We all need to work at something to support and create a life. It could be the profession of homemaker, a work at home entrepreneur, or a career path outside the home. No matter who you are or what you’re doing, we must all consider the need for balance. It is essential for good health.
Diet & Sleep
IThe things that make us healthy are no secret. These mainly include: diet, exercise, sleep, stress-relief and relationships, so I always start here. I look at what I need to maintain good health. We all have stress in our lives but the magic comes in when we learn to reduce stressors by asking, “Can I really take this project on or do I have to remove it for the time being?” Being a bit of a workaholic causes me to really look at that question seriously. Time restrictions are a big part of the stress we put ourselves under, so we need to be prudent in managing it.
Stress
Next, we need to learn coping skills for the stressors that we cannot control. That is where diet and exercise play a big part. When we do not notice that there are foods we have a reaction to, it puts added stress on our bodies, our emotions and on our brains. Please be advised that everyone is affected in varying degrees to sugars, caffiene, alcohol and smoking. If you don’t want to choose to give them up, at least monitor yourself for a level that doesn’t cause depression, other illnesses or an inability to cope with life.
Exercise
Exercise has caused healing in so many people. It has been medically proven to reduce high blood pressure, high blood sugar, mental fogginess and those morning aches and pains that you should not be having. Find something you enjoy doing and do it often. Walking is highly beneficial and free. Walking with a friend, listening to music, an audio book, teachings on meditation or mindfulness can all be done to make it more enjoyable. There are a myriad of activities that you can do without joining a gym, but if joining a gym is what it takes, do it. It will change your life for the better.
Meditation
With meditation, mindfulness or soaking prayer, there are tremendous benefits. Learning to adjust your mindset is very powerful. It may not change your natural environment, but it will change you and make you impervious to any chaos going on around you. That alone is powerful.
Play
Schedule in playtime for yourself. Lunch, yoga or the gym with friends, creative activities like writing, painting, sketching, and photography can all reset your emotional well being. So, after we block out our necessary work and sleep time, we schedule our balance time. I guarantee you will feel better when you make this a priority in your life.