Is your life balanced? What does that mean?
Do you often say, “There aren’t enough hours in a day!” or “I just wish I had more time?” If you answered yes, then this may be a sign that your life is out of balance.
How do you find balance in your life?
The symptoms of being out of balance are feeling rushed, hurried and anxious as you take on daily events. When we’re out of balance, we find it difficult to enjoy life.
Many times, poor scheduling dictates the quality of our lives. Instead, we need to build a life that reflects our values and priorities. I do believe that it’s possible to have it all in a lifetime, but not necessarily at the same time.
What are your obligations and responsibilities?
Balancing our lives looks different for different people. For one parent, finding balance might mean increasing the ability to let others help out, delegating tasks to others or perhaps finding services that can ease day to day responsibilities, such as a pick-up and drop-off laundry service. For another, finding balance might mean identifying ways to coordinate the challenges of work with the demands of finding quality family time.
As for me, balance means living a life in accordance with my values. It means making time every day for solitude, family and my personal passion. By prioritizing my time according to the things that I value, I create a life that is abundant.
Because I’m clear about what I value, my priorities are my litmus test for what I should do next. Balance to me means that I create opportunities to delegate the unnecessary and purge the ridiculous.
As parents, it’s very easy to become so busy that you forget to hone in on what’s most important. Here are seven strategies to help you find balance in your life:
1. Delegate responsibilities.
Create a weekly meeting with your family to discuss household responsibilities. During this time, review household responsibilities and delegate age-appropriate chores. Hold the meeting during the same time each week, and review what’s working and what’s not. For children under the age of ten, provide a goal chart so they can check off each task for accountability.
2. Outsource tasks and projects.
The laundry, grocery shopping (there a many grocery stores that deliver) or basic yard work can be outsourced to create more opportunities for quality time.
3. Plan proactively.
If you want to have days filled with less anxiety, you need to plan in advance the activities of the family, work and other significant commitments. Planning allows us the necessary time to adjust and be proactive about the choices in our lives. This reduces stress and anxiety.
4. Eliminate chaos.
Look at ways you can add time to your days. What can you live without? Do the children have to go to gymnastics this semester if you have a particularly heavy workload this quarter? Be reasonable.
5. Seek quality not quantity.
Identify five activities you enjoy that take very little effort. For example, incorporate a movie night on Fridays. Have the movie delivered to your door, add some popcorn and a pizza. This is a wonderful way to have both a quality family event without adding any additional stress to your day.
6. Give yourself a break.
Be reasonable. Are you trying to work all day, make dinner, wash dishes, give your kids a bath, read bedtime stories, clean the house, and pay the bills in the evening? Ask yourself: Is it possible to accomplish any of these items another day?
7. Exercise frequently.
Working out is a great way to reduce stress. Even taking a walk with your family three times a week for 20 minutes each time will help your mind and body. Not only will you get some exercise, but you’ll have a little extra quality family time.
What about you? When are you at balance?
