Year after year millions of people around the world promise themselves at the beginning of January that they will loose weight, get their goal GPA, be more outgoing, and the list goes on and on. What happens next after you've met that goal? What sacrifices did other areas of your life have to make so you could get to that point?
What if, there was something that you could strive for this year that would satisfy all areas of your life and will continue to bring you joy after you've met it? What if, this one resolution could completely change and fulfill your life?
In 2017, promise yourself to work towards balance in your life.
That is it, that is the big secret! Once you have balance in your life, you will be able to recognize what area in your life needs readjusting and have the ability to take on that task more quickly in a way that is healthy. When life is in balance you mind, body and spirit are all satisfied and in good health because you are more aware of what is going on. Each and every year you will not have to think of a new resolution because as life constantly changes and throws your curveballs , you will be continuously working towards getting everything back on track.
So, how do we get to this balanced lifestyle? We must take a look inward and see what we truly need in our life. It is essential to listen to your body, mind and spirit to achieve balance.
Body
Typical, right? At about this time of the year it seems like everyone is trying to eat healthier and all of your local gyms are packed! One thing to keep in mind when thinking about achieving balance in your life through fitness-- your version of healthy is different then your friend's, sister's, neighbor's, and cat's. Do not find motivation for your workouts to look a certain way, but to feel a certain way.
Yes, you will look different as you create healthier habits-- but remember, strong is sexy and healthy is sexy. If you are in it for the wrong reasons then you will constantly feel dissatisfied and you will not enjoy what you are doing. It is when you do what you do for yourself that you will see and feel results.
Do workouts that you enjoy and make you feel strong. If that is running outside and taking in all of the nature, good for you! If you are someone that likes to roll out your yoga mat in the comfort of your own room, stretching along with a youtube video, you go! What you love doing is what will make you happy and will get you to that balanced lifestyle.
Do not stop listening to your body when you leave the gym. Listen to your body when you are hungry and fill it with foods that will give you energy and nutrients to go throughout the day as your best self. Stay hydrated by drinking eight glasses of water a day (8 oz glasses, an average water bottle has 16 oz so if you drink four of those then you are good to go).
Mind
Carrie Green, the founder of the Female Entrepreneur Association, said in her Ted Talk that the mind has two main settings: autopilot and emergency break. When your mind gets an idea that goes outside of autopilot (stepping out of your comfort zone) you immediately hit the emergency break and shoot down the idea/thought with a million reasons why it would not be a good idea. (Check out the Female Entrepreneur Association blog and watch her Ted Talk.. if you want to be inspired, this is a one stop shop).
Your mind is constantly craving more knowledge and experiences, but so often we hit that emergency break and stick with what is comfortable-- watching hours of netflix rather than reading books/articles on topics that intrigue you or going out to the same frat party every weekend to drink cheap beer rather than doing something new and exciting. It is so easy when your mind finds the desire to do something crazy like travel to a different country to immediately shut the idea down and say "I can't afford that," or "I don't have time for that" rather then dedicating an hour of your day researching how you can do it.
You, yourself, is also an interesting topic that your mind is just absolutely craving to discover more about. Do yourself a favor and set aside some time to sit down and get to know you a little better. An easy way to do this is to journal! you can peruse Pinterest for hours looking at different journal prompts for you to fill your pages with for no one else to see but you (or one day you can publish it and make millions).
Spirit
To live out a truly balanced lifestyle, you need to take care of yourself and spend time doing things that make you happy.
Meditation is a big way to take a look inward and check in with your spirit. Calm is a great meditation website for both guided and unguided meditation. For those who are new to meditation, the site offers a great variety guided meditation challenges and the "daily calm"-- a new guided meditation every day for free, or you can get everything that the site has to offer with a subscription with different payment plans.
If sitting still for 10+ minutes is not your cup of tea, then explore other options to nourish your soul. Yoga is a great way to satisfy your body and soul (all for the price of one) and can also be a gateway into meditation.
Volunteering can also be a way of loving yourself while loving others, also The Corporation for National and Community Service stated that, "those who volunteer have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability, and lower rates of depression later in life than those who do not volunteer."
If you are religious, spending more time practicing your religion is a great way to show yourself some love and escape from your problems with the realization that there is much more to life. Anything as simple as listening to a sermon or even a Ted Talk (I love me some Ted Talks) and writing in a journal how it relates to your life and your relationship with your religion. If you a Christian and would like to be more involved in reading the Bible, there are different Bible reading challenges such as this one, or there are many different websites that list out different passages
Basically, any time that you set aside for yourself to do something that you enjoy will fulfill your soul. Thus, bringing you closer to a balanced lifestyle.
