Introduction
The pursuit of life balance is a concept that has been around for a long time. Do you work towards achieving your goals at the beginning of the year when many make promises in the form of New Year’s resolutions, is it something you work on only when something feels out of balance, or is this a goal you work at daily? How do you pursue balance? What does this look like to you?
The idea that we should be able to find harmony in our lives--to achieve a state where we feel happy and fulfilled, but also like we're making progress toward our goals isn’t new but it is important to consider. Otherwise, if we don’t make that effort, life can throw us a loop.
Life balance is important because it allows us to live happier lives. When you're out of balance, you may feel stressed or unhappy about certain aspects of your life. Having this sense of peace allows us to focus on things that matter most: family and friends, hobbies or interests outside work hours; spending quality time with those who matter most rather than just checking off tasks off lists all day long!
If we take just a minimum of 10 minutes a day in each of these pillars to nurture ourselves, we can more readily achieve a balanced approach to our goals.
Pillar 1: Physical Health
Physical health includes exercise, healthy eating and rest.
Physical activity is important for your body to function properly and stay healthy. It helps you maintain a healthy weight, reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke as well as improving mental health. Physicians recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week (or 20 minutes if you're older than 75).
Regular exercise can also reduce stress levels by releasing endorphins into your bloodstream which cause positive feelings such as happiness or euphoria - this makes it easier for you cope with stressful situations in everyday life!
Eating well is another important part of maintaining good physical health because what we eat affects how well our bodies function; for example food containing lots of sugar can not only lead to tooth decay but as with a high sodium diet can lead to higher blood pressure, inflammation, weight gain, diabetes, and fatty liver disease, all of which have been known to be linked to an increased risk factors for heart disease or stroke later on down the line!
Pillar 2: Mental Health
It's important to be aware of struggles to find balance in your mental health. Your mental health can not only impact your relationships but how you function and cope in your day-to-day life.
Stress, depression and anxiety are all common symptoms of disruptions within your mental health. This can result in mood swings and difficulty sleeping. If you feel like you're struggling with these issues, there are ways to manage them:
Strategies for managing stress include regular exercise, getting enough sleep and eating a balanced diet. Try not to take on too much at once. Give yourself the grace to acknowledge that it's okay if some things don't get done! If possible try to find time for relaxing activities such as reading or going for walks in nature which can help reduce stress levels over time. Just stepping outside for fresh air can help change your perspective. Developing positive thinking and actively learn how to accept and appreciate yourself just as much as others do - even if sometimes this feels difficult at first! It may also help if we remind ourselves what our strengths are rather than focusing solely on our weaknesses. Maintain your emotional wellbeing enables you to recognize when something isn't right within yourself or someone else. If you’re struggling with something, try talking with a trusted friend or seek professional advice so that any underlying issues can be addressed before they become worse.
Pillar 3: Financial Health
Develop your financial intelligence so that you can feel confident in controlling your finances versus letting money concerns control you. Creating a budget and developing financial literacy are two ways to help you achieve financial health.
Create a budget: If you don't know where your money is going, it's hard to make sure that it's going in the right places. Creating a budget will help show where your money is going and how much of it there is available for other expenses or savings. There are many resources available from software to financial planners to help you to properly plan for anything life hands you.
Develop financial literacy: The more educated and thoughtful we are about our finances, the better able we'll be to make good decisions about them in the future. Avoiding acting on impulsive financial decisions; instead understand that in order to achieve your financial goals you may need to wait - after all, in time, it will bring you much more happiness than that impulse buy! In the end you’re the one who has to be comfortable with the decision. If you want the car or the purse, hold out on the purchase until you’ve met your financial goals. Doing so may be just the answer you’ve been working for to create generational wealth, if that’s your goal.
Pillar 4: Emotional Health
The importance of relationships is a well-known pillar of life balance, but how do you build a strong foundation of emotional intelligence to fortify your communication skills and engage in meaningful activities? Perhaps you may first work to identify your personal strengths and weaknesses. If you're not a natural at talking with people, then consider taking a class or joining an organization that will help improve those skills. If being alone isn't your thing either, consider joining an activity where there's an opportunity for socializing and meeting with friends. Create fun opportunities to get outside, play games, have coffee, smile at others. Another way to build your emotional intelligence and health is to get comfortable with setting some healthy boundaries.
One thing you’ll appreciate about a positive emotional mindset is that you’ll feel more in control of your thoughts, feelings and behavior. Coping becomes easier and your relationships will feel more healthy and balanced which in turn will build your self esteem and motivation.
Pillar 5: Spiritual Health
Spiritual health can be defined as the connection you have with yourself, others, and the world around you. It's about finding meaning in your life and understanding what makes you happy.
The best way to achieve spiritual health is by developing personal values that are meaningful to you--and then living those values every day. For example: if one of your core values is being kind towards others, then find ways to practice this virtue every day (even when it's difficult). You might make the choice to avoid getting angry at another person with whom you feel a challenged connection. Instead of getting angry, exercise patience and grace and extend a warm and heartfelt greeting.
Another way of achieving spiritual health involves engaging in mindful activities such as connection with your church, reading the Bible, or meditation; these practices help us become more aware of our emotions so we can manage them better during stressful situations!
Conclusion
Life balance is a crucial part of living a happy, healthy life. It's important to take action and make sure you're balancing your time in all 5 pillars of life. Just an hour a day can help you find the balance you’ve been longing to achieve.
If you have any questions about this article, need resources to help you in any of these areas or would like to share your thoughts on life balance, please leave them in the comments section below!