Everyone strives to be healthy and happy. No matter how trivial and stereotyped it may sound, this phrase is meaningful at all times. And it’s especially important today when fast-paced modern life leaves people less time for themselves.
Though a healthy lifestyle has remained mainstream for many years, there is no one-size-fits-all formula. Active digitalization, evolving technology, and consistently emerging innovation force people to adapt and search for individual balance formulas to live their best lives.
Let’s consider what a balanced lifestyle is about today and how to achieve it.
What Determines a Healthy and Balanced Lifestyle?
Initially, a healthy lifestyle used to be rather about a fit body and exercises to get it. Eventually, the notion also embraced a balanced diet and the focus shifted to overall body health, which is not only about toned muscles and well-shaped buttocks.
When it comes to balance, it’s a very objective and individual criterion. It has multiple iterations and has a different meaning for different persons. Following a generalized explanation, though, a balanced lifestyle implies physical, mental, and social aspects synchronized to harmony. To make it clear, healthy and balanced living is the state of well-being in the core aspects of life such as the following:
- Physical health;
- Emotional happiness;
- Fitness;
- Work;
- Financial stability;
- Relationships.
While it sounds simple, harmonizing all those aspects is quite a challenge in a world that has turned to be an informational whirl. So many men, so many minds. Yet, in a wealth of opinions, visions, beliefs, and principles buzzing around, it’s even harder to find the answer to simple questions.
Social media continuously throws tons of info at us. It promotes new diets, advertises new exercise methods, pushes new nutrition approaches, and brings forward revolutionary psychological practices nearly every day. All of this conflicting and contradictory info is confusing and even frustrating at times. The trick is that you should find what will work for you and not try to find the truth. This is where the balance lies.
Why Is a Balanced Life Important?
Since a balanced and healthy lifestyle is something intangible, many people tend to disregard it and don’t treat it as their primary need. However, an imbalanced life results in quite tangible discomfort, apathy, dissatisfaction, low self-esteem, stress, and depression.
In other words, people can instantly notice the consequences of the lack of a healthy life balance and still not relate them to the lack of organization and self-discipline or poor planning and time-management skills.
Healthy and balanced living is becoming more and more important since it helps people stay in a good physical and emotional state to
- Cope with daily errands and household routines;
- Handle their work tasks;
- Give enough attention to family;
- Have time for hobbies and things they like to do;
- Withstand troubles and unexpected situations, etc.
This list could be continued, yet, the point is that a properly-organized life is enjoyable rather than stressful. That’s why a healthy and balanced lifestyle is so important.
Benefits of Living a Balanced Life
All people are different, and they have different lifestyles, which is a normal thing. As a result, some individuals have to put more effort to achieve and maintain harmonic relations between the major life aspects. In contrast, others are lucky to do it easier and quicker.
The only thing clear for everyone, though, is that well-balanced living brings benefits that are hard to argue:
- Higher stamina: A higher level of self-content promotes a better mood, higher energy levels, and lower proneness to negative thoughts, stress, and depressive states. It’s easier to stay active and cope with anger or frustration;
- Improved health: When not exposed to stress and fatigue, people fall ill less often. They feel more energized and refreshed, and their immune systems are much stronger and more resistant to diseases;
- Increased productivity: Emotional stability and physical health drive higher productivity and better work performance. When people know how to juggle their private life duties and work responsibilities and don’t sacrifice their personal needs to job commitments, they perform better at work and don’t tend to overwork;
- Work-life balance: A balanced lifestyle can help people manage their work and personal life more effectively. By prioritizing tasks and managing their time, they can reduce stress and burnout that often result from a work-driven lifestyle;
- Improved relationships: A balanced lifestyle enables individuals to devote more time and energy to the people they care about. By maintaining healthy relationships, they can feel more supported and connected, which can help improve overall well-being and self-confidence;
- Personal growth: When having more time for themselves, their hobbies, and interests, people can stay focused on their personal growth and development that comes not only through career achievements but also via socialization, experiences, and simply doing the things they like.
