If you’ve been following my blog over the last year or so, you’ve noticed that most of my writing focuses on how to live a more balanced life. My interest in this topic stems from the massive changes that have taken place in my life over a few years, and the benefits I’m seeing in my journey towards more balanced living.
In this post, I thought I’d share some of the benefits I’m discovering as I work towards having more balance in my life.
Why It’s Important to Have More Balance in Life
- A balanced life puts things into perspective. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed over all of the things on our plate. When this happens, I think we lose sight of what’s important and what’s not important. When you work on having a more balanced lifestyle, you force yourself to re-connect with your values. Doing this can put these “overwhelming things” into perspective.
- A balanced life makes you a well-rounded individual. If you’ve ever applied for a job, a college or university program, the application forms will always ask about your hobbies, interests, and life outside of work or school. This is because institutions and organizations want people who can contribute positively to their culture. They want a well-rounded student or employee. It’s the same in adulthood. Our employers, families, partners, friends, customers/clients all want to have a relationship with someone who is well-rounded. A balanced life can do this for you.
- A balanced life can improve your performance at work. Our jobs and occupations take up most of our week. So, it’s easy to get burnt-out and tired from work. By having more balance in life you are forcing yourself to take up hobbies, interests, and engage in distractions that end up giving your mind a break. By doing so, you can come back to your job feeling refreshed and more engaged. This ultimately leads to being more productive at work.
- A balanced life helps you to deal with life’s challenges. Unexpected events will always happen in life. But when an unexpected event happens to someone with a balanced life, I find they are able to put these challenges into perspective (point #1), while also bouncing back more easily from a crisis. When you are engaged with several areas of your life (e.g., relationships, physical health, hobbies, spirituality) you are better able to deal with the unexpected challenges that occur in just one area of your life.
- A balanced person is a healthy person. Several years ago, I worked for a First Nations community in Alberta, Canada. One of the things that stood out for me is that many of the Elders in the community (ie, individuals respected for their wisdom, perspective, and spirituality) rarely used the word “health” in the same way I did. For example, instead of saying that a particular person was “healthy” (ie, not sick or without illness), the Elders would instead refer to them as “balanced.” This is because, in many First Nations cultures, health is defined as more than just the absence of disease. Health is integrative – it is the sum of the different components that make up a person: their body, mind, heart, and spirit. When you work on being a more balanced person, then you are truly working on being healthy.
Personal Clarity
Every once in a while, we hear about the importance of having more “work-life” balance. But considering how busy our lives are, attaining this can feel like a real struggle. When you are clear about your own reasons for having a balanced life, then you are more motivated to make the changes that will lead you towards this goal.
Hoping these reasons give you some clarity on why a balanced life is a worthwhile pursuit…
If You Just Came Across This Blog…
If you liked this post, then you’ll enjoy receiving my updates. I typically share tips and strategies on how to live a more balanced life. In return for subscribing, you’ll receive my free ebooklet on “The Promise Wheel: A New And Easy Way To A Balanced Life.” You can sign up by scrolling to the bottom of this page.
Thank You!!
Richard