Picture this: You're up early to finish a deadline at work. As you're getting to work, you get a text from your best friend asking you to tag along to a Pilates class after work so she won't go alone. But you also owe your partner that long overdue dinner date. To top it off, you promised mom you’d call her tonight to check in, you still have to finish laundry, and, oh shoot, you still have to buy a gift for your brother’s birthday this weekend. You think to yourself, “Well, it looks like Netflix and wine will have to wait.” Sound familiar?
While it may be impossible to get things right and please everyone 100% of time, creating a balanced lifestyle is key to living a wholesome life.
Life is a rollercoaster of events. Some events are planned and others just show up uninvited on your doorstep right when you’re getting ready to unwind. Situations will and do occur to shake you up and distract you. You may begin to feel (if you’re not already) overwhelmed by responsibilities and the multiple hats you wear on any given day. While it may be impossible to get things right and please everyone 100% of time, creating a balanced lifestyle is key to living a wholesome life. Here are 5 tips on balancing life.
A positive attitude will help ease the pain of a challenge.
1. Attitude check
If you already got up on the wrong side of the bed, chances are you'll have a bad day. The Law of Attraction suggests that negative thoughts attract negative experiences and positive thoughts attract positive experiences. Ever have one of those days where one bad thing after another takes place? When you think about it, you were so focused on everything going wrong that you didn't have time to think about the things in life that were going right. Some situations are out of your control, but you do have the power to change your perspective. Begin to look at challenges as opportunities to develop yourself. A positive attitude will help ease the pain of a challenge.
2. Plan ahead and prioritize
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. It’s that simple! Planning ahead encourages you to say “yes” to the things that matter and “no” to the things that just aren't a priority right now. Go out and buy a fun planner. List out the things and people in your life that are most important to you (ex: marriage, family, health). Prioritize them and make intentional time first for those items in your calendar. Then list out your to-do’s for the week. Prioritize them and decide what day and time you'll get them done. Don't wait to see what your day is looking like to decide if you’ll do groceries or go to the gym. Chances are you’ll be less productive and more stressed if you don’t plan ahead.
Mediate on the things you're grateful for, read a book, pray, write a reflective thought, take a long bath, or dance to your favorite song.
3. Take a break
Self care is essential to productivity. According to The Energy Product research, “59% of workers are physically depleted, emotionally drained, mentally distracted, and lacking in meaning & purpose.” We aren't built to run on low fuel and if we do for too long, our bodies and minds will eventually give out. Listen to your body when it starts to tell you to slow down. This means that from time to time you'll have to say “no” to things that knock on your door. You aren't a mean person for turning down an invite. You also aren't lazy for doing the laundry tomorrow instead of today. It's important to take time to relax and unwind. Mediate on the things you're grateful for, read a book, pray, write a reflective thought, take a long bath, or dance to your favorite song. You deserve some quality time!
4. Create a support system
When life gets tough and chaotic, it's important to have a support system to keep you sane. Family, friends, and social groups are key to helping us make lemonade out of life’s lemons. My husband always tells me, “If you feel like you're battling alone, it's because you want to do it alone.” And he's right. Reach out to your close social circles and ask for help when you need it. You don't have to face challenges alone and oftentimes good company provides wisdom and sheds light on your situation. Going through life alone leads to burnout, disengagement and resentment.
Life will continue to present daily challenges, but you can choose to face them with the right attitude and prioritize the people and things that are most important to you.
5. Find an accountability partner
People who have accountability partners are more likely to follow through with their commitments. If we have managers at work to keep us accountable to deadlines, why wouldn’t we also have people in life that will keep us accountable to our personal goals? If you're trying to accomplish or maintain anything that's important to you, an accountability partner is key to keeping you on the right track. Some of us wouldn’t be where we are today without them! They check in to provide support where necessary and they aren't afraid to point out red flags when noted. Both parties need to be willing to be honest, open, and vulnerable, otherwise your accountability becomes faulty. Make sure you have someone in your circle that keeps you accountable!
Life will continue to present daily challenges, but you can choose to face them with the right attitude and prioritize the people and things that are most important to you. From time to time, step away to relax and take a moment to refocus. When you’re feeling lost or need some encouragement, remember that your accountability partner and support system can help you stay on track. You’ll find that as you put these tips into daily practice, you’ll begin to live a wholesome life!
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