Stress Management Tip - Balanced Life Style

[rosemary wahlberg]

Developing a balanced life style is a very proactive approach to
managing and reducing the stress in your life. As opposed to
concentrating on one or two areas of your life, a balanced life style
means focusing on all aspects of your life, including you work/
studies, your family and relationships, your social life, your
interests, your spiritual needs and most importantly yourself.
Typically, you will find the happiest people are those that have been
able to achieve such a balance.
Sometimes a certain area of your life requires more attention than
other areas. Examples of this include students studying for their
exams or employees of a company working towards delivering a project.
In such cases the attention may be required for a specific period of
time in order to achieve the desired outcome. However focusing on the
one area for prolonged periods of time can be detrimental to ones
mental health. In the case mentioned above, prolonged periods of work
with little rest or play will result in a loss of productivity and
lead ultimately to burn out if not managed carefully. Another common
example is mothers that are totally devoted to their family. While
their compassionate efforts are extremely commendable, they too run
the risk of burn out or even worse, a distinct feeling of something
missing in their lives. What ever the case may be, it is important to
maintain balance.Here are some ways to help balance your life:

Rest - Take regular vacations. During stressful times, make sure you
are getting enough sleep.
Relaxation - Take time out to relax and unwind. This might be as
simple as watching TV or reading a book.
Family and friends - Spend time with your loved ones. After all these
are the people that matter most to you.
Interests - Follow your interests or get involved in a hobby.
Diet and Exercise - Eat well and get regular exercise.
Spiritual needs - Everyone needs some form of spiritual enrichment,
whether it is through religion or meditation.
Work - Working in the right job or engaging in some community related
activity can be a means of personal fulfilment.
Finally, take time to regularly review and reflect on how things are
going in your life. If you are finding that you never have enough time
to do things, you are low on energy, you are feeling stressed or
simply unhappy, ask yourself, "Is what I am doing excessive?" "Am I
starting to neglect other areas of my life?"
Anything in excess is unhealthy. Moderation is the key.