life balance

life is a journey... balance is a process that requires thought, continued assessment, and frequent modification.

tips for a more balanced life college life

College presents many challenges, including demands on your time, energy, and relationships.  It may be essential for you to concentrate on things you can do to help you find greater life balance and optimal well-living.  Here are a few tips to get your started:

1. Indulge Yourself - While you are scheduling all of the things that you need to do throughout each semester, don't forget to make time for yourself.  Schedule some time to relax, exercise, and induldge yourself into each day.  It is easy to forget that you need special care in order to be your best, so plan to give yourself good, quality time - not just what is left over at the end of the day.

2. Prioritize - Reality checks should be conducted regularly to keep you on track.  In prioritizing, do what you want to do, not just what everyone else expects you to do! Be sure to review your priorities often to be sure that they are in-sync. It is easy to place too much emphasis on the 'small stuff' in life. However, it is best to keep focused on the important aspects of your life. Whether it is your family, your friendships, or your classes that are among your top priorities, it is easy to get sidetracked and spend too much time dwelling on issues that don't necessitate the attention given.

3. Take Care - Health is critical to being all that you can be. If you don't take care of yourself, you can end up sick. Illness can prevent you from getting anything done, or at least make you wish you didn't have things waiting to be done. Be sure to get enough sleep, eat well, exercise regularly, and visit the doctor for prevention and at the first signs of a cold or other problem.

4. Be Good Enough - So many people in this country waste time comparing themselves to their peers. In most cases, this will leave you feeling inadequate. Instead focus on what you have in your favor - maybe it's your health, your grades, your family, your abilities. The key is to be satisfied with what you are good at; perfection is unattainable on earth anyway!

5. Quiet! - We need more silence and solitude.  Now-a-days noise follows us and we tend to surround ourselves with people. Think about each day, and how you spend your time. How many times does your cell phone ring? Are you ever in a room alone? Take a breather. Find a quiet corner and enjoy the peace and quiet. You may be amazed at the rejuvenating effects silence and solitude can have on you.

6. Manage Your Time - Under-schedule yourself. Sometimes college presents so many opportunities in which you can participate that it is difficutl to control your urges and say no.  However, saying no may save you some sanity.  It can be cathartic to eliminate the ultimate pressure that accompanies a commitment to someone or something that you find problematic at a later time.

there are not enough hours in the day

- There are alwasy 24 hours, 7 days a week, 12 months or 365 days a year

- You can't make more time and you don't get less time

- BUT YOU CAN control the demands on your time!

* Information on Life Balance prepared by Dr. Michele Vancour, SCSU Associate Professor of Public Health, Undergraduate Coordinator in Public Health *