No I don’t mean juggling three balls on a unicycle here. Today, I’m talking about how to juggle being a blogger, being an athlete, and being a human.
Sometimes, and almost always, life is tricky. It is not easy to handle things being thrown at you all the time, especially when you’ve got expectations to fill, places to be, and your head is spinning in 110 different directions all the time. If it was easy to handle, life would be a cake walk. We’d wake up every morning with perfect hair, gleaming teeth and every second of the day would fall into place just the way we like it. Unfortunately, that’s not the way life is.
But, maybe we should embrace that craziness.
For myself, the past few months have been incredibly hectic. As a senior in high school, I’m finishing classes up, ending my track season, trying to see my family and friends, working part time and not to mention trying to take in all I can before I leave for school next fall. Weeks have been fully packed, sometimes not getting home until 7 pm. I’ve been struggling to make a good meal for Instagram, and man does that stink! Sometimes, I’m just not feeling the week at all. I’m tired, lost and bobbing in water way above my head… yet, there’s a magical thing about that because I am living my life.
Here’s the thing: when stress hits, we all want to run and hide. The fear of not having enough time is one of biggest frights most of us have due to the fact that our society tells us on a daily basis we have to be perfect. Well, guess what, I’m here to tell you that perfection isn’t possible, and it’s time to rock that juggling game.
Sure, I may be some crazy chick on a website whose telling you juggling and balancing and running around like a health freak that just found out avocados are on sale (lol, me) is part of life and is natural, but if you ask any old person, they’ll tell you the same. Life cannot be this perfect schedule, as we would miss out on the spontaneity of being who we are. Through the past years, I’ve learned a hell of a lot about the word balance through experience. And by god, I’ve come farther than I ever thought I could. Therefore, I wanted to share some wisdom by writing down some lessons I’ve taken in, as well as tips to get over those damn humps we hit each week.
- Make time for yourself at least once during the week.
- Yes, this may sound crazy, but with a busy schedule, sitting down and breathing in your own space can open up wonders to relaxation. You deserve that moment of breathing, or mediation. And believe you deserve it! You may struggle at first, but try out fifteen minutes on a Sunday to sit in silence.
- Meal prep or plan or the weekend
- This has helped me so much. If you’ve got a schedule lined up for the week with weird hours, and rushed meals, try on Saturday or Sunday to get some grocery shopping in and prep meals for the week. Even if it’s just a few to get through some days, work that out! Time can fly by and when you come home hangry, it’s nice to have something there and ready!
- Find enjoyment in exercise.
- You probably thought I was just going to say, GET YOUR BODY MOVING. But to me, that doesn’t really make sense. If you’re hating what you’re doing, you aren’t benefiting from it, no matter what anyone else says. Find something that makes you move, and smile at the same time. For myself, I love to run so I’m not dreading getting in those miles. Other people, not so much. Try out new workouts (even if it’s just walking) and find your thaaaaang!
- Sleep. Yes, sleep.
- We all know this one, but it’s the most important of all. Shoot for a solid 7-8 hours of sleep a night, and really try to! We all say we need more sleep, but then why not do it? Make rest important because it is! Sleeping is the best way to recover your body from workouts, and even just the hectic rushing of the day.
- Eat well. Eat balanced.
- Greens and veggies are so good for you, yet so many people hate them. Which is understandable. When you’re young, no one looks at broccoli as an afternoon snack, so why would you at any age? So maybe find a way to dress that broccoli up! Healthy eating does not have to be boring. There are so many ways to embrace a healthy lifestyle without giving up eating tasty, nutritious foods. And here’s another thing: Everyone is telling you ALL the time to get those healthy foods in, and sometimes, it’s excessive. Learn to treat yourself once in awhile. Embrace fancy dinners out with friends, don’t stress over that scoop of ice cream! Life is easier when you don’t hound yourself all the time.
There are so many other things you can do to take on that juggling life, but the one thing you’ve got to remember is to believe you can do it! Yeah, it’s cheesy, but it’s true. Believe you can do it, make goals, create a healthy mindset and rock on.
You’ve got this!
Let me know what you do to help you juggle.
balancing positive strides 