10 Healthy Habits for Better Life Balance
We all want to work to be our best selves, not least of which so we give ourselves, our loved ones and the world all the amazing gifts we have to offer.
When you feel weighed down by the hustle and bustle of life, it’s difficult to do the things you know will bring you peace, balance and ease. Let’s be honest - with all the advice out there these days, it’s hard to know where to start!
At GLEAM, we recommend starting small with acts of kindness for your physical body in gratitude for all it does for you. Then, build more healthy habits as you go. You don’t need to overhaul your whole diet, lifestyle or routine overnight either. Start small, build a good foundation and you’ll start feeling better before you know it.
1 . Drink more water.
We know, you’ve heard this one before - but did you know all the processes your body uses water to perform? According to the Harvard School of Public Health:
“Drinking enough water each day is crucial for many reasons: to regulate body temperature, keep joints lubricated, prevent infections, deliver nutrients to cells, and keep organs functioning properly. Being well-hydrated also improves sleep quality, cognition, and mood.”
The science of how much water you should drink varies, and we shouldn’t feel overwhelmed by trying to adhere to some unattainable hydration goal (a popular TikTok trend recommends that everyone drink 2 gallons of water a day, which seems… excessive).
Your personal hydration needs depend on a multitude of factors like your activity level, age, weight and the climate in which you live. You should be aiming to feel hydrated and not stick to someone else’s goal of how much water you should drink daily.
Start by tracking how much water you drink for a couple of days and look to add 1-2 8oz glasses on top of that and see how you feel. Remember that coffee, tea and sparkling water all count towards your daily intake goal!
2. Eat more vegetables.
We get it - not everyone loves vegetables and when you consider the FDA recommended 4-6 servings of fruits and vegetables a day it can be intimidating to get started (especially when starting from zero).
What exactly is a serving anyway? An easier way to view this is in cups - just 2 cups of vegetables a day will go a long way to boost your micronutrient intake and get your body used to the additional fiber. If 2 cups feels like a lot, start with 1 cup and build.
If you are new to vegetables, choose one that you enjoy. We recommend choosing something green to get the most benefits and experiment with different ways of cooking that one vegetable until you’ve perfected it.
Here’s an easy recipe for preparing brussel sprouts - a notoriously hated vegetable that’s actually delicious and a close cousin to broccoli!
Easy Balsamic Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees
Wash the brussel sprouts and cut off the hard ends, then chop each sprout in half
Spread the sprouts out on a baking sheet evenly
Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, your desired amount of salt and pepper and 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, mix up the sprouts with your hands to evenly coat
Bake for 25 minutes, remove and let cool
Enjoy!
3. Get fresh air everyday.
We could cite a lot of scientific articles here about the benefits of getting outside, but the proof is in how you’ll feel the moment the sun hits your face. Again, if you’re used to spending all your time indoors, you can start small and build as you carve out time in your busy week to recharge outdoors.
Have a dog? Want extra time with a friend? Commit to short 5-10 minute walks each day whenever the time permits.
No pup or have mobility issues? Place a comfy chair on your porch and sit outside while you drink your coffee or tea in the morning for 5 minutes.
Is it really cold where you are right now? That’s OK, bundle up and 5 minutes will go by before you know it! As an added bonus, the cold air will help wake you up faster than that coffee, we promise.
4. Eliminate Stressful Relationships
You’ll notice we’re getting into the emotional life balance territory, so these will feel a little harder and less straightforward - and that’s OK. Using the same methodology as the first three healthy habits, we’ll recommend starting small and expanding your comfort zone as you get the hang of these next few.
Are there relationships in your life where the other person saps your energy but doesn’t bring anything in return? Are there people in your life who ask for a lot of support to reach their goals or meet their needs, but rarely make time to support and motivate you too? Any relationship that feels stuck in a negative, even toxic, loop may make it hard to have healthy boundaries with that person and encourage each other to be your best.
These aren’t bad people, but they aren’t serving the positive mindset you’re working so hard to create either. “Eliminate”may feel like a harsh directive but what we mean by this is to limit the amount of time and energy you are willing to give someone who doesn’t prioritize your needs as well. You can love someone and still hold boundaries that will help you move forward in achieving a healthier balance.
In the interest of starting small and working your way up to harder obstacles, consider the questions we outlined above and think about who in your life who nourish you rather than drain you.
5. Keep a budget.
Here is another area where we won’t link to conventional financial advice columns (of which there are millions) telling you the exact percentage of your income you should reserve for certain bills, savings, retirement and rent.
For starters, maybe you’re living paycheck to paycheck and the idea of forcing yourself to save even 10% of your take home pay seems impossible. Or maybe you live in an expensive area of town for your kid’s school district and your rent or mortgage has exceeded the recommended % of your household monthly income you should be spending on that budget item.
We’re not interested in prescribing someone else’s idea of what your finances should look like, but we are recommending that you take some time to think about what you can do with your personal budget that will help support your long term goals.
