How To Find More Balance In Your Life

When our lives are out of balance, it can be stressful and unsettling, as it can make us feel out of control within our surroundings and abilities. However, finding more balance in your life can boost health, happiness, and wellbeing, and make us feel more in charge regarding how our job is going, how our relationships are working and how our bodies are feeling. It's critical to feel confident in managing our stress (a feeling that is always prevalent nowadays, right?).

As a certified health coach, I work with clients on achieving greater balance in all facets of their lives, where work and social commitments, diet and exercise habits, sleep cycles, and self-care habits are all working together to fashion together a stable, energizing, and lively lifestyle. When we're feeling good about ourselves and feel purposeful in the day, it seems as though all is working, and we're right where we belong. It doesn't feel good to experience a sense of confusion and insecurity, when we're searching for a clear path that seems too distant. Yet if we find where we're headed and are happy with it, it's critical to keep up with the good habits and positive outlook in order to reap long-term mind and body boosting benefits. Here are 11 ways to find more balance in your life now.

1. Have Some Quiet, Mellow Time

Lynne Goldberg, certified meditation coach and co-founder of the OMG. I Can Meditate! app explains over Bustle that taking some time to find quiet, solace, and relaxation can help the mind and body unwind and have some space away from all the constant chatter and obligations that life demands. Goldberg suggests, "taking ten minutes to sit in silence helps us recharge our batteries, reduces our stress levels and give us the peace of mind and clarity to help make better decisions."

2. Meditate

Goldberg also recommends introducing a meditation habit into the daily routine, as it can banish stress and help promote greater balance in the day. "As we meditate, we release feel good hormones like oxytocin, the love hormone, and serotonin, also known as the happiness hormone. Therefore, meditation reduces our stress levels enabling us to keep our systems in check and find more balance in our lives," explains Goldberg.

3. Eat Throughout The Day

According to Liz Weinandy, RD from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, over email with Bustle, "maintaining moderate blood sugar levels throughout the day," and noshing to avoid feeling "hangry" when we're low in blood sugar can boost balance. "We can balance out our moods and energy levels by eating a moderate amount of protein, carbs and fat at 3 regular meals a day and a small snack or two with the same components when we have more than 4 hours between meals," explains Weinandy.

4. Eat Fruits & Veggies

Weinandy stresses the importance of eating adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables with each meal, each day, in order to reap more balancing and mood-boosting benefits. "Not only do well balanced meals with a large dose of fruits and veggies help balance energy and mood, but they also help almost all other functions of our bodies including graceful aging and reducing the risk of many chronic diseases," Weinandy explains.

5. Limit Sugary, Refined Carbs

Eating junk food in the day can take away balance and mood stability in the day, advises Ashlea Braun, registered dietitian at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center over email with Bustle. "Avoid refined carbohydrates and added sugars, such as those in white or refined bread products, pastries, candy, and other sugary foods. These foods can give us short bursts of energy, followed by feelings of fatigue, sluggishness, and general decreases in mood," explains Braun.

6. Avoid Overeating

According to Braun, overeating food can cause bodily discomfort and imbalances that can hurt our health and wellbeing in the day, and thus Braun advises eating foods in moderation to secure a portion-sized, nutritionally adequate meal that features lots of powerful foods. "Overeating meat and other animal products can throw off the balance of certain fatty acids in our body, which can cause a decrease in mood and other measures of neurological health," Braun says, and also recommends eating more plant-based foods throughout the diet, as well.

7. Exercise

Over email with Bustle, Dr. Lisa Ashe, Medical Director of BeWell Medical Group, explains exercise can boost endorphins to create more balance in our lives and to regulate mood and stress levels. When we are stressed chronically, it can cause hormonal imbalances that can mess with our wellbeing, Ashe explains. Find what works for you and that brings you pleasure!

8. Do Something You Enjoy

Ashe recommends including activities that bring you happiness, as having playful outlets for relaxation and fun can help balance out work and obligations that might provoke stress and fatigue. Ashe suggests reading a book, picking up a sport, or spending time with friends and family, as a way to foster connections with people and get your body and mind active.

9. Have Leafy Greens

Leafy greens are incredibly purifying and detoxifying and they contain "potassium and magnesium" which promote anti-inflammation, relaxation, and sleep, advises Australian-born Liana Werner-Gray, natural foods chef and Best-Selling author of The Earth Diet, over email with Bustle. Toss into a morning smoothie to power your day, or sip before bed to ease sore muscles and unwind.

10. Sleep More

"Getting proper sleep can not only improve your attitude and productivity throughout the day, but supports a healthier body and mind to better help you balance whatever is thrown your way," advises Lisa Tan, chief marketing officer at Reverie® over email with Bustle. "A day without restful sleep leaves us feeling sluggish, cranky and even impaired when it comes to decision making, social behavior and planning. Plus, over time, sleep deprivation has the potential to harm your health, including your heart."

11. Eat A Hearty Breakfast

Starting the day on a good note with a hearty breakfast can boost wellbeing and happiness, advises Stephanie Perruzza, MS, RD, CDN and KIND’s Health & Wellness Communications Specialist over email with Bustle. “It’s important to start out your day with a balanced breakfast full of fiber, protein and healthy fats. This boosts your metabolism and replenishes blood sugars, increasing your energy levels to stay focused and productive during the day," Perruzza says.

By taking the time to work on these healthy habits, you'll be better able to find more balance in the day and to feel more in control of your being and life affairs. Plus, most of these habits are easy and enjoyable! Take them step by step and integrate slowly to boost sustainability.

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