Why You Need to Re-balance Everyday
By Jonathan Rimmel
Life is all about Balance. This life of stability requires more than just diet and exercise—though one should certainly work on those—rather it includes several factors essential for wellness. In fact, without balance, you will be unwell.
Let’s break down six components of a balanced life. To further help in this process, find links to some helpful reading under each heading.
1. Mental Balance
Mental balance pertains to what goes on in the deep dark corners of your dusty mind. Get out the broom! Your thoughts impact everything. They define who you are, what you believe, your feelings, and your actions. I’ve heard it said, what you think determines what you feel, and what you feel determines how you act. Your thoughts must be in order.
Getting into mental balance requires reorienting your thinking. Saying things to yourself such as, “I’ll never gain muscle” or, “I’ll never be healthy.” You won’t! You’re setting yourself up for failure. Forgive the cliché, but… think good thoughts. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that if you bust a few brain cells, you’ll own a Lamborghini. Thoughts are just the starting point. You still have to get off your gluteus maximus and do something.
For suggested reading on mental balance click here.
2. Physical Balance
Speaking about doing something, physical balance is one of the main nuggets I tend to focus on. This has three primary elements: sleep, diet, exercise; in that order. If one of these three legs of physical wellbeing gets left out, your stool falls over, *crash* *bang* *boom*. Physical imbalance is highly perceptible for most individuals. Always get enough quality sleep (you can’t make up for this), fuel and heal yourself with real food, then workout like a beast.
For suggested reading on physical balance click here.
3. Emotional Balance
Feelings are real; feelings are valid, though they are not in and of themselves, facts. They can be problematic if left unchecked. We have both logic and emotion to make decisions, so use them both together in balance!
Take responsibility for your own happiness. If you want optimal wellness, forgive others, see the good, be open to differences, and change your attitude.
Additionally, as hard a pill as it is to swallow, it’s not all about you. Consider others feelings. That’s also part of emotional balance.
For suggested reading on emotional balance click here or here.
4. Social Balance
Relationships are huge. A core tenant of humanity is social interaction. Sure, we all think about living life alone in the woods or up in the mountains, but truth is, we need each other, even the most severely introverted among us, such as me.
To maintain optimal social balance, choose relationships carefully (those you can). Though don’t actively shun people. It’s not just the “company you keep” but also how you keep your company.
Your approach to relationships is paramount. Toss out the all too common idea of “they don’t do enough for me.” Replace it with “I should do more for them.” Yes this idea is counter cultural, but as one soon discovers, our culture would have you be sick, lonely, and miserable. That said; don’t let society or relationships pressure you to do something wrong. Doing right, aids in optimizing your wellness, and everyone else’s.
For suggested reading on social balance click here.
5. Financial Balance
When you stress, your health suffers. Finance is a big stress-factor for many people. Not having a clue what’s going on with your money contributes massively to this.
So what’s a swift way to kick this stress? One word… budget. Wait, don’t run away screaming. This is serious and not actually that hard. The trick is to set up a system that works for you and one you can persist with. You can use computer software or good ol’ spreadsheets or by hand if it’s best for you. Software would be a quick and easy method for many, but spreadsheets are actually pretty powerful once you learn how to use them.
Whatever system you decide to use, be sure to account for literally every penny. Make sure you know what is coming in and what is going out. Then you can allocate portions of your income to cover various expenses, save for big purchases, and set aside money for retirement, your kids or grandkids, and other investments.
Be sure to allocate a strong portion of income to food and your health. As the saying goes, prevention is the best medicine, besides it’s a whole a lot cheaper!
For suggested reading on financial balance click here.
6. Spiritual Balance
This should really come first, as spiritual health will outlast any training or diet. Always emphasize taking care of your whole being, not just part of it.
Like I said, you’ll usually notice physical imbalance, but spiritual? That’s easily overlooked. When everything else is in order but something’s still amiss, look to this as the culprit.
As much focus as there is on the body—however important that may be—one must not forget the soul, your very essence. Whatever ones belief, many know the intangible plays an important—the most important—role in your overall wellbeing.
Finally, think about the balance between these six points. Don’t focus solely on one or two, but pay attention to all of them. Get yourself in balance then you’ll find yourself far happier, healthier, and more fulfilled.
For suggested reading on spiritual balance click here.
Keep in mind; I’m not a doctor, a minister, or yoga instructor. I’m just a guy obsessed with health and I want to share the things I’ve discovered for the benefit of others.
MSN
