How can you manage to keep a healthy life balance when you feel like you’re being pulled in eight different directions?
By this point in the school year, the summer feels like a distant memory and winter break seems light years in the future. Teachers have gotten serious about getting work done and have piled on the homework assignments, along with the extra class projects that need to be done.
Student athletes who participate in after-school sports are likely feeling the pressure of making it to practice and games, while trying to squeeze in extra time to finish homework and study. If you’re a teen who has a job as well? Your days are FULL and most likely passing by in a blur.
Even though everyone keeps telling you these are ‘the best days of your life’, they can still be overwhelming. Trying to keep a handle on all of your different activities, keep your grades up in school and have something that resembles a normal teen-age life is like trying to juggle flaming bowling balls.
Tried and Tested Methods that Improve Balance:
Stay Healthy
You can’t walk around in a sealed bubble, protecting you from germs and viruses, but you can use preventative action to keep the sickness at bay. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water. Get plenty of rest. Eat healthy foods. Exercise regularly.
List your Priorities
Sometimes there is a conflict of activities, particularly if you are active in any of the sports programs. Determine in advance what wins if you have to choose. Does school come before work? Will you choose sports over your job? Plan ahead for your decision making; it will save you stress.
Be Honest with Yourself
It is normal to feel stressed when you’re facing difficult decisions or piles of work. If you’re feeling stressed because you don’t enjoy the activity, however, then it may be time to drop that activity. Take an honest assessment of your available time slots and see what, if any, adjustments need to be made.
Set Achievable Milestones
Set goals for yourself that can be achieved both short and long term. By scheduling the things you need to do, your calendar can be more easily managed and your stress level will go down.
Avoid Being an Overachiever
It can be tempting to want to be good in everything, but that in itself is stress-inducing. Give activities your best shot, but allow yourself to be ‘average’.
Schedule Time for yourself
Sometimes prevention is the best medicine. Don’t wait until you’re on the verge of having a breakdown to decide you need a break. Schedule yourself regular ‘breaks’ and keep them. It may be as simple as going for a walk before starting your homework or doing yoga for 30 minutes before starting your next task.
Keeping a healthy life balance takes work!
Train yourself to consider how you can reduce your current stress and what measure you can take to lessen the stress of tomorrow. By maintaining a healthy life balance, you’re helping your body get the fuel and nutrients to make it through another day and you’ll be able to keep up with all of your activities.