Finding Balance in Graduate School

Posted on Balanced Lifestyle, Work/Life Balance | December 15, 2011 | 3 Comments

By guest author Anthony Garcia

Going back to school for a graduate program is exciting and stressful. The excitement of learning and new opportunities meshes with the stress of project deadlines, studying, obligations at home and job responsibilities. Whether in an online masters degree or a PhD program, graduate studies can be incredibly stressful and cause your life to get out of balance. To avoid negative complications, it is vital to take action and find balance to avoid stress and maintain a place of balance and harmony.

#1 Balance Disruptor during Graduate School

Stress is the main factor than can throw the mind and body off balance during graduate school. Numerous problems for mental and physical health are associated with high stress levels. According to the Mayo Clinic, long term stress leads to physical health problems like chronic skin conditions, insomnia, slowed metabolism, obesity and heart disease. The Mayo Clinic also points out that stress might cause negative effects to mental health like depression and memory loss. These health problems can create a downward spiral in worsening health as they often lead to stress cycles. Balance it more »

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

Posted on Balanced Lifestyle, Balanced Mind and Soul | December 7, 2011 | 11 Comments

By contributor Noch Noch

How many times do we get frustrated over something that has gone wrong, even if just a little? We end up agitated and upset, and our day is ruined. We dwell in the inadequacies and beat ourselves up over them. However, these shortfalls are not worth sweating for; rather we need to take a step back, allow some distance, and look at the big picture.

Many times, things don’t seem to go go according to plan – perhaps the proposal arrived a day late at client’s doorsteps, or we weren’t able to run the full 30 minutes at the gym as we planned?

We get annoyed at ourselves. We zoom in on the small things gone wrong and become angry and disappointed – and we cannot fully focus on the next course of actions we were supposed to take.

In the end, we mess up the whole project, or give up, because of that one little hiccup. Or perhaps we have to start all over again, yet already we feel deflated. We wanted everything to be perfect and went to meticulous lengths to so ensure, and now it’s all crumbled down.

Sounds familiar?

However, have we ever thought that in the grand scheme of things these little glitches actually do not matter?
Balance it more »

How to Reclaim Your Time, Your Lifestyle and Your Relationships (Guaranteed)

Posted on Balanced Lifestyle | December 1, 2011 | 5 Comments

By Anastasiya Goers

Do you go to the movies?

I’ve been staying away from the movie theater lately because movies were keeping me away from my balance and happiness. Okay, that might be a little too fast, let me get to the point slowly and with lots of valuable details.

Let me ask you a question, did you ever watch a movie with no ending? I mean the type of the movie that keeps you engaged and excited and all of a sudden after 2 and a half hours of intense suspense the screen goes black, the main character is left unhappy and still searching (for whatever) and you have more questions then you did before you started the movie. Of course, now we have to wait another year for part two to see what’s going to happen. I call this type of ending the “drop off” ending.

Movies with drop-off ending make us feel cheated.

For several months before the movie is released we are teased with the trailers and previews. Sometimes we get to read or watch funny production stories, hear interviews with the actors from the movie and why it was “THE” best movie they ever made.

Basically, we bite the bait and go see the movie. We are excited because we are anticipating a relief. We can finally watch the thing that we’ve heard so much about and enjoy it as much as we have expected.

All of a sudden the movie doesn’t deliver. Either the plot stinks (the only interesting moments were the ones you already watched in the trailer 6 months ago) or you are left with that “drop-off” ending, or both. We all know why the producers do that. Those endings let them film another part if they feel that it will be profitable enough. Of course they don’t care how you or I feel after we leave the theatre. They are being mean but it is just part of their marketing plan.

We feel cheated.

We have just spent money on a movie ticket (and no one offers us a money-back guarantee if we don’t like the movie.)

But most importantly we have just spent our most valuable resource – our time – on something that’s absolutely not worth it.

Here is where life balance comes in. Instead of spending this time and money on something that you enjoy and can benefit from you just lost two hours of your life and about $15 to $20 of your budget.

I don’t live in the Stone Age and I do watch new movies however I wait for them to appear on Netflix or in Red Box. In that case at least I can turn it off when I feel that the movie is not worth my time and I don’t waste money on a movie ticket.

The end of the runt and the Reason I was telling you all this

Balance it more »

100 Ways to Live a More Balanced Life Today

Posted on Balanced Lifestyle, Balanced Mind and Soul | November 28, 2011 | 19 Comments

By Anastasiya Goers

How do you balance your life? Where do you start?

The most difficult step of any task or project is the first one. You look at the big picture and maybe you even know what you want to get in the end but you have no idea where to start.

It is especially true for life balance. I’ve been there. If you are feeling exhausted after work, you can’t stick to a healthy lifestyle and you constantly feel guilty because you don’t spend enough time with your loved ones, what is the first step towards that balance? All changes seem overwhelming and you just can’t take on anything else because you simply don’t have time or energy for it.

When I first started simplifying and balancing my life I wished I had a little step-by-step guide to life balance. Today (about 5 years later) I feel that my life is in balance and I have decided to create a step-by-step life balance guide for YOU. I have put together the most useful and practical tips that you can do TODAY to get one step closer to your inner harmony and peace.

(BTW, keep reading to see how you can download my new FREE ebook and win a copy of the Reclaim Your Life in 15 Days ecourse.) Balance it more »

Are Your Dreams Impairing Your Happiness?

Posted on Balanced Lifestyle, Balanced Mind and Soul | November 27, 2011 | 14 Comments

By Anastasiya Goers

What would a life be without a dream? – A very boring existence, that’s what.

We all have dreams that help us move from one point in life to the other one.

In winter we dream about warm summer days and a well-deserved vacation.

While growing up we dream about who we want to be, how many kids we want to have, sometimes even who we want to marry.

Once we establish our families we start dreaming about seeing our kids grow up.

After long years of work we dream about retirement and the wonderful peaceful place that we will move to.

Our dreams keep us going in life, get us through tough periods and give us hope and goals to work for.

“How, in the world, can they ruin my happiness?” – you are asking me then.

I knew a guy once who had trouble finding a girlfriend. He was smart, attentive, kind and a wonderful person all over. He just had a dream of finding a girl who was way taller than he was. Of course, by setting his expectations so “high” he created a dream that was practically unrealistic to obtain. He is forty now and he still hasn’t found his dream girl.

Another girl that I knew had a dream of building an amazing career and starting a family at the same time. Obviously her dreams were conflicting all the time making her feel miserable instead of relishing the joys of motherhood or finally making that coveted step up the career ladder.

You are probably thinking, “This is nothing that I should worry about.” Please allow me to disagree.

Dreams are powerful motivators in life but they can trick you into losing your happiness. Here is how: Balance it more »