As someone who is a spiritual coach and a yoga/meditation teacher, I consider myself a fairly balanced person these days, but that certainly hasn’t always been the case.

Before I discovered yoga, meditation and a spiritual way of life, I was often stressed and anxious, and coping in ways that were not very healthy, nor very helpful in the long run.

As I began to embrace a different way of life and embarking on a spiritual path, I found that the more I took care of myself and my own well-being, the more balanced I felt. I realized that my own balance and peace of mind is non-negotiable, and the only way for me to live and be able to do the things I want to do. Along the way I have found teachings and approaches to stay balanced and keep me on track, even when life gets busy.

Here are some tips that I have found helpful in bringing more balance to my life:

Create regular routines.

Creating routines in our lives is something that I have found especially helpful to achieve more life balance. The teachings of Ayurveda suggest that we eat our meals around the same time every day and go to bed and get up at roughly the same time, and then organize the rest of our day around this foundation. If you have set work hours and work for someone else, that will make up part of your regular routine, but if you work for yourself, like I do, I find that it is a good idea to set aside specific hours each day that are dedicated to our business and try to stick to them as much as possible. Eating at regular times and getting adequate sleep also ensures that we have enough energy to keep going throughout the day.

Pencil in time for yourself.

When we want to incorporate something new into our routine, it is beneficial to either put it in our calendar, or create some type of reminder for ourselves. If you want to rock it old-school, go ahead and pick up a physical planner from your closest bookstore. There are also all sorts of calendars and daily planners online these days that I personally find more convenient. Most smart phones come with a built-in calendar and some type of reminder system, which makes it super easy to stay organized, even when we are on the go. In addition to penciling in regular appointments, I make a point of adding dates with myself, too. If you want to start a meditation or yoga routine, put it in your calendar, and then make sure you check it daily.

Prioritize number one!

Let’s face it, most of us live pretty busy lifestyles these days so when we talk about bringing more balance into our lives, this means taking more time for ourselves to relax and recharge. It is very easy to get wrapped up in work, and stay late to finish a project, and that is not too big of an issue if it only happens on occasion. If it happens all the time, though, something has to change.

Women, in particular, may relate to the tendency of overextending ourselves to take care of others, and then have little time left for ourselves. I have certainly been guilty of that on more than one occasion. To be the best that we can be, we have to take care of ourselves first, which means we have to prioritize time for ourselves. This is not negotiable, and to really achieve more balance in our lives, we have to make number one a priority in our lives.

Do what works for you, not someone else.

We are all different when it comes to what helps us unwind and recharge our energy. Some people may love to get active and go rock climbing, hiking, or swimming, whereas some may want to do gentle yoga, meditate, go for a quiet walk or do some journaling. Others prefer a blend of the two. What works for me, may not work for you. Don’t feel guilty if you don’t like a particular activity that your friend likes. Feel free to experiment and try something new, and you never know, you may like it, but if you don’t, don’t be afraid to let it go and move on to something else. Go within, and listen to what your soul craves. Whatever fills your heart with peace and joy, do that!

Don’t get overwhelmed, get help!

When we already have a busy schedule, it is very easy to feel overwhelmed when we want to make changes, so I have found that it is best to take things one step at a time. Take a look at your schedule, and see where you may be able to incorporate a space. Even if it is only 10 minutes a day, or a couple of hours on the weekend, start there, and set aside that time just for you to do something nurturing for yourself. If it still feels overwhelming or you just don’t know what to do or where to start, get some help. I speak from experience when I say that working with a professional coach or consultant can be life changing. A good coach will give you support along the way, and guide you to more balance in your life, so that you can experience less stress and more of the joy that you deserve!

I hope that you found these tips helpful, and that you will take some time to incorporate some of these ideas into your life. Remember that our well-being and happiness is important. We need to give ourselves some love and consciously set aside time for ourselves on a regular basis. That will help us feel more balanced in no time!

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Author: Hilde Meffert

Editor: Travis May

Photo: Flickr/Colin Tsoi