Are you feeling burned out, stressed, overwhelmed and irritable? If so your life may be out of balance in certain areas. We become out of balance when we invest too much energy in one important aspect of our lives and not enough in other important areas. When we are out of balance, it can lead to less productivity at work or the loss of valuable friend and family time. Use these five simple steps below to restore balance and re-energize your zest for life. -Sara Holliday MFT, CPT
Step one: Think about areas of your life that are important to you such as your significant other, children, friends, career, money, free time, personal growth and your health.
Step two: Consider how much attention you give to each important area by rating each area on a scale of 0 to 5, with 0 being little attention and 5 a lot of attention.
Step three: Draw a large circle on a piece of paper with eight lines from the center of the circle going outward to the edge of the circle like slices of pie. Label each line with the important areas of your life you considered above. Using the 0 to 5 scale, imagine 0 at the center of the circle, with 1, 2, 3, 4 plotting upward towards 5 at the edge of the circle. Draw a dot on each line with the corresponding number you ranked with each area of your life. Then connect the dots and examine which area or areas are out of balance.
Step four: Ask yourself which areas could use more of your attention and which areas could use less, then consciously chose to pay more attention to areas that were lacking. Contemplate what areas are taking too much of your time, then reprioritize what needs your attention or delegate responsibilities to someone your trust.
Step five: Be fully present with each important need. For example, when you are with family leave your work behind by turning of your computer and place your phone on vibrate.
References:
1. MayoClinic.com: Tips to reclaim control
2. Mind Tools: The Wheel of Life: Finding Balance in Your Life