Top five tips for regaining your balance

As a successful professional, do you ever feel like you are being stretched to the limit? Is your health suffering because you have no time to exercise, eat well or take proper care of yourself? Have you stopped having hobbies or doing the things you enjoy because you are too busy or exhausted to bother?

Working life can be full on these days, especially when advances in technology and a global workplace mean that we can work around the clock. It’s easy to get caught up in the draining cycle of reading emails in bed, working on holiday, and spending nights lying awake trying to organise your 'to do' list.

Here are fivetop tips to help you get some balance and perspective back in your life:

• Think about the quality of your sleep. Are you able to get a good night’s sleep so that you can feel recharged and ready for the next day? Consider using breathing techniques, progressive relaxation, and self-hypnosis to help you get to sleep.

• Make time for exercise. I know this can be difficult with a busy schedule, but research shows that exercise is one the main things that can make you more productive both mentally and physically.  Moving your body can help move your brain!

• Eat properly. Take time to plan your meals and do the shopping. Busy people often end up skipping meals, eating late at night, or eating junk because they have not taken time to plan ahead. Eating well provides the fuel your body and mind need to function at their best.

• Lighten up on yourself and others. Sometimes we all take things so seriously, even when we don’t need to. Make time for some fun in your life – schedule it into your calendar.

• Take time to enjoy the present moment. I sat in a restaurant last week where an entire family spent the meal looking at their phones and tablets. They didn’t talk to each other. Put down your device and enjoy the moment! Look around and see, hear and feel the beauty of the day.

Take a moment to reflect right now. What single step could you take today to improve your life?