Do you live a BALANCED life?

Recently I was on a girls weekend getaway.  We had so much fun and laughed so hard that my face hurt.  It made me realize that I am craving more balance in this part of my life (less seriousness and more silliness and personal fun).  This is not easy with 3 kids and a career but I am already making progress.  My daughter and I created a silly synchronized swimming performance (we rocked it) and I am doing an art project that I’ve always wanted to do!

The point I am trying to make is that we can all add more balance to our lives.  Just being more mindful of our daily patterns is a wonderful first step.  I listed the main health areas (Nutrition, Exercise and Stress).  Try asking yourself these questions and hopefully it will encourage you to bring more balance to your life.

NUTRITION:

• Do you tend to “diet” and yo yo with your weight?…  Optimize your metabolism with balanced nutrition and lifestyle habits.
• Do you skip a food group, like low carbs or low fat?…  Balance every meals with healthy ingredients and food groups.
• Do you skip meals and snacks?…  Aim for small frequent meals throughout the day for a balanced blood sugar.
• Do you binge on alcohol, sweets or unhealthy food?…  Balanced nutrition and blood sugar = less cravings.
• Are you low on water?….  Drink 8 cups of water evenly through the day to stay hydrated and feel your best.

EXERCISE:

• Are you all or nothing with exercise?…  Find exercises that are realistic for your schedule and fun. A balanced routine is the key.
• Do you overexercise to prevent weight gain?…  In the long run, this will damage your metabolism!
• Do you mostly do cardio activities?…  Find a balance with cardio, resistance/weights, and stretching/yoga.
• Do you always skip the stretching and feel stiff?… Stretching and yoga are worth your time!

STRESS/SLEEP:

• Is your life super stressful?…  Either reduce stress or find ways to combat stress.
• Do you have a thousand thoughts in your mind at all times?…  Yoga and meditation might help you control your mind.
• Are you a night owl?…  Create more balanced sleep habits and patterns.
• Do you struggle finding time for yourself?… This is my problem area that I am working on:)
• Do you sit in front of a computer for long hours?…  As a bare minimum, take mini breaks and walks every 1-2 hours.

Hope this gives you some ideas to help balance your life and live healthier and happier!

[ssba]