The Great Adventure Of Living A More Balanced Life!
If you are at all like me, your morning alarm clock also cues the little megaphone in your head that welcomes you to a new day of the circus called life!
“Step with care and great tact…and be sure to remember that life’s a great balancing act! Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.” Dr. Suess
My husband and I returned home recently from an idyllic trip to Italy, but settling back into a normal routine again is always tough. It got me thinking–how can we make our daily lives be more like the less stressful ones we often enjoy when we’re on vacation? While this may not always be possible…at the very least, there are a few things we can consider that will help us better juggle our everyday obligations with more ease!
5 Ways To Create Better Balance In Everyday Living!
1. Find Your Morning Zen!
Set yourself up for a good start to your day by getting up just a little earlier than everyone else does to go over your schedule, read or exercise, etc. It’s always so impressive to me how a calm spirit and an “I got this!” attitude can have such a positive effect on those around us, making mornings go smoother for everyone!
2. Balancing Life Is Not A Competition!
There are a myriad of things that require our time and attention each day: family commitments, work obligations, home upkeep, community responsibilities…and hopefully we can fit in some leisure activity on occasion too! I feel like one of the main reasons establishing balance in our lives seems a bit elusive is the stigmas society can label us with if we don’t “fit the mold” so to speak, of what is expected of us in the various roles we are required to execute on a daily basis. Too often— these so-called “social norms” find us getting caught up in the anxiety of trying to meet the expectations of those around us as we strive to keep pace with everyone else. While a competitive spirit is great to the degree that it inspires us to work hard and accomplish goals, I believe that each of our diverse circumstances in life requires an individualized and thoughtful approach to how we go about obtaining a good balance. Being true to ourselves and those we directly influence while we juggle our schedules, rather than falling victim to undue peer pressure on how we should divide our efforts can’t help but have a positive impact on our overall well-being.
3. Balance Takes Teamwork!
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to realize that it’s often easier to find better balance in life when we have the support of other people. In an article by clinical therapist F. Diane Barth in Psychology Today, she states that what is really most important for creating a good balance in our lives is not how much responsibility one person carries at any given time–but rather, how well we interact with each other, drawing from and giving energy to one another! I realize that the ebb and flow of my life is certainly more balanced with the influence of caring people!
4. Creating Balance means “No!” is a compete sentence!
A key component to having better balance in life is understanding our priorities and what’s most important. But as we all know, on any given day, in any given moment, our priorities can change–so we may have to re-examine our priorities regularly. No one necessarily wants to say no, but as success coach, Brain Tracy, states in an insightful article on, “How to Find Life Balance and Be Happy” you are going to have to do it once in awhile…and understand that no explanation is needed. Mr. Tracy elaborates by saying that we all have the same 24 hours in a day, and we can’t possibly do everything that we want to do as well as everything everyone else wants us to do. So a big part of leading a more balance life is to cut down on unnecessary tasks and protect your priorities. I find simply being more aware of some of the little things I do that waste precious time is a huge factor in better balancing my life. My mom used such finesse when telling others that she couldn’t possibly fit one other thing into her day by saying, “I can’t do that now, but thanks so much for thinking of me!” Wise lady!
5. Finding Balance Is A Lifetime Project!
As you’ve probably already come to realize, living a more balanced life is not a finite goal, but rather an ongoing process that should help us learn to be more flexible as we better navigate the demands on our time. Hopefully, we are then able to tackle all the things that a day may encompass with more contentment, optimism and happiness; after all—when it’s all said and done, isn’t that what we really want the most of in our lives! My father was fond of saying that life should be a steady uphill progression!
I love this thought on having balance in our lives:
“Balance is the process of holding something steady during change!”
I hope the beginning of your summer gets off to a fabulous start!
What are some tricks you find are helpful to help you achieve a better balance in your life?
–Mary
