A Balanced Lifestyle

So my plan is to get out my weekly emails every Monday…but I seem to be good at delaying. So I hope this emails finds you enjoying your week and planning for a nice weekend! I joined Toastmasters in January and on Monday and did my second speech. I wanted to share it with you so here goes…

A balanced lifestyle, a source of happiness

“Be aware of wonder. Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.”

Robert Fulghum (author of All I need to know I learned in Kindergarten, a wonderful book about the basics of living)

I see a balanced lifestyle involving balancing out three main areas: career, social time and our physical activity/health.

Life is a journey, but not to a set destination, happiness needs to be threaded through our everyday life and by leading a balanced lifestyle this can more easily happen.

- decreased stress

- improved quality of life

- greater happiness

- a healthy body and mind

are all benefits of living this way.

Our Career gives us many benefits…

It mentally challenges us giving us a sense of accomplishment, but when we overdo work and make it our lives we become about our work and can lose a sense of self

When we stay true to who we are it’s easier to stay positive or look for the positives in what we do every day, focusing on what you enjoy will draw better opportunities to you and help to get you through your day

If stressed during your work day, take a 5minute time out to run up and down the stairs, do a few stretches or have a chat with a friend, this will automatically lighten your load

Some of the larger software companies such as Google and Electronic Arts encourage their staff to have fun time out to de-stress. Most companies don’t provide this, but what can you do in your day to get a similar result?

Spend time with people you enjoying spending time with, being friends, family or both

Turn your cell phone OFF Cell phones have become so socially acceptable…but they are a distraction, so don’t constantly have them on.

When spending time social time with those you love, take the time to listen and have meaningful conversations, this deepens and strengthens our relationships. We are always so “busy”, sometimes I think we forget that life is now…in this moment!

And make every moment count…Join a club or do the hobbies you enjoy joining toastmasters for instance for me has been a great way to meet new people and learn a new skill.

And for all these wonderful people in our lives, do more good deeds a small gesture like a hug when someone needs it or helping them out in the garden makes you feel good and they feel cared for.

We can also skip in your step through being physically activity and healthy…

Eating well, fresh fruits and veggies every day and enough protein will help us build and maintain strong healthy bodies.

When we eat well, we feel well and it’s easier to motivate ourselves to be regularly physically active. Make sure to schedule activity into your diary, getting sufficient exercise is great not only for the body, but also for relieving stress and clearing the mind.

And to repair all that we do through the day, sleep well, getting enough sleep and waking up refreshed is key to getting through the day giving it 100%.

This all being said, there are always going to be times when we find our life out of balance, a few weeks where we really need to push to get a project done or a weekend where we need to finish our taxes and on the flip side a few weeks where we go away on holiday to just take time out.

It’s not about feeling guilty we let our life get out of balance, it’s about flowing back into a balanced lifestyle when we recognize that moment and listening to that. So to me, by balancing our career, and living a healthy lifestyle we can all have greater happiness.

So my challenge to all of us is to learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.