Achieving a better balance of your life; work and everything else included, is essential to your overall happiness. When you feel like your life isn’t balanced and out-of-whack, your work may be suffering, you can’t seem to tackle household chores alongside your hectic schedule or as much as you stay on top of things, there doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day. In an age where we are connected more than ever, it’s hard to get a break, even from our personal lives. Well, it comes down to your whole outlook on each new day. Waking up with a positive thought, and the motivation to take on the day ahead, is just one of the many simple things you can do to make for better days, and bring more balance into your life.
I’ve been slowly working on this post, and thought it was fitting that I post it on a Friday, when most of us begin our weekend of no work, where we actually relax and enjoy time with loved ones. I’m planning on doing lots of fall cooking and baking with some kiddo family friends I’m watching over, as well as some serious organization for winter. You can never be too prepared right, or maybe I’m just really feeling the festive season.
So here you go, some effortless tips and tricks how you can bring more balance into your life…
Start with a positive thought. Like I said above, a positive thought as soon as you wake up can, change your whole day. I like to start by morning by doing yoga stretches in bed, reading my TUT daily quote, then doing some Kundalini breathing, and drinking a glass of water. Daily positive activities, like mine, create a pleasant routine, that of course make your mornings enjoyable rather than stressful. Even if you haven’t had the best morning – sit, breathe, and think of one positive thought. Hold on to it. Our thoughts create our attitude and perspective, if you think positive things, then that’s what you will get. Stay present in the each moment in the morning, and set your intention for the day ahead in a positive way. {post to photo here}
Organize Your Bag. Clean out your purse weekly. Even if you don’t carry everything around, like I do, you would be surprised how much you can accumulate in your handbag. I take a moment every Sunday to clean and organize my bag following this easy routine.
Take a moment, appreciate the little things. Happiness is appreciate each moment we have, it’s about the little things after all. Savor your morning cup of coffee, call your best friend who lives three hours away or just sit outside savoring the silence. Don’t let life pass you by, plus five minutes of a breather every hour or two, isn’t going to kill you.
Stay active, even if you don’t want to. I’ll have serious exercise kicks, but then there are those days when I really don’t want to do anything active, I am human. But I always manage to get up and do something, even if it’s walking Marley for a half hour or something that puts me in a good mood, like playing Just Dance or dancing. It helps me stay active, while energizing my body and mind. Even on the busiest of days, aim to take the stairs whenever possible, set an alarm to get up from the desk every hour or walk the longest route home, this way on crazy days you won’t feel guilty about not working out. When the body is feeling good, the mind feels good, creating a perfect harmony and balance. Daily exercise boosts your energy level, improves your mood and relieves stress – the essentials for a balanced life, so doesn’t that give you plenty of motivation to get moving! 
Play your “happy” music. You know, that song that just makes you feel really good, and you just want to dance, even if it’s in your chair at a desk? Music can do wonders to lift up your spirits, whether you’re feeling tired in the afternoon or just not feeling your best. I love working to music, depending on my mood and what I need to accomplish. When I listen to upbeat music I find that I am much more productive. My alarms are the morning are songs, because for me, mornings are so much more fun and motivating when you wake up to music! Taking just four minutes to listen to a song, can do wonders for relieving stress and energizing the mind.
“Leave things better than when you found them.” Put your closet back in order with everything hung in its correct spot. Of course your closet should already be organized in a way to works for you. A clean closet is a functional one and essential to a balanced life, including early mornings when choosing a work outfit. This is a mindful practice that I’ve somewhat upheld over the years, but not until I read the chapter in this book that this practice has become a daily habit. Time yourself, in say three minutes, clean up a room in such a way that you leave no signs that you’ve been in the room. We always say “I’ll clean it up later..”and then of course don’t, it’s much easier if we take care of mundane tasks right away, like putting away your clothes or answering an easy email about confirming a meeting time. Once you’ve gotten into the habit of leaving no traces, work on making things better than before.
Cross off your To-Do list. Setting small goals and then crossing them off on paper gives me a sense of accomplishment at the end of each day. It makes me feel like I’ve been productive and have put good use of my time, and motivates me even more to continue to get all my tasks accomplished. I like including my monthly goals too, this way I can look back and see what new work project that need to get done, places I want to see, and new things I want to try out. 
Prep the night before. My day always starts better when I prep the night before. I live by my daily planner, and go over my calendar, checking off what I’ve done, add in new appointments and to-do lists. I’m a bit of an obsessive planner, even color coding it, but it pays off! I wake up more focused, knowing what my day’s goals are and can get started with my day effortlessly.
Treat yourself, you deserve it. Whether it’s a glass of wine at the end of the day, a piece of dark chocolate or espresso for me, meditation or favorite book; when you look forward to something at the end of your day, you seem to get over that dreadful afternoon slump much easier. Without a bit of time for yourself each day, you become stressed much easier, so go ahead take that long bubble bath.
Disconnect. This is much easier said than done for a lot of people, but disconnecting from work when your out of the office and on vacation is necessary for a balanced life {of course unless you’re on call or hitting a deadline…} But the same goes for you personal life too. Turn off an hour before going to bed, remember a good night’s sleep? And don’t fill your night getting caught up in Facebook and twitter all night, while your favorite television shows play in the background. 
A good night’s sleep is gold. This one is a given, but a good solid night’s sleep truly makes all the difference. Does anyone really want to wake up on just a few terrible hours of sleep, to face the day and everything you have to get done at work, then at home. Everyone has different sleep needs, so find what works best for you schedule.
Put it back where it came from. When coming back from a weekend getaway, as I highly suggest you take them, as much as you might not want to unpack, it does wonders for starting your week on the right note. When I arrive home and unpack my suitcase, I separate what needs to be cleaned, what can just be put away, beauty supplies on my vanity, and shoes at the entrance of my closet. It takes just five minutes, but my suitcase it emptied and packed away, and I have already freed up some time tomorrow. It will also save you from piles of clothes from accumulating in your room over the week, when you’re just too busy with work to deal with putting away clothes.
Do less, live simpler. Over the years, being the perfectionist only child, I’ve learned that although you can do anything you set your mind to do, you simply can’t do everything on your own. And you can’t do things efficiently, until you slow down rather than rush through each task. It’s important to remember to be mindful of every thought and action you make throughout the day. Focus your energy on what is important and brings more positivity into your life. Don’t take on more than you can’t handle either, it’s okay to say “no” sometimes, you’ll be thankful and less stressed when you do. There’s nothing like having a balanced life knowing you can manage everything in your life without feeling stressed… 
How do you try to keep the balance in your life? Would love to hear your tricks and advice!
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