4 Ways To Bring More Balance Into Your Busy, Everyday Routine

Your everyday to-do list is long, right? And yet, you try to balance it all, do it all, be it all, and feel healthy and happy through it all, right?

Take care of your family. Schedule a dentist appointment for Junior, don’t forget Sally is attending a birthday party this weekend—get a gift! Pick up your pace at work, prepare for that upcoming presentation and put in the hours. Hit the books. Get the degree, further your degree, push. Set and actually keep date night with your partner. And find something to talk about other than the children and bills. Feed the dog. Catch up with your friend for a long overdue phone chat. Make and eat nutritious meals (add grocery shopping to your list).

There’s always too much to do!

Bring Balance into Busy

Not only do we feel like there’s always too much to do, but we’re continually focusing on the next thing we need to do, and the next, and the next. Living in a state of hyper-busyness, we feel out of control, rushed, and disconnected.

We feel busy all of the time.

While life won’t necessarily slow down, and the demands and responsibilities of parenting, schooling, and working will remain present, we can choose to counter the chaos with these activities that focus on centering ourselves, allowing us to move through our lifestyles feeling more balanced and less busy.

We can learn how to bring balance into our everyday “busy” routines.

Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness has become a popular term, and it’s really just the practice of being in the moment. So often, our thoughts race forward and keep us continually concerned about what we need to do next. Tuning into mindfulness helps harness the mind and trains it to attend to the here and now only.

Practicing mindfulness can be as simple as:

• Focusing on your breath for a short while, noticing your inhales and exhales but nothing else

• Using of guided imagery, choosing to focus on a calming photo or work of art with the intention of being mindful about the few moments you’ve chosen to do so

• Performing mundane tasks such as washing the dishes or folding laundry can be the perfect vehicles for practicing mindfulness. Try focusing on the moment right in front of you, whatever it may be, without letting your mind wander to the past or future.

As the saying goes, wherever you are, be all there. In practicing mindfulness, you can train your soul to be calm and aware of what is right now, and not simply running wild in the chaos of all the moments.

You’ll find that the more you practice moments of mindfulness, the more present, centered, and balanced you’ll begin to feel while facing each task within your day-to-day routine.

Get Outside

There is absolutely nothing like getting out into nature for the revival of the soul, and even a short amount of time will bring a sense of calm into your daily go-go-go rhythm. Not only will time outdoors help steady your mind, but it can help with letting go of worries when you focus on something larger than yourself. When you consider that the same One who created everything you see in nature also created and cares for you, it shifts your perspective and settles your heart a bit.

Make it a point to experience fresh air each day (and sunshine whenever possible) and be conscious about your thoughts while in the outdoors. Try not to think about your to-do list, but rather let your mind relax even if only for a short while. This chosen pause in nature will help you feel more balanced and able to bring that sense of calm into how you show up in your daily routine.

Journal

Whether you only jot a few sentences, offer gratitude for something that took place, or write out your dreams, there is great value in writing for a few short minutes each day. If you’re new to journaling, try starting in the morning with your waking thoughts and feelings, or maybe experiment with journaling right before you go to sleep.

Making a habit of identifying and expressing what you feel, and taking small moments for inner reflection, can create a very positive action in re-charging your soul and helping you feel more balanced throughout your day.

Social Media Detox

Social media can amplify the busyness in our lives. Not only are we focusing on our own needs, wants, and responsibilities, but we’re also involved to some extent in our friends’ (and even casual acquaintances’) every need and want, vacation, family portrait, even meals. We live in information overload and it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

That is why it is healthy to unplug periodically. Perhaps remove certain apps from your phones or smart devices for a while. Try to determine a set amount of time that you plan to detox from social media. You’ll find that with less distractions pulling on your mental energy at all times, you’ll feel calmer and able to show up more balanced in your actual, in-real-life routine.

Bringing balance into your everyday routine does not just happen. You must intentionally pursue it. Yet, in making small, powerful choices to feel less busy, you’ll find yourself more centered and able to carry that balance into your everyday routine.