We should all be familiar with the phrase “Everything in moderation.” It is a phrase used to remind us that too much or too little of anything can be bad for us. Moderation is balancing between too much or too little. It is possible for you to exercise too much, drink too much water, or sleep too much. Exercising, drinking water, and sleeping are all things we humans need to do to not only stay alive but be healthy. These things are only healthy though, when they are in moderation.
Exercising too much will lead to injury, drinking too much water affects the health of your kidneys, and too much sleep will make you lethargic. Even the healthiest of habits can have adverse affects on your mind and body if you overdo them. However, the affects can be just as or even more dangerous if you do not get enough exercise, drink enough water, or get enough sleep.
The habits we possess only become bad habits when we do them too much. Take drinking alcohol, for example. Nothing is wrong with having a few drinks every now and then. When you start drinking excessively, however, it can ruin your life. Habits like drinking, smoking, eating junk food can only cause serious damage if you do them either consistently or in excess. It is not usually the habits themselves that become problematic, it’s the frequency in which we do them.
How do you balance between too much or too little?
First, you have to be able to recognize the signals your mind or body are giving off. Both good and bad habits can negatively affect us when we go past a certain limit. The easiest way to recognize this is when your habits start to affect other areas of your life. Let’s start with a good habit, exercising. Too much exercise can actually negatively affect your energy levels. You feel tired during the day but when it comes to sleep you have trouble sleeping. That should signal that you need to take a break from exercising.
Now for a bad habit, drinking alcohol. Alcohol becomes problematic when you feel like you cannot have fun or feel good without having a few drinks. Drinking can always make an event or experience more fun. The problem is when you feel like nothing is fun unless drinking is involved. Drinking should not be the only way you feel good. This should be a sign to drink less and start working on healthier ways to feel good.
Secondly, balance also comes from knowing yourself and your limitations. The only way you can do this is by pushing yourself and continuing to stretch yourself. You will never know your limits if you do not push them. When it comes to exercise, you have crazy amounts of untapped energy stored in your body. You shouldn’t push yourself to exhaustion but it is important to try to push a little bit further each time. Suppose you ran on the treadmill for 10 minutes today. Tomorrow you should push for 10:30, then the next day 11:00. If you feel like the extra minute is too much, dial it back 10-15 seconds. Go for 10:45 instead, then work your way up to 11:00. This way you can still test your limits without pushing yourself too far.
Thirdly, to find balance you should also break up any robotic routines you may have. It is a problem if you are doing the same exact things day in and day out. There is no balance if you are doing the same things every day. If it helps, designate certain activities for certain days. Maybe you exercise Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and use Tuesday and Thursday to rest and do a different activity.
Finally, in order to find balance, you have to understand what your goals are. You must evaluate how your daily actions line up with your end goals. If you are properly setting personal goals for yourself, they should be goals that take substantial time and energy to accomplish. You don’t need to put pressure on yourself by trying to accomplish your goal in a day or two. Focus on progress and taking small steps each day. Continuous progress will lead you to your end goal. Again, you are still making progress without pushing yourself too far.
Each day you need to prioritize what is most important. Certain things should take precedent on certain days. For example, lets say the last two days at work were extremely hectic. After work on one day you just came home and watched a movie then caught up on sleep. The next day you just relaxed and read a book. Lets say the next day at work was relaxed, a bit of a slower day. This is a day you should use to exercise. To make up for the lack of exercise over the last two days. Each day is different and requires you to place your time, energy, and attention in different areas. Prioritize by what is most important for the individual day.
Balance can only be achieved if you work for it. The truth is you will likely never have a completely balanced life. If you work 40 hours a week, there is no real balance. That is why balancing your time outside of work is so important. Set goals for yourself, test your limits, prioritize your day, and experiment with different routines. This will keep you sharp and healthy both mentally and physically.
The Rolling J / Jonathan McClure
Previous J of the Day – https://therollingj.net/j-of-the-day-why-you-need-a-purpose/
LinkedIn Profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-mcclure-0594aa17b/
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