Living a Balanced Life.

We lead busy lives. We have families, friends, jobs, clubs, exercise routines, doctor's appointments, and maybe another job (or two). Not to mention we all want/need sleep and downtime. In the face off all the obligations and commitments, it's a wonder how we experience happiness and live present lives.

I love to be busy and strive to get the most out of my short time on this earth, but I also value my "me time." For the past few months, I found myself constantly running around with no time for relaxation and little time to socialize with my loved ones. I began to question if I was truly enjoying my life or if I was simply too busy to revel in it.

I'd been experiencing a lot of stress and felt overwhelmed. Point blank: I was burning myself out. This happens to a lot of us, so here are a few things you can do to experience some balance in this fickle thing we call life.

1. Plan out your weeks.

Depending on your priorities and obligations, put them in your calendar so you have a plan instead of a bunch of tasks floating around your mind, playing on loop.

If you need to go grocery shopping, find a time slot in your calendar. If you want to workout, put it in your calendar.

WARNING: Don't plan out every single minute of your day, allow for some flexibility. Things change and you don't want to be stressed if something comes up and interferes with your "schedule." Only put down the things that you need to do or strongly want to prioritize.

2. Take advantage of lists.

Psychological studies show that your brain releases dopamine when you complete a task and cross it off. And in case you don't know; dopamine is a neurological chemical that leaves you feeling happy and motivated. So you're telling me, if I make a list. . . I'll get a rush of happiness? YUP!

If you need to schedule a dentist appointment, get a car wash or pick up a birthday card for Erin; put all those tasks in a list. When you have downtime, look at your list, see if you can cross some stuff off - you may even be surprised to find you already did something without realizing it (that's the best!).

Last thing for my spiel on lists - you'd be surprised how much better you feel after writing something down. People get anxiety when things just circle around in their brains, but if you write it down; it is physically "on your radar" and eliminates some of that anxiety.

3. Break down big tasks. When figuring out what we need to get done, sometimes we overwhelm ourselves because a task seems too big to conquer. But I bet you can break down any task into a bunch of smaller ones. That way you can take things one step at a time. For instance, if you hate your job, "find a new job" is most likely on your to-do list. And it's probably been there for months. But you haven't gotten around to it because this is a huge thing to take on. And I'll bet that for that reason you're still at your mediocre job that you can barely tolerate. So break it down! Take "find a new job" and turn it into:

• Polish resume

• Update LinkedIn profile

• Update job status on LinkedIn to show recruiters that you're actively looking

• Read the descriptions for interesting job postings

• Draft a template cover letter

• Apply for the job

• Research salary ranges for the position

• Schedule an interview and tell you're current boss, "I have a doctor's appointment."

• Interview like a badass

• Decide if you want to take the offer

• Start a fantastic new job

By breaking a huge task down into smaller ones, you can take your time and make things more manageable.

4. Meditate.

In the face of a busy life, we can forget to breathe. Breathing is a powerful thing that can calm us down and help us to realize things aren't as stressful as they seem. Meditation can help remind us of this. Even just 5 minutes can help.

5. Don't spread yourself too thin.

There is a chance that you have too much on your plate. While some commitments are set in stone, others aren't. It can be hard to see this at times, but you're allowed to delegate/postpone/quit certain obligations to free up your time. Remember, life is to be enjoyed and lived, not to run around in overwhelming circles and forgetting to smell the roses.

Figure out where your top priorities lie, anything not listed in the top 3 can be modified. For instance, if your job takes up 80 hours a week, maybe you should find a different job. . . If you have an obligation that doesn't bring value to your life, don't waste your time! People might be upset, but everything will work out - it's not the end of the world. Someone will replace you, and you'll have more time to enjoy yourself. It's all about living a balanced life. . . Start now.