9 Pillars of a Balanced Life

The pillars of a balanced life help to achieve a sense of balance in your life. It also helps you pay attention to certain aspects of your life that you may otherwise have forgotten about!

Many of us may notice that we are excelling in one area of our lives, but not so much in the other areas. For example, we may find that we are working too much and don't have enough alone time; or, indulging in your romantic relationship, but not focusing much on other friendships. This can cause an imbalance in your life and can drain you...leaving you to ponder about why you've been so moody recently!

As humans we like to feel 'whole' or 'complete', and to do this we need balance in our lives. So...think about yourself, do you pay attention to all of these areas in your life every week?

-Family -Friends

-Relationship -Hobbies/Leisure

-Personal Growth -Alone Time

-Contribution -Work

-Exercise

If your answer is 'no', then read on! You may think it's a lot of effort to pay attention to more than a couple of these areas a week. For example, it may take some time doing a hobby you like, e.g. buying the right materials, preparing it, etc. Or you may find you're too busy to contribute and give back to the community... and so you end up procrastinating and putting it off for another month! However, I'm here to show you it's easier than that.

The 9 Pillars

Okay, so there are nine areas you need to try and fulfill. The most important thing about this is to know that you've done something for each of those areas, they can be big or small. Don't overthink it.

Some may argue that it doesn't hold much value if it's only a small thing; a part of you may agree and think that it's too small to matter and we tend to do small things every day anyway. This isn't true! Remember, it's the small things in life that help make a bigger difference.

You don't have to donate to a charity every month to feel like you've contributed, you might simply ask another person how their day was and pay them a compliment or buy the homeless some lunch. It still does the job and makes an impact in someone else's life (big or small!). You might just decide to spend ten minutes drawing instead of starting and finishing a whole project in one day, it still makes a difference in your life and mood (trust me!).

Every time you do these things, your mind knows that you've done something good and in return, it will make you feel good. Your body releases a neurotransmitter called such dopamine, it plays a huge part in motivation, focus, and productivity. Whenever you reach a goal or achieve something pleasurable to you, dopamine is released by your body as a reward. Dopamine also helps to boost drive and concentration so this cycle is overall a very positive one.

Try it for yourself; get your dopamine juices up and create balance in your life!

Simple and Healthy Ways to Create Balance in Your Life and Increase Your Body's Natural Dopamine Reward System