The first step is just to start (notice a pattern here?) and set some time aside to be really honest with yourself about the state of your finances. Saving for a trip to Disney? Need to pay off some credit card debt? Just as putting sunlight on your face begins to regulate your internal processes, shining a light on your finances keeps it from being a mountainous silent source of stress.
Need help getting started? Here is a great template to use when getting everything organized. The best place to start is where you’re at today, then choose one financial goal to focus on until you get comfortable.
6. Get clear on your goals.
Similar to your finances, it can be helpful to write down and review your goals. Find a blank journal or notebook in your house (we know there is one lying around) and start jotting down thoughts on what you want to accomplish this year. You can then identify longer term goals later if you want.
Again, everyone’s goals will look different and be tied to different areas of life. There is no one size fits all formula to goal creation. Some areas you might consider reflecting on as you get started:
Financial goals
Paying off debt
Starting a savings account
Saving for a new car
Family goals
Spending more quality time with family
Cooking dinner together during the week
Getting outside together more
Career goals
Finding a job in a supportive environment
Making more money (maybe via a side hustle)
Transitioning to a new career path
Mindset goals
Making time for yourself each week
Creating a positive space for emotional peace
Fostering creativity
Healthy habits to master
Try choosing one of the habits we’ve mentioned in this article!
Now that you have some high level goals outlined, you can start with these conclusions and write down ways in which you might start working towards the goals you’ve set. You’ll be surprised how writing about your goals and the steps you’ll take to get there will drive forward motion in your life - your mindset is more powerful than you think!
7. Start a journal
Journaling can also be a great way to get your thoughts on paper when you feel overwhelmed or stuck. It doesn’t even have to be super structured for you to reap benefits.
Think of your journal as your personal space where you allow yourself to express any and all feelings. Once they’re down in black and white they will start to hold less power over your mind and you can ask yourself if these feelings are serving (or not serving) you or your long term goals.
Remember - all feelings are appropriate because they are yours, but if they are holding you back you can let yourself acknowledge and release them.
Need some prompts or tips to get started? GLEAM has a FREE downloadable journaling guide available, complete with prompts to get you unstuck when the blank page is staring back at you.
8. Practice gratitude.
This one sounds easy, but it’s amazing how hectic daily life can get in the way of making time to remember all the things in your life that you are incredibly grateful for today.
The practice of gratitude can jumpstart a bigger mindset shift to thinking about the great people and things you have, as opposed to focusing on the things you don’t have. It places greater importance on living in the moment day-to-day and encourages you to enjoy the journey rather than just the achievement of your goals.
This is also an area where you can be kind to yourself and practice progress, not perfection. Celebrate the small wins and give yourself credit for being willing to make changes. The goals will come, don’t worry. Or, along the way, you might realize your original goals weren’t what you wanted after all (which is totally OK too).
9. Don’t beat yourself up when you fail.
You will learn more from your failures than your successes, but failure is painful and it is human nature to avoid emotional pain whenever we can. While we can’t magically make failure fun, we can teach ourselves effective ways to learn from our failures.
Try asking yourself these questions when you feel you’ve failed, and recording the outcomes in your journal for future reference:
What could I have done differently to avoid this outcome?
Are those actions attainable for me, or did I try as hard as I could this time around?
What are the negative consequences of this failure and are any of them as bad as my disappointment?
Was the desired outcome (the one that I failed to achieve) even the right goal in the first place?
How can I adjust this goal to be more realistic and achievable for my next go around?
What can I do today to be kind to myself and create a little joy?
Which parts of this situation were under my control and which weren’t?
It’s not as simple as “don’t make the same mistake twice” and it’s important to honor your feelings. Take a couple days and then come back to reflect on your answers so you can create a better path forward.
10. Ask for help when you need it.
Not everyone likes asking for help (in fact, does anyone really like it?). It feels like admitting you can’t do it alone and then wondering if that makes you weak (spoiler alert, it absolutely doesn’t).
The truth is, sometimes we are so wrapped up in our own goals, perceived failures and the grind of daily life, we might need an objective, external sounding board to make sense of all the thoughts and feelings we have going on inside. When you need someone to listen and help you create a new path forward, it might be time to consider engaging with a life coach.
A life coach will give you space to be who you are, with your own unique needs, goals and desired outcomes. They will help you make sense of failures and setbacks and in general encourage you to continue on your journey of self-discovery and healthy habit creation. Having a coach also frees your other relationships to just focus on supporting and encouraging you along the way.
We also know that everyone’s life coaching needs are different, and GLEAM offers a variety of ways to get started accessing the support you need. Fill out the contact form below and we’ll be in touch soon to assess your personal coaching needs.
We hope you try some of our healthy habits for better life balance! We always love feedback on what is working for you – your insights may help others who are getting started just like you!
References:
Harvard School of Public Health (2017) The Importance of Hydration
Nerdwallet Monthly Budget Planner (2023) Free Budget Planner Worksheet
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