When life gets crazy, it can be hard to maintain a semblance of balance. At times, it may feel like you’re being torn in every direction all at once! We have our job performance to invest in, families to take care of, a social life to maintain and other responsibilities that come with adulthood. But we also have our health, and good health is important if we want success in other aspects of our lives. Consider it the building block of the life you’ve established and plan on growing!
Why Balance Matters for Successful Weight Management
If you look at the weight/health equation, you’ll notice that weight and health are often impacted by stress. Too much stress strains the body, affects hormone production and wreaks havoc on appetite, metabolism and motivation. To make matters more complicated, we start to experience stress if our life feels out of balance. This is why balance is crucial to physical and mental health!
If you feel as though your day-to-day-life is chaotic and challenging, it’s very possible that you may experience difficulty with successful weight management. Beyond stress, our busy schedules and rushed routines can unravel our best intentions – even the ones we think we’re “getting right.”
Tips for Finding Balance
In today’s fast-paced, all-or-nothing culture, we can all find ways to improve the semblance of balance in our lives. Check-out these tips to help you make the most of your time:
Organize Your Commitments
Things go haywire when we realize just how much we’ve committed to. To minimize this problem, keep a calendar or tracking tool for all your commitments including work/school assignments, medical appointments, time spent with family, time invested in errands and other various responsibilities. Reflect on these commitments often so you always have an idea of what’s on your plate and what you actually have time for. Organization is key to balance!
Schedule Time for Self-care
You cannot do everything for everybody all of the time. Make sure that you allot enough time for self-care. Attend those appointments with your healthcare provider, put oil in your car and take naps when you need them. If you’re burned out, consider a massage, a vacation day or even some extra time spent on exercise. The little details matter more than you may think.
Utilize Your Strengths
If you’re not good at something, why spend a copious amount of time investing in it? If you have the option, try to outsource the work you don’t have time for or the work you’re not skilled at. Instead, use your time to work with your strengths. You’ll be faster and more efficient.
Learn to Prioritize
So, you have a laundry list of items to check-off? It’s time to prioritize. Start with those items that are more urgent or time sensitive. Then, move to what’s important but doesn’t need to be completed right away. When these items are checked-off, go down your list until you’ve saved any lingering items for last. Prioritization minimizes stress and maximizes efficiency!
Don’t Bend on Health
Even when life feels chaotic, always make time for your physical and mental health. You will naturally realize that health is the foundation for all we set out to do. So, make time to exercise even when you’re busy or tired. Make time to visit the grocery store and cook meals at home. See your Primary Care Physician regularly. Aim for seven to eight hours of sleep per night. Manage your stress and your mental health overall. All of the little details add up!
Conclusion
If you are effective at finding balance between all areas of you’re life, you’ll likely realize that you need to bend on some things. Perhaps you will need to say “no” when someone asks you for your time and energy on a specific task. Maybe you have to re-arrange your schedule. The tricky part is letting go of the things that aren’t necessary at a certain time. But remember, good health is always important. Keep that in mind when you strive for balance and everyday productivity!