All in all, the biggest benefit of living a life in balance is having no struggle, feeling no pressure, and having no need to push yourself into some templates or boundaries. It’s living the life you want and enjoying it.
Main Elements of a Harmonized Lifestyle
While balance still stays somewhat intangible, it also means something different to everyone. So, don’t try to live like others since their methods and approaches might not fit you at all. Yet, how to reach that proverbial lifestyle balance then?
Though the answer will be different for each of us, there are a few pillars of balance that stand for certain areas in your life. These areas need to be properly organized and aligned for maintaining a balanced living.
- Physical;
- Mental;
- Emotional;
- Spiritual;
- Social;
- Financial.
Let’s dig deeper into each of these components to understand their role and how they impact our lifestyles.
Physical
Physical health is the first step on a ladder to life balance. Feeling good starts with taking care of your body to satisfy basic needs. There has been a lot said about how to stay healthy and physically fit. Let’s just refresh in memory the key points:
- Balanced diet to ensure your body gets enough nutrients, minerals, and other microelements crucial for its smooth and problem-free functioning;
- Sufficient water intake to avoid dehydration that might cause muscle cramps, headaches, and tiredness;
- Healthy night sleep up to 8 hours per day to stay energized and active during the day;
- Regular exercises to keep fit and maintain a high energy level;
- Reduce alcohol consumption to avoid unhealthy addiction.
Mental
Strange though it might seem, a lot in our lives depends on a positive mindset i.e., the way you treat situations, events, and problems. Mental health determines our ability to withstand stress as well as our ability to learn, be creative, and handle challenges.
Mental health directly impacts physical well-being. The state of continuous anxiety, discomfort, insecurity, and depression negatively impacts your immune system and might cause various health problems including chronic diseases.
Some practices and techniques that will help you improve and maintain mental well-being include:
- Meditations and affirmations;
- Yoga;
- Relaxing massage;
- Warm bath;
- Reading;
- A break from social media;
- Enjoying your hobby.
Emotional
Negative thoughts, feelings, and emotions greatly affect our mindset, actions, and behaviors, not to mention bodily functions and physical health. Even when simply feeling upset we feel like we lack the energy for work and routines.
Not only do negative emotions reduce our productivity and eagerness to achieve success but also they can result in overworking, drinking too much, eating disorders, and more serious conditions.
So it’s highly important to be able to accept your emotions and understand how they impact your life and well-being. And a few simple activities will help you promote emotional wellness:
- Breathing practices;
- Due level of self-care;
- Relaxing music;
- Aroma therapy;
- Professional help if necessary.
Spiritual
A spiritual aspect looks like something from another universe for many of us. Yet, it has nothing to do with magic. It’s rather about our inner world, personal growth, and understanding the sense of life.
People might have different values, morals, and principles. It’s essential to know what makes you happy, find your own purpose, set your goals, and live your life to the full, without looking back at others.
Self-reflection is the key to knowing who you really are, what talents you have, and what you really want. Take your time to look inside yourself to understand where you belong, what inspires you, and where to go.
Social
Living in a world where communications are a necessity, you should learn to interact, connect, and build healthy relations at home or at work. Surround yourself with positive people who share your visions and principles, understand, and support you.
Avoid “toxic” relations and people that drag you down, press on you, or make you feel irritated, depressed, or miserable.
Financial
Your relationship with money is yet another important aspect of a harmonized life. Poor finances are the biggest source of disbalance and stress. Hence, the ability to effectively manage finances is vital for ensuring quality of life and peace of mind.
To stay on top of your finances, do the following:
- Do some planning and budgeting;
- Handle debts to the max;
- Learn how to invest and build assets.
Conclusion
A healthy and balanced lifestyle is more than just a buzzword or a modern trend. It’s something all of us drastically need today to live happily and really enjoy our living.
However, balance is a complex thing embracing multiple areas. It is about ticking all the boxes on your life-important to-do list, yet, without sacrificing your sanity to that. Don’t make it a self-goal. Rather find your own way and move forward step by step to feel comfortable and satisfied.