If you are anything like me, life seems to be a juggling game at all times. Trying to find the best way to balance every area of your life can be downright exhausting! As multifaceted beings, it is very easy for one realm of our life to take the lead amongst the others.

And for me, that realm is… work. I would love to play coy and tell you that I often get so caught up in working that I don’t realize other things that are going on – but it would be a lie. The truth? I love burying myself in work – and I absolutely know that I prioritize work over other areas of my life. Why? Well, because sometimes working is easier than juggling life.

This. Is. Not. Balanced. Living.

While I do find enjoyment in working, burying myself in work causes me to neglect other areas in my life that are important in improving wellness. There have been many nights where I have declined hanging out with friends, sat for hours without breaks, ate foods with minimum nutritional value, and operated off of 2-3 hours of sleep due to having tunnel vision on a work project. This extreme focus can ultimately deplete my wellness meter because I am not taking care of my holistic self.

It is important that we make time to invest in more than one area of wellness. This will not only boost our health and vitality, but it will also help prevent burnout and periods of extreme overwhelm. In order to live a more balanced life, it is important to understand the concept of moderation. By definition, moderation is “the avoidance of excess or extremes, especially in one’s behavior or political opinions,” (Oxford English Dictionary). When we practice doing most things in moderation, we find that we begin to allow ourselves more time to address other areas in our lives. Using my workaholism example, once I set firm boundaries to work within certain hours, I found that I have ample time to get proper rest, nutrition, and quality time with my peers.

To create a more balanced life through moderation, it is important to take small steps. My suggestion is to pick one area that you would like to add moderation to and focus on developing that habit for 3-4 weeks. For example, if you have a habit of watching TV so long that you only get two hours of sleep, then a great small step would be to limit your TV time by a couple of hours. Slowly increasing your sleep schedule will yield better results than laying restless in bed because you forced yourself to go from two to ten hours of sleep, overnight.

Journaling Activity:

Take some time to think about the following areas of wellness:

• Emotional
• Mental
• Physical
• Social
• Spiritual
• Occupational

Be honest with yourself, are you experiencing an imbalance in any of these areas?

If so, how can you give back to that area (or areas)?

Sit with yourself and truly think about what would make you happy in those areas of wellness. What small steps can you make to fulfill those needs?

If you are having difficulty finding ways to bring more balance in your life, don’t fret. There are plenty of professionals, myself included, that are willing to help you along the way.

Balance and moderation is the key,

CC.