Embracing Balance: 5 Achievable Steps to Cultivate a More Fulfilling Life

Some days, you may feel like you’re running on empty – stuck on a hamster wheel with no end goal or destination in sight. You might feel hopeless, exhausted, and even empty – asking yourself, “What’s the point?”.

If you agree to any of these experiences, it may be time to re-evaluate and prioritize building balance. Balance is an issue for a lot of us. We can find ourselves so focused on specific aspects of our lives – such as our career or family – that we may neglect to pour energy into other important areas that bring us joy and fulfilment.

Finding balance is not an overnight process; it’s a lifetime process that looks different for everyone. Balance is a lifestyle in which you choose to show up for yourself each day.

Luckily, there are 5 achievable steps to help you jumpstart into a new, balanced you

1. Evaluate: Take a moment to think of certain aspects of your life that are most important to you. We typically have multiple – such as our career, social relationships, physical health, emotional health, spiritual well-being, and finances. Which of these areas needs more attention? If we were to split our energy amongst these different aspects, we would want a pretty even split in each category (depending on your goals). Suppose we’re putting 95% of our energy into our career. In that case, we may notice our social relationships suffer, our physical health lacking, etc. If we don’t take the time to slow down, evaluate, and adjust, we can risk burning out and shutting down completely.
   ‍
2. Identify: What are things/activities that make you feel fulfilled and taken care of? Some things give us joy, energy, and/or contentment – such as spending time with friends, walking outside, or having a spa day at home. These activities and practices will ground us and bring us gratification. Identify at least 3 activities you can do for each of the important aspects of your life (ex., Getting dinner with a friend, practicing self-affirmations, starting a budgeting plan, setting up a sleep schedule, etc.). These activities are the start of your wellness toolbox. When you feel like you’re running low, return to your self-care activities.
   ‍
3. Recharge early: Take breaks often and earlier than you need. We often take breaks or practice self-care when we’ve already reached our maximum limit or “hit the wall.” We want to fill our gas tank at half full, not running on empty. Set up a schedule for yourself to practice your identified self-care activities. Maybe every Monday evening, you have a relaxing bath; on Tuesdays, you call a friend; on Wednesdays, you try a new dinner recipe, etc. This can hold you accountable and give you something exciting to look forward to in the day.
   ‍
4. Set realistic expectations: Achieving balance is not the end destination. In fact, being balanced does not mean you will always have feelings of peace, joy, and contentment. Balance is an intentional practice that is exercised each day. The key word here is “practice”- balance is not a constant; instead, we can practice finding balance for ourselves when we feel the opposite. When we have realistic expectations for ourselves, it makes the journey feel a lot easier.
   ‍
5. Ask for help: We can sometimes take on more than we can handle. When we keep adding to our workload, we may only realize how stressed we are once we reach our limit. If you feel overwhelmed, identify possible sources of support. Make a list of people you can contact – such as asking your partner for help with house chores, asking a friend to watch the kids, or asking your boss for more support on a work project. You don’t always have to do it all alone; ask for help when needed.

There will be times when life feels hard. But we also have the power to make moves toward feeling our best selves again. When we step back, focus on what we can control, and take intentional action, we can start to get ourselves out of that rut and into a more balanced way of life. Remember - You’ve got this!