The Importance of Maintaining Balance

We tend to underestimate how much maintaining balance contributes to living life successfully and productively.

As a sports enthusiast, I appreciate how sports are a metaphor for or a microcosm of life, so you will find me making many comparisons and analogies.

Take the example of an Olympic athlete.

They must train for the event as efficiently and productively as possible to achieve optimum results, as the margin of error in a sporting event is minuscule.

You could win or lose in an Olympic event by a hair or one 1/100th of a second - not a chance you would want to take.

When in training, the athlete must have discipline and maintain a routine that includes a proper balance of sleep, good nutrition, and exercise. They must also employ psychology to ensure the necessary mindset or attitude is in place.

Attitude and perspective are so important that they could make the difference between winning and losing.

The athlete will not perform well if any one of these components is missing or out of balance.

So it is with living life to the fullest. While we don't have to adhere to the strict regimen an Olympic athlete would, we still need to balance taking care of ourselves physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Focusing too much on any one aspect catches up with us and leads to health problems in the neglected area.

For instance, if you exercised too much (hard to imagine) and did not rest and replenish, you would injure yourself. If you mainly read or do a disproportionate amount of mental work, your body will lack proper circulation and fitness levels.

If you spend an enormous amount of time meditating or relaxing, your brain waves slow down, and you lack mental agility.

You lose perspective and balance whenever you overdo it in any aspect of your life. As Aristotle said: "Moderation in all things."

How to Recognize when you're out of balance:

• You are physically or emotionally exhausted

• You are socially distancing yourself from people

• Are consistently sad, angry, or irritable

• Reduced performance in many areas

• Recurring headaches or stomachaches

• Poor sleep

How to maintain balance in our lives:

➜ Know yourself and how much rest, food, and exercise you need to function at your best. There are many good books and websites that give great advice on diet and exercise. Decide what works best for you and implement it into your routine.

➜ Keep your mind alert and in shape. As mentioned in the 10 Positive Habits To Develop, learn new information daily, even in conversation with your spouse and children at the dinner table.

➜ Stay connected with family and friends. At the end of the day, share with your spouse and children how the day went for each of you. We lead busy lives, but we should never be too busy to connect with and make at least one phone call to a parent, sibling, or friend during the day.

➜ Do something spontaneous. Our lives can be too regimented at times, so it's a good idea to do something out of the ordinary now and then. During your lunch one day, go for a pedicure or massage. Take a drive in the countryside one afternoon. On the weekend, go to a concert (rock, opera or symphony).

➜ Make time for yourself. Each evening, take time to unwind. If that means leaving the dishes overnight, so be it. Take a nice bath, read from the book you started, or listen to some soothing music.

We can all learn from elite athletes who function at optimum levels by knowing how to balance their training routines.