feeling calm, grounded, clear-headed, and motivated (at least a lot of the time).
Unfortunately, many people are workaholics and are slammed with business meetings, projects, deadlines, and stressful days. This kind of lifestyle does not leave much room for other activities in your life. While working is obviously very important, I don’t think that any job should be the end all, be all, every single day. In order to live a balanced life, you need to make sure that one portion of your life (like work) is not overwhelming the other very important sections. If you are tired of being stressed out, I highly suggest working on living more of a balanced life. If you do not know where to start, fear not because I have a few secrets to live a balanced life:
Focus on Exercise and Healthy Eating
In order to be successful in all aspects of your life, you need to make sure that you are taking care of yourself. Taking care of yourself by getting exercise regularly, as well incorporating healthy eating into your everyday lifestyle will not only make you healthier, but it can also give you feelings of confidence, satisfaction, and general happiness. It doesn’t just stop at healthy eating and exercise, though. You need to make sure that you are also getting enough sleep at night, in order to function properly during the day.
Plan Out Your Day
Essential Life Skills says, “Balance does not entail cramming in every activity possible. Examine your values and decide what’s important to you; then set your boundaries. You may be in the process of building a career, starting a family or going to school. Depending on what stage you’re at in life, your focus and energies will be different. Avoid becoming overwhelmed by juggling too many big projects in your life at once. Maybe planning a wedding is not a good idea when you’re studying for the bar exam. Nor, is starting a family when you are unsure about your career direction, or relationship status. Not knowing what you want and trying to do everything at once can be a recipe for disaster instead of the road to leading a well-balanced life. As the saying goes, “do not bite off more than you can chew”.” Planning out your day starts with an overall, general look of your goals. Figure out what your long-term goals are and plan each day around that. Make sure you are including time with friends and family, time to yourself, time for exercise, work, sleep, and anything else you need to do, as well.
Don’t Be Scared of Counseling
Sometimes, you just need a counselor to talk with, in order to see potential in yourself and work through any challenges that you may be having. Based out of Metro-Atlanta, with locations in Kennesaw, Alpharetta, Conyers, Athens, Canton, Peachtree City, and East Cobb/Marietta, Ray of Hope Counseling Services is a great place to check out if you or someone that you love need help or support with working through tough situations and life changes in a safe and confidential environment. In addition to having convenient locations all across Georgia, Ray of Hope Counseling Services also offers online counseling which is perfect for anyone that cannot fit traditional therapy into their day to day life. Some of the benefits of online therapy are no waiting room, you get to make it to all of your sessions even when you are not in town, no travel time and no traffic (this is huge in Atlanta!), and you have the ability to schedule your counseling sessions at your own convenience. Lynn Thompson Umstead, who is the Clinical Director and Founder of Ray of Hope Counseling Services, believes that exploring your emotions and feelings is of utmost importance. “Lynn’s educational training is primarily cognitive-behavioral, which means your thoughts and behaviors will be a focus in the therapy process. However, Lynn is eclectic in her approach in order to meet the individual needs of her clients. The ultimate goals of counseling would be to gain self-awareness into what is disturbing you; explore and understand your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors; to seek a greater sense of happiness and contentment; and for you to choose and maintain behavioral changes.” Blended families, infertility issues, adoption, relationship issues, couples counseling, premarital counseling, adolescent issues, life transition, depression, anxiety, anger management, and divorce issue are just a couple of her areas of expertise. Lynn, as well as all of the other counselors and psychotherapists at Ray of Hope Counseling Services, are committed to helping individuals feel better.
Take Time To Be Alone
Taking time for yourself is essential when it comes to living a well-balanced life. There are many different ways to take time for yourself, but some of my best ideas are meditation, yoga, reading a book, journaling, reflecting on your day, sitting outside, drinking tea, stretching and taking a bath. You can choose different activities if you prefer, but try to focus on activities that will allow you to reflect on your day or activities that will give you positive energy.
Find A Job That Supports A Work-Life Balance
More and more jobs are starting to transition into the work-life balance mindset, but there are some companies out there that drill out hard work 24/7. While I understand both sides of the equation, I do think that it is essential to find a company that really values its employees (and families) enough to give them plenty of time to live their lives. Atlanta company, Bennett Thrasher, has a family mindset when it comes to work and makes sure that they give their employees plenty of time throughout the year to do whatever they please. They give 4+ weeks of vacation, many vacation days, a week off in between Christmas and New Years, 2 weeks of paid paternity leave, and many other benefits, as well. I highly suggest finding a company that treat their employees this way.
