Are You Living A Balanced Life?

A balanced life takes into account the body and the mind. Both are equally essential to lessening stress.

If you decide to go on a hike but then spend the rest of your day fighting ruminating about something that angered you yesterday and eating fast food, you will likely feel sluggish and angry.

The effects of that exercise are now canceled out.

A balanced life means not canceling out good behaviors for ones that we know may cause us discomfort.

Here are five tips on how to live a balanced life:

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1. Healthy Eating

Ever wonder why you just ate the #5, with a super-sized order of fries, at your go-to fast food spot and woke up passed out on the couch three hours later?

 Your diet choices can make your stress levels go up or down. Certain foods provide comfort and actually increase levels of hormones in the body that naturally fight stress.

But, poor nutrition can weaken your immune system, leading to other problems, including increased stress levels because you’re making your body sick with toxins.

When we choose to eat unhealthy food often it can lead to weight gain, lethargy and result in guilt or shame.  

The solution: Look, I’m not saying to never treat your self to, say Taco Bell (ahhh, I love you T-bell), but making sure you stick to foods such as protein (especially fish), vegetables, fruits, nuts and whole grains for the majority of your diet can ensure a healthier mind and faster moving body. If you are someone who feels you don’t have time to eat healthily, consider keeping healthy snacks or meal supplement options around at all times to avoid the temptation of running out and grabbing fast food.

2. Exercise

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is estimated that in the United States over 30% of adults aged 20 years and older are obese and over 70% qualify as overweight.

There are many reasons for this such as inactivity, poor genes, socioeconomic status etc.

Being extremely overweight or obese is a risk factor for several negative health consequences. These risk factors include, but are not limited to, an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, liver disease, sleep apnea, colon cancer, breast cancer and even infertility.

Can’t find a convenient or affordable way to get exercise into your routine? youtube.com has an endless stream of free exercise videos for all including yoga, pilates, light stretching, cardio workouts etc.

The solution: Simply put, diet and exercise.  Many studies suggest that just 30 minutes of activity that raises your heart rate per day will help your mood.

You can decide if this will be deliberate exercise such as going to the gym, for a run, or breaking a sweat by having a dance party with your kids.

Little changes matter, such as using the stairs at work instead of the escalator. Small changes can make a big difference here for a healthy brain and body.

3. Relaxation

Do you ever find that you’re driving and you suddenly get somewhere but can’t remember driving there? It’s a scary feeling and one resulting from a preoccupied mind.

Thinking about too many thoughts at once clutters our minds which renders us less effective.

Relaxing is more than going to sleep or sitting in front of the tv. Relaxation is a process that diminishes the effects of stress on your mind and body.

Relaxation techniques can help you cope with everyday stress. Everyone relaxes differently. Relaxation techniques involve focusing your attention on one thing at a time or being mindful.

Being mindful is to intentionally focus on the present, rather than thinking about the past or future.

How do you relax?

The solution: There are so many relaxation techniques, to name a few: yoga, walking, surrounding yourself in natural beauty such as the beach or a State Park, take a bath, listen to relaxing music, get a massage, avoid confrontation, and surrounding yourself with calming people in your life. These are just some suggestions.

4. Work on maintaining a “glass is half full” attitude

If you see the glass as half empty, you’re likely to feel resentful, helpless and angry. Seeing negative things that happen in life as “just my luck,” or “this is just the hand I was dealt,” causes you to miss opportunities to enjoy the little things in life and they will pass you by every day.

The solution: On the other hand, when you see your glass half full, you open the door to feeling grateful, not sweating the small stuff and enjoying life’s little pleasures like a walk in the park on your lunch break. 

You cannot stop unpleasant things from happening, but you can choose how to deal with any situation. 

This comes with deliberate practice with focusing on your thought patterns and engaging in stress reducing activities.

5. Eliminate Clutter

Clutter can cause you to feel out of control. It takes time and money to build clutter and just as much time and money to de-clutter.

Coming home to a mess causes the feeling of mental disorganization. It can minds into a state of panic and chaos.

When one is organized, on the other hand, you tend to feel more mental clarity and better focus. Dig your way out with these tips.

The solution: Separate your items into a keep, toss, sell or donate pile. If you haven’t used it within the past year, toss it or donate it!

Take the items you would like to keep and put them away in storage bins that you ideally categorize and label, in a closet or in a drawer.

Every time you take something out try your best to put it away that day. It’s easy to come home and toss something on the floor, but that’s how the clutter mounts and affects you feel flustered.

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The Take Home Message

A balanced life focuses on decreasing your stress level for the health of both your body and mind. One cannot be the center of attention over the other and lead to a stress-free individual.

Modifying these stress causing behaviors and utilizing these solutions can feel more difficult than simply allowing yourself to maintain unhelpful behaviors.

It requires a bit of work on your part but in the end, it will lead to much less stress and a well-balanced life.