Strike a Balance: Work vs. Health

Life has to be purposeful and balanced. We need to first understand that balance is the middle of two extremes. Most times, when we are "in the moment", this common sense and logic rarely kicks in. 

We often think in 'black and white'. We are either beautiful or ugly, fat or thin, smart or stupid, winning or losing, happy or sad. We forget to remember that there is a vast middle ground between the two extremes. 

We need to stop thinking in extremes to strike a balance in life. As people say, we are what we eat. We are also what we THINK. 

You can strike a balance in a lot of things. Such as, how much you eat, how much you exercise, how much time to spend with work, family and friends right down to how much mental baggage you are carrying (your identity, beliefs, biases, culture, etc). The key to a more balanced life is moderation. 

How do we go about doing that? 

Firstly, it would be ideal to be able to evaluate everything in our lives, but why don't we just stick to the things that are really bothering us at the moment. Step by step. For example, how do we find a balance between work and health, which are the extreme opposite of each other. We will break it down to 8 simple steps. Let's have a look.

Step 1 
Estimate how much time you are spending at work or occupied with work (when you are not at your workplace). Try note down all the hours you occupy yourself with work. Make a weekly estimate.

Step 2 
Consider the effects of the high workload you undertake. Are you extremely tired all the time? Will this actually hinder you from being more productive at work compromising your career? Are you missing a lot of family events? Your family might end up feeling neglected and left out.

Step 3 
Eliminate distractions at work for example, stop doing things that aren't necessarily productive such as social networking sites, talking to co-workers about unrelated issues or writing personal emails. Have a clear boundary between work and play.

Step 4 
Speak to your supervisor if possible about taking measures that would make your job less stressful such as sharing tasks with others at work.

Step 5 
Learn to say NO when you are already facing a full workload. Don't agree to do things unless you have the time and are fully rested.

Step 6 
Schedule family time every week. Spend quality time with those you love. Turn off that phone and computer. Let family time be all about the family.

Step 7 
Have a hobby! Set aside at least an hour a week to do something you enjoy. Reward yourself for all the hard work you've been doing. Does it involve shopping? Reading? A quick massage? Pedicure? or even just having a nice cup of tea with friends? It's time to stop to smell the roses (not so much of coffee anymore). It's 'ME' time. Relax and breakaway from thinking of responsibilities for awhile.

Step 8 
Exercise, exercise, exercise. It might seem incredibly impossible to fit in exercise if you have a demanding job and family responsibilities but spending even as little as 30 minutes a day exercising will boost your energy levels and increase your overall physical, mental and emotional health. We strongly suggest a yoga sequence everyday or better yet, allocate an hour or two every week to do yoga at our humble studio. 

Please remember that "extremes make more extremes". Bring a little of the opposite to balance things out. All in moderation. You must know that knowing yourself is probably the only solution in finding a balance in life. Let go of the things that should be let go of and be happy for the things that are okay.

source : 

http://www.wikihow.com/Get-That-Balance-We-Need-to-Improve-Our-Emotional-Life

http://www.wikihow.com/Balance-Work-and-Health