In the last advice blog for our Future You series, we want to tackle the focus word, Balance.
We’ve been asking you to choose focus words for how you want to be and feel in the next 3 to 6 months – your Future You! Our goal at PARC is to inspire and motivate you to be active, happy and connected to become the best version of yourself, and creating balance is a great way to help you get there.
Firstly, we believe that balance is something you can create. To achieve equilibrium in your life you will need to work at changing things, whether that is behaviours, priorities or even thought processes and mindset.
So why is balance important? Balance is a way to stabalise our lives knowing that we have put the right amount of energy into the various elements that we prioritise, from nutrition, exercise, relaxation, sleep, relationships, family and time for yourself. That’s not to say that we all give an equal amount of energy to each of these, as at different times we may need to priortise some more than others. However, the balance comes from feeling comfortable with how much energy you have given to them all and the hierarchy you’ve set.
A feeling of balance is going to be completely unique for everyone, and it all depends on what is going on in your life. In this blog we suggest ways in which you can help yourself prioritise what is important to you over the next 3 to 6 months and help create the balance you seek for your best self and your Future You.
Nutrition and Exercise
So many PARC members will say, ‘I don’t have time to exercise as much as I’d like’ and we will always provide the same advice. Aside from many other benefits of physical exercise we know and understand, being active is so unbelievably helpful for our mental health and productivity. Instead of struggling through work for 3 hours with a sluggish mind, take 30 minutes of that time to get moving and exercising, and you will find you are more productive in the time left.
When it comes to the balance of nutrition, the best advice we can give to members is planning and organisation. Batch cooking is your friend, spend time at the weekend preparing lunches and dinners, which will then leave you more productive during the week. Our team are big believers in energy rich and delicious meals incorporating all the food groups, you can find some amazing recipes on our website. We’re also realistic about life and having balance means you can “treat” yourself at times as too much restriction is harder to maintain in the long run.
If you’re not finding the right balance for you with nutrition and exercise we recommend making a PARC Check-in appointment or a Nourish appointment with one of our expert trainers. These are free for Full Access member. We can review your training workout and provide advice on helping you achieve your goals including advice around fuelling your body.
Relaxation and Sleep
We know from experience busy people will not find the time for relaxation and avoid sleep to be more productive. This is detrimental to creating balance and that is why we want you to understand the importance of rest and recovery, especially if you are putting a lot of energy into your exercise routine at the moment.
An adult should have at least 7 hours sleep a night for optimal health. We know that some people can cope with less sleep than others, although really, they shouldn’t. Quality sleep comes from a good sleep routine, something we know is beneficial for children, is also great for adults. Screen free time to relax and device free time as you wind down for sleep is proven to help increase your sleep quality.
We recommend setting yourself a bedtime ritual to calm your brain and set yourself up for a good rest. Mindfulness is a great practice for this, and we have lots of resources available to help you, from blog posts to meditation classes on PARC Your Way.
Relationships and Family
Social connection is so important for our holistic wellbeing, feeling connected and having a sense of belonging can help to drive our motivation and also make us feel good. This is why making time for family and friends to be with each other can help some people feel restored and more balanced.
The challenge with this aspect is not over committing to social occasions and activities as this can have the opposite effect, feeling resentful and frustrated. To strike a balance it is vital to prioritise the social connection with what fits in with your schedule but not letting you get overwhelmed. Saying ‘no’ is a skill that not everyone has, especially when you know it will disappoint people, however by saying ‘yes’ you will be disappointing yourself and not creating the balance you need to thrive.
Me Time
At PARC we believe that this is what everyone should prioritise as we know it is often the last on the list for many. Carving out time for yourself is the most important way to create balance. When you are nurtured and looked after, it helps you to feel more energised and enthusiastic to tackle all the other elements in your life.
Creating ‘BALANCE’ is an ongoing skill that takes time to achieve and may not always happen, however if you are putting it into practice for the Future You, think about what you need to give more energy to in the next 3 to 6 months. To give yourself more accountability remember you can write a letter to your Future self that we will then post to you in the future! Incorporate your focus words within that letter and you can reflect on how it helped you set an intention to achieve your goals!
Write a letter to Future You
Write a letter to your future self, and PARC will post it to you in the future – to see how you are tracking against your health goals.By writing this letter and visualising your Future You throughout the year, it will keep you motivated and accountable! Plus, when the letter arrives in the mail, you can see how you tracked against your health goals.
Click here to write your letter via our website!
Let’s kick-start 2023 with a focus on your health and wellbeing. We’re here to help! Enquire now to join PARC.
