Challenge 5: Living a balanced life

Sometimes we lose sight of ourselves because we feel a lot of pressure to perform. We keep going, even when it disturbs the balance between the things that give us energy and the things that take energy. But this balance is very important to stay healthy, both physically and mentally. Do you live a balanced life? How do you make sure you rest and exercise enough? How do you connect with the people around you?

Today’s assignment gives insight into the things that give and take energy and help you find balance in your life. You will also receive tips on how to relax, exercise enough, and connect with others.

Assignment 1. What gives you energy and what takes energy from you?

Download this pdf or use pen and paper with a line drawn down the middle. On the left side, write: This gives me energy and on the right side write: This takes energy from me. Fill out the columns with your daily activities. Think about your study, work, family, friends, sports, hobbies, social media etc. Try to be as concrete as possible. For example, don’t write under This takes energy from me: my study, but name specific aspects of your study which take a lot of energy from you. It might be the amount of time you spend studying or you might not enjoy studying. There might be some aspects of your study which do give you energy. For example, the satisfaction you feel when you’ve learned something new.
 

Assignment 2. Find balance

When you have filled out the table, take a good look at it and evaluate it critically. Are the activities that give and take energy balanced? If they aren’t, it’s important to make some changes.

Choose 1 activity in the right column which you would like to change and think of a solution. Does it take a lot of energy to go to your parents every weekend where you still have a side job? Try to find a job which is closer to where you live, so that you don’t have to commute every weekend. Do you often feel overstimulated because your agenda is completely full, and you never say no? Set clear boundaries, so that you can rest more and gain control over your own time management.

Now look at the column with the things that give you energy. Try to make sure that these activities happen regularly.

Remember that there will always be activities in your life which take energy, but when these are balanced with activities which give energy, you can live a balanced life which makes you less vulnerable to unhealthy stress.

Although we all know that a healthy lifestyle helps us feel mentally strong and balanced, it can sometimes be difficult to implement. Below we give some tips on how to exercise and relax enough. We also give tips on how to connect with the people around you, another important skill to help you feel happier.
 

Tips to get enough rest

To restore your body and mind from work and effort, it is important to relax. You can handle a lot more when you relax frequently. You will be better at dealing with stress and your responsibilities.

Follow the tips below:

• Think about what you need to do to relax more. What makes you feel relaxed? For some the answer is sports, while for others it’s reading a book or doing yoga.
• Plan relaxing activities in your agenda every week.
• Do you find it difficult to relax? Try doing exercises aimed at relaxation. You can find plenty online.
• Make sure that the time you plan to relax, that you really do relax. Don’t challenge yourself and try to get better at relaxing. In other words, relaxing is not about spending hours on a yoga mat, joining a bare feet challenge or weekly detox days.
   

Tips to get enough exercise

Exercise is an effective way to clear your mind! Regularly doing sports has a positive effect on how you feel physically and mentally. Try to exercise every day for half an hour, with medium intensity. This means that your heart rate will go up and you will breathe faster. Sports of medium intensity include, for example, walking, cycling, horse-riding or jumping on a trampoline.

Our tips:

• First think about which exercises you want to do. Make a list of all the possible ways to exercise for you. Which do you enjoy doing? Walking or yoga? Cycling or fitness?
• Plan an activity every day of the week, so that you don’t have to come up with it every morning.
• Find a buddy. This will make the sport more enjoyable and keeps you motivated.
• Think of how you can reward yourself when you have completed a week.
• Join the MIND Blue Monday Run and walk or run to fight depression and improve mental health. Three good reasons to join: 1) You create awareness and understanding for people that suffer from depression. 2) You raise funds for MIND to help people with mental health problems. 3) You improve your own mental and physical health by being outside and moving.

Tips to help you connect with those around you!

Did you know that connecting with other people is very important for our mental health? This is because, by nature, humans are social animals. You have probably noticed yourself, how nice it is to share experiences with others. And isn’t the support of the people around you the most important thing during difficult moments? And you might have noticed that being supportive for others also makes you feel better. So, try to connect with each other!

 Our tips:

• Spend time with a friend or family member. Enjoy some food and drinks. Before seeing each other, set the intention to get to know each other better through questions. When you are together, take turns in asking these questions. Download the pdf for examples (page 2).
• Make a Spotify playlist and share it with 1 or more friends. Or make a playlist together. Music helps create connections and you will get to know each other better.

Do you feel a lot of pressure to perform, and do you want personal help or advice? Reach out (anonymously) to one of our staff members at our helpdesk MIND Korrelatie. You can call, chat, Whatsapp, or e-mail with one of our psychologists or social workers.