5 Simple Tips for Balancing It All

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Story time for a moment. Back in 2011, I had started my first real job out of college, Bryan and I moved into our first apartment together, and I was starting to develop my blog into a small business. I became so overwhelmed with all of my responsibilities, that I was actually making myself sick. I would wake up everyday with terrible stomach aches, and I couldn’t figure out why. After getting some tests done, my doctors determined that my digestive pain was stress-induced. I clearly wasn’t managing my life well enough, and it was starting to affect not only my sleep schedule but also my overall well-being. 

This was a huge Moment of Yes for me. I couldn’t go on like this forever. I needed to really look inward and figure out a strategy to get my life back on track. This meant figuring out a way to make time for my job, make time for my family, and most importantly make time for myself. A huge portion of this plan was to get rid of anything that didn’t bring me 100% joy, because there just wasn’t any time for that. 

Today I’m sharing with you the five things that I’ve done to help balance my life. I hope this helps ease some of your stress, because let’s be honest. We’re all busy, overwhelmed, overworked or just down right tired. Everyone wishes they had more time to spend with family, get their work done, and have quality time just for themselves. It’s about time that we start taking action and making sure that we’re giving adequate time to every facet of our lives. 

1. Wake up an hour earlier

Years ago, when I started working full-time and still wanted to run my blog, I learned that I work best in the early mornings. After work at 6pm, I’m pretty much useless. To get my blog tasks completed, I wake up an hour before I need to. This extra time in the morning gives me the opportunity to catch up on emails, read through a post draft, sign contracts, and even write a post if I’m feeling really productive. I sit in bed or at my dining room table with my laptop, a cup of coffee and a blanket… and I’m in the zone. If you’re juggling a full-time job with a side hustle, I highly recommend waking up earlier. It’ll be hard at first, but once you get into a routine, you’ll be thankful for the extra time you have in your day. 

2. Keep a water bottle nearby at all times

One of the first things that tends to go down the drain when I’m too busy or stressed is my health. And that’s never good. So, I do my absolute best to always keep a water bottle with me and drink it throughout the day. That way, I’m at least staying hydrated. If I’m feeling snazzy, I’ll add some lemon wedges or strawberry and basil leaves. Both are great options to flavor your water naturally, while also providing a load of nutrients. If you’re not the best at drinking a lot of water each day, strive to swap out at least one sugary drink for water. It’s just a little thing that you can do to make yourself feel better. 

3. Schedule fresh air at least 30 minutes a day

Having my dog Pete definitely makes getting fresh air a lot easier, since he needs to go for walks. But there are some days when I’m super busy at work and get home too late to walk Pete. Bryan steps in and takes care of him until I get home. That’s why I can’t always count on spending time outdoors after work. Instead, I attempt to get outside during lunchtime to either make a phone call, treat myself to a meal out, or just get some fresh air. I’ve even gone as far as scheduling my time away from my desk in my work calendar. Call me crazy… but that way, my co-workers know that I’m busy, and I’ll get an alert to step away for a while. 

4. Don’t check work email from 6pm-8pm

Recently, I stopped checking my work email from the time I get home until after dinner (usually from 6pm-8pm). I noticed that when I’m disconnected for a few hours, I’m able to be more present as I cook dinner and eat with Bryan. It’s my little way of trying to balance my work life and home life. A few years ago, I had a co-worker tell me that when she’s at home, she’s relaxing … and when she’s at work, she’s working. It makes sense, but it’s not always as easy as it sounds. Since we have access to the world via the phone at our fingertips, it makes working all the time VERY easy to do. However, it’s not healthy. Everyone needs a break. I challenge you to try disconnecting for a few hours every night. Your emails will still be there when you get back to them.

5. Eat a hearty dinner every single night

My last tip for balancing it all is to eat a hearty dinner every single night. No excuses. Some nights I get the urge to cook a complex meal, but more often than not, I like spending less than 10 minutes in the kitchen getting dinner ready. Canned soup is one of my all-time favorite quick and simple dinners. As a Philadelphia native, I grew up eating Campbell’s soups. It’s a childhood favorite that I’ve continued enjoying throughout my adulthood. I recently tried their Well Yes!® soups and can’t say enough good things about them.I love when I can read every single ingredient on the ingredient list. That’s super important to me. Well Yes! soups are made with nutritious, non-GMO ingredients, without any antibiotics, artificial flavors and colors. Their tomato carrot bisque, sweet potato corn chowder, and Italian vegetables with farro soup are all vegetarian! If you’re interested in trying Well Yes! soups, check out this coupon for 50 cents off any two. 

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