It’s clear that eating healthy and being active are integral parts of a healthy lifestyle. But did you know that rest and indulgence are also integral parts of a healthy lifestyle?
There is a misconception that when we indulge or rest, we are being “bad” or that we need to “get back on track”, but the truth is that these things are also essential for a lifestyle to actually be healthy.
Let’s talk about balance. If you only eat salad all the time and never let yourself indulge in your favorite dessert, you’re not really healthy—just as if you only ever eat cake and never eat salads.
If you exercise for hours every day and never let yourself rest, you’re not really healthy—just as if you only ever rest and never exercise.
If you only ever focus on your physical health and never pay attention to your mental health, you’re not really healthy… If you only ever work and never “play”, you’re not really healthy. And the list goes on.
Why do we need balance? Cultivating balance helps to increase the joy and overall satisfaction with your life because you are tending to all the areas of your wellbeing. Balance makes life fuller and more enjoyable. It makes it easier to prioritize things like exercise, nutrition, meditation, and self-care. Only focusing on certain things like your physical appearance or on only eating “healthy” foods will eventually lead you to feel like something is missing, or even that feeling of “what am I doing wrong?” Especially in today’s world where the days go by so fast and everything is rushed, if you don’t make balance an essential part of your lifestyle, you can easily end up unbalanced and unhappy.
What does balance look like in day-to-day life?
-Getting up from your work desk every hour to walk around the block or move your body in some way.
-Eating dessert a few times a week (or even daily), while also eating nourishing food most of the time.
-Scheduling rest days as part of your fitness routine rather than trying to force yourself to workout on days your body is asking for rest.
-Taking vacations (long or short) on a regular basis to balance out your busy work-life.
-Prioritizing time with your family and loved ones even if there are work things that could be done.
Why is balance so important for our health?
For starters, when we are unbalanced, it creates a level of stress within us. Our intuition is telling us we need more rest, more movement, better nutrition (or a treat), etc, but we ignore that intuitive pull for some reason. This causes stress and dysregulation within us. Improving your overall life balance will also lead to improvement in your mood, your energy levels, and your quality of life.
Contradictory to what you may hear, there is no right or wrong way to live a balanced lifestyle. Everyone’s ideal version of a balanced lifestyle will be different, but the most important thing is how you are feeling. Ask yourself: do I feel balanced? Chances are, you either leaned yes or no in response to that question. If your answer was no, now ask yourself: what can I do to feel more balanced?
One thing that does apply to everyone is that it is crucial to find a balance that you enjoy. It doesn’t matter what your best friend sees as balance for her, or even what she thinks could be balance for you. What matters is how you feel, and that you find a balance that works for you and that you enjoy.
So, what does a healthy and balanced lifestyle mean to you? Spend some time thinking about this, and then think of ways you can start implementing these things into your own lifestyle. One thing’s for sure, improving the balance in your life will always be worth it.
