Feel like your life has been too imbalanced lately? First, check out my previous blog post, How to Create Balance in These 5 Areas of Life if you haven’t already. Then, come back to this post for a followup! That post is focused on balance in specific areas, whereas this one is focused on a balanced life in general. No matter what area(s) of your life where you want to create more balance, you can apply the tips below to all of them. These tips include both mindset shifts you can make AND tangible actions you can take (rhyme unintended)!
1- Ditch the “all or nothing” mentality.
As per the blog post referenced above, whether it pertains to nutrition, finances, work, socialization, activity level, or anything in between, everything can be done in moderation. Of course there will be times and situations where the pendulum has to swing in one direction more so than average. For instance, if you have a medical reason to lose weight, you’ll want to practice healthy eating habits more strictly than you normally would and limit certain foods.
Regardless of the circumstances, however, being in tune with yourself and your needs is key. Ultimately, if you don’t feel like having that dessert, there’s no reason to have it. But if you do, and you don’t have any medical reasons not to, go right ahead! You can always stock up on vegetables the following day to balance it out. If that splurge purchase isn’t worth it to you, there’s no reason to spend your money on it. But if it is, and you can comfortably afford it, go for it! Try making your decisions on a case-by-case basis as opposed to hard, fast rules. Instead of letting obligation drive your choices, let them be driven by what feels right and makes sense for you.
2- Understand that not every individual day or week has to be balanced in order to live a balanced life.
In other words, different days and weeks call for different priorities. You can have certain days/weeks where your focus needs to be completing your work, so your personal life takes a backseat. If you make up for it by prioritizing your personal life at other times, there’s your balance! As your needs change, the tides can shift. It doesn’t need to be an exact science or “tit for tat” between two sides of the coin. When there’s such an emphasis on things being precisely 50/50, the quest for balance can become an unhealthy one. Rather, being able to feel content with how much of each thing is in your life should be the goal. As long as you don’t feel like something is missing in the grand scheme of things, that’s what’s most important.
3- Understand that balance looks different for everyone.
For instance, a healthy amount of going out for you might be too much or too little for someone else. What matters, though, is that it works for you. The comparison game can be a dangerous one, and social media makes it all the easier to engage in. However, the more confident you feel in the decisions you’re making, the less of a concern that should be.
Circling back to the second point, balance doesn’t need to mean 50/50, certainly not all the time. For you, 70/30 might be perfect right now, whereas 40/60 might be perfect for someone else you know. Don’t let their version of balance make you feel like you’re doing it all wrong—that couldn’t be further from the truth! The only way you could possibly do it wrong is if it doesn’t feel right for YOU.
4- Stay organized and keep records as needed.
If you’re like me, you benefit from having everything laid out in front of you. In that case, you can create spreadsheets, schedules, checklists, etc. to ensure that you’re balancing everything well. Personally, when it comes to balancing my time, I find that time-blocking is very efficient. In other words, I designate a set *realistic* amount of time to work on each task. This drives me to work on it with enough focus to complete it within that timeframe. Not only does this method allow me to stay on track with my schedule, but it gives me more free time when I’m done. Experimenting with different methods will help you find what works for you!
5- Reassess how you’re doing on a regular basis.
For example, at the end of each month, you can reflect on how well you’ve been balancing things and identify any room for improvement. With the help of the records you keep, as per #3, you won’t need to rely solely on your memory. That’s another reason why I love writing things down. You can’t argue with your own firsthand accounts of how things happened (as long as you were an honest reporter)! Of course in this case, you should be able to identify how well you’ve done based on whether or not you feel like something’s been lacking in your life. As per #2, if you don’t feel that way, you’re probably doing just fine!
The bottom line…
The key theme in all of these points is trusting yourself. If you’re longing for something you don’t yet have, that’s when it becomes time to reflect and create a new game plan. If everything feels well-balanced as a whole, even if some days aren’t so balanced, you’re in great shape! Listen to what you need more or less of, and the rest will follow!