Fit in the City - Leigh Ann Root
Finding the balance.
What is balance? Do you have it in your life? Why is it so important? How do you achieve it? How do you balance family, friends, careers, community, other responsibilities, and still have the energy to enjoy it all? In order to achieve a balanced and healthy lifestyle you must first recognize what is important and necessary to the quality and happiness of your life. These things are the things you schedule the other "stuff" around! Often times people get their priorities mixed up or escape into other areas of their lives in order to avoid dealing with difficult issues. This results in an unfortunate imbalance. People will often look to things like work, food, and even exercise to escape the important areas of their lives requiring attention.
In one's personal health, balance involves a good mental attitude, strong body, smart eating , and proper rest. When one of these areas is neglected, it throws off the balance. It's like a piece of your puzzle is missing. If one doesn't create a healthy balance they will not be living up to their full potential. A person can't "give it their all" because they are not all or complete. This does not mean perfection, it means keeping those areas in check, constantly paying attention to how you feel. If you don't pay attention to how you feel, who will? A balanced individual is more productive, happier, and overall better equipped to deal with live's challenges. How balanced are you? Ask yourself the following questions:
How much do you exercise? Moving your body makes your everyday living easier. When you do not allow exercise into your life you have more aches and pains and age quicker. You can see how this in not beneficial! On the other hand, when you exercise too much you stress your body physically and run the risk of injury. Finding the happy medium is the answer.
What are you thinking about? You are what you think. Your thoughts expand you. If you spend too much time worrying or on stressing about the past or the future you are not able to lead a full life. Let go, forgive, forget, relax, and move on.
How are your eating habits? Eating too much or too little has it's obvious consequences, I don't need to tell you that! Moderation is balance. You don't need a fancy degree to figure this out! What you need to do is listen to your body, it will tell you what it needs.
How well do you sleep? Think about how you feel when you haven't had enough sleep. It's more difficult to concentrate, you are more irritable and you become more stressed. If you have too much sleep you become lethargic and find it hard to become energized. Balance is the key - Get enough but not too much!
How can you balance and improve these areas of your life in a simple and easy way? Try these four tips:
1.) Your body is your vehicle to get though life. Tune it up and treat it right. It was made to move. A good walk every day will pump your heart, clear your head, tone your body, and do more for you then an hour of therapy (In my opinion!). Get in touch with your physical being, it will work wonders. No one else can do it for you, it's all up to you. You've had what it takes all along!
2.) Eat Sensibly. Don't complicate your life with calorie counting, measuring food, or crazy diets. Eat whole healthy foods found on the perimeter of your local supermarket. Eat less fried and processed foods. Someone once said, "Supersize those fries, supersize those thighs." Eat junk and guaranteed you will feel and look like junk. Really think about how you fuel your body. Are you preparing it for life's challenges or are you preparing for a day on the couch? But do remember that life is too short to eliminate the things you really love to eat. A little bit of indulgence on a regular basis is healthy and normal, especially if you are exercising! Don't deprive yourself, reward yourself!
3.) Adjust your Attitude. Stop being angry and mad. Replace it with forgiving and moving forward. Don't get caught up in what you don't have, enjoy what you do. Accept yourself and don't compare yourself to others. Remove labels that you and others put on yourself. Be who you are with enthusiasm. Look for the good in people and situations, it's there. Don't allow negativity to enter your mind, you control that!
4.) Get Rest. Rest is often underrated. Your body and mind need breaks. Go to bed early now and then. Relax regularly. Do something mindless. Just be. Rest will reward you with more patience and happiness on a daily basis.
Start with the area that needs the most work, then move onto the next. Before you know it you will be well on your way to a balanced and healthy life. You'll be prepared for anything that life throws your way. Your balance will beam!
