Many women I speak to tell me they’re constantly busy but rarely feel satisfied. Their days are full, but not with the things that matter most. They’re often doing what they think they should be doing, and somewhere along the way, they lose touch with what they actually need.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. It might be time to take a step back and think about what a balanced life could look like for you. In this post, we’ll explore the signs that life might be out of balance, why this happens, and what you can do to create a rhythm that supports you.
Key Takeaways for a Balanced Life
Signs You’re Living an Unbalanced Life
Here are a few tell-tale signs your life might be out of balance:
- You might feel stretched, like you’re constantly chasing your tail, or stuck on a hamster wheel or treadmill that never stops.
- You feel like you have no “me time.”
- You feel restless or on edge and find it hard to relax.
- You’re always busy, but not doing things that you enjoy.
- You feel unfulfilled.
- You feel exhausted or burnt out.
If any of these feel familiar, it might be a sign to pause and think about what you need for a more balanced life. If you’d like more support recognising when stress is affecting your life balance, the NHS has a helpful guide on stress symptoms that you may find useful.
Why Life Can Start to Feel Unbalanced
Life might start to feel out of balance when the way we’re spending our time doesn’t match what we actually need. We might be taking on too much and not leaving enough time to rest, or letting the things that bring us a sense of purpose or enjoyment slip. Over time, this can affect how we feel day to day, and take us further away from a balanced life.
Overcommitting
We say yes to too many things. We might find ourselves agreeing to things out of habit, without stopping to think if we actually have the time, energy or desire to take these things on. This can make it harder to maintain a balanced life.
Spending Time on the Wrong Things
When we feel we don’t have any time, it could be that we’re not spending our time in ways that support us or feel meaningful. Could you be using your time more wisely? Choosing how you spend your time is a key part of creating a balanced life.
Lack of Hobbies and Interests
When we don’t have activities that interest or motivate us, we might fill our time with things like organising or scrolling just to escape boredom. But for a more balanced life, we need time for things that feel nourishing and enjoyable. If you’re lacking a hobby you may want to read this: How to find a hobby you love and you can read about the wider benefits of having a hobby in this post: What Are the Benefits of Having a Hobby?
Lack of Rest or Downtime
We all need time to recharge, even when everything we’re doing seems important we only have so much energy to give. Rest is a non-negotiable part of a balanced life.
Disconnection From What Matters
If we’ve drifted away from the things that matter to us and give us a sense of purpose or joy, life can feel unbalanced. Reconnecting with your values is one of the most powerful ways to work towards a more balanced life. You can read more about this in this post: Why Core Values Are Key to Living in Balance and find out more about discovering your values in this guide: How to identify your personal core values. If you want some guidance on overcoming the challenges that get in the way of way of living your values this will help: What to Do When Your Values Conflict With Real Life.
Unclear Priorities
If we’re not sure what really matters to us, it’s easy to spend time and energy on things that don’t align with our values. This can pull us further away from the kind of balanced life we actually want. For more on this, read How to Know What Matters to You.
Why Having a Balanced Life Matters
When life feels balanced, there’s more ease and enjoyment, and you’re more likely to feel satisfied with how you’re spending your time. Living a balanced life also helps protect our physical and mental health, making it easier to manage stress and feel more in control.
What Balance Looks Like in Real Life
A common perception is that a balanced life is a 50/50 split between our work and personal life. But life is more complicated than this, and there’s much more to consider. In reality, balance looks different for everyone.
We all have different circumstances and commitments, so I believe we need to take a flexible approach and not worry too much about achieving a perfectly balanced life. Here are some things to consider when thinking about how to create a better balance in life:
Balance Isn’t About How Many Hours You Spend in Each Part of Your Life
Think of balance more as a sense or feeling rather than a strict division of your time. Try to tune into how life feels overall. Do your days feel manageable? Do they reflect what matters to you?
Aim for a Mix of Different Types of Activity
Activities can be broadly grouped as self-care, productivity, and leisure. Try to have a mix of activities across all 3 categories in your week. Keep in mind that how you define an activity may be different to how someone else sees it. Some people see cooking as a self-care activity as we need to eat, whereas some cook as a hobby or see it as doing something productive.
Balance Needs and Wants
We also need a balance of activities we “need” to do and “want” to do. If we’re just focusing our time on things that are necessary but not enjoyable, we feel fed up. And if we neglect all the things we need to do in favour of what we want to do, we end up in a mess!
Include Screen-Free Time
With so much of our time spent looking at screens, I think it’s important to balance this out with screen free activities. Even a small break from screens can help you reset.
Balance Is About the Bigger Picture
Each day, week and month will look different and that’s ok. There will be times when life happens and things get messy, and calmer periods when everything seems easier. Aim for aligning your time and energy mostly with your values.
What Gets In the Way of Living a Balanced Life?
Focusing Too Much on Doing What’s Expected of Us
It’s easy to fall into the trap of doing things just because we think we should. We want it all, but often don’t realise we’re striving for things to please others or to fit in with what we believe is expected. But if we pause and ask whether it’s actually right for us, we give ourselves a chance to take back some control.
Feeling Guilty for Slowing Down or Taking a Break
Many women I speak to have trouble giving themselves permission to rest. We’re so used to linking our value to how much we get done that taking a step back can feel wrong, even when it’s exactly what we need.
Some people worry they’re being lazy if they rest, and this often comes from beliefs shaped in childhood or later in life. You may have had a parent or partner who told you that you were lazy.
Try to remember that rest doesn’t have to be earned. It’s a form of self-care, and it’s essential for your wellbeing. And you’re an adult, you don’t need permission from anyone. If you’d like some ideas for building rest and self-care into your routine, Mind UK shares some everyday wellbeing tips.
Trying to Do Too Much at Once
Sometimes we overload ourselves by trying to do everything at once. We set high expectations and keep pushing through, hoping that ticking everything off the list will feel satisfying. But often it doesn’t, and we end up stuck in a cycle of doing more and feeling less fulfilled.
Women are great multitaskers, but trying to juggle everything is a sure path to burnout. This is where prioritising comes in. Try to choose one or two things to focus on, and put the rest on the back burner for now. Seasonal planning can be a helpful way to ensure you’re focusing on what matters most right now.
Small Steps You Can Take Towards Living a Balanced Life
Final Thoughts on How to Live a Balanced Life
A balanced life doesn’t have to be perfect. Life will always have busy spells and unpredictable moments and you can only do your best. As long as your time and energy are generally being spent on things that help you feel grounded and well, you’re doing ok!
Creating a balanced life starts with small decisions. That might mean making time to rest or letting go of something that no longer fits. A balanced life is something you keep coming back to, especially when things feel off. You don’t need to have everything figured out. Just keep checking in and adjusting as you go. For a simple way to regularly assess your life balance, try my free Life Balance Check-In. You can read more about it in this post: How to Balance Your Life with a Simple Self Check-In
Once you understand what balance means for you, learn how to create balance in life using your values for practical implementation.
Frequently Asked Questions
I hope this article on how to live a balanced life was helpful. I’m Lisa, an occupational therapist who loves sharing tips to help you live a calmer, more balanced, and meaningful life.
Curious to know more? Check out my about page. If you’d like to support my blog, you can buy me a coffee. Every contribution helps me keep creating content you’ll love!
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