Balancing Your Life: 6 Key Areas of Focus
Life and a Latte came from my desire to write about every way I am working on living a more fulfilling life, with a little (maybe a lot of) coffee along the way.
I wanted it to be centered around how to cultivate holistic wellness in your everyday. Like most, I’ve struggled trying to find balance in this for myself, and it is still a work in progress. What I’ve come to realize is this: It starts with you. The first layer of your wellness journey is the inner work. You can get fit, eat healthy, have all the money and things – but you won’t be fulfilled until you learn to sit with yourself and get to know you.
So what does this look like? It’s not a final destination, but instead a continuous practice. Some days will feel like you’ve “made it” and others will discourage you to even keep trying. Eventually, this practice just becomes a part of who you are. Not that it’s easier, but instead more familiar. I’m not saying you can’t do all the other work until you have this down, but it should be the first priority. When this is the foundation, everything else becomes more intentional and clear. You focus on what matters more to you because you know yourself a little better.
With that, I wanted to share the six areas I focus on and believe to be the core of living a life of holistic wellness:
- The Inner Work
- Movement and Rest
- Nutrition
- Relationships
- Career and Finances
- Surroundings
The Inner Work
This area includes your mental health, spirituality, and finding your authentic self. This is where you discover your values, uncover past trauma, and become aware of your inner chatter. For me, this includes:
- Listening to personal growth podcasts (I love Help Me Be Me, and On Purpose with Jay Shetty)
- Reading nonfiction (I highly recommend How to do the Work by Dr. Nicole LePera, and Why has Nobody Told Me This Before? By Dr. Julie Smith)
- Meditation (Headspace, Calm, and Peloton are my favorite apps)
- Journaling
- Therapy
- Self-care: massages, skincare, relaxing showers
Movement and Rest
I put these two together because exercising is just as important as sleep, and so are all of the levels of movement in between:
- Cardio and strength training
- Stretching
- Yoga
- Quality sleep
- Recovery days
Nutrition
I love studying nutrition concepts (I am a biochemist) but this area is the hardest for me to implement. I’m not the strongest cook, and just putting together a grocery list stresses me out. But I’m getting better little by little, one meal at a time. For me this includes:
- Trying at least one new recipe every 1 or two weeks
- Reading and listening to podcasts on nutrition
- Choosing “healthier” options when eating out
- Eating out as little as possible
- Staying hydrated
- Supplements
- Organizing my fridge to make things more efficient/appealing
Relationships
This area encompasses ALL relationships, not just romantic. I include family, parenting, friendships, and my significant other in this category. This can look like:
- Relationship books/podcasts
- Following relationship IG pages
- Planning date nights
- Spending time with family, reaching out more
- Going out with friends
- Learning how to be a better mama to my kiddos
Career and Finances
These two go hand in hand. I know, people don’t like talking about money and say “money can’t buy happiness” but it can help eliminate insecurity which plays a huge role in your wellbeing.
- Consider if you’re in a job you love
- Don’t set limits on what you can make and do for a career
- Budget
- Learn about money and form a positive relationship with it
- Read up on investing and side hustles
- Be intentional about your purchases
Surroundings
I added this category after realizing what a huge part your surroundings plays in overall wellbeing. This can mean your home, geographic location, how organized or aesthetic you like things, and the trips you take to change your environment. This also includes:
- Interior design
- Organization
- Desk space and ergonomics
- Changing your environment via trips
- Exploring coffee shops (of course!)
I hope this gives you a starting point to organizing your life with a wellness mindset. Everything I listed here encompasses all of the topics I will be diving into on my blogging journey.
I must add, if you are not doing ANY of these things then THAT’S OKAY! I do believe too much pressure to do all the right things can make your wellness journey toxic. Take it one item at a time. Think about one area that needs the most attention right now. Big changes come from all of the day to day actions you choose to make, and trying to change too much at once will definitely lead to overwhelm and failure.
Thank you for reading, please let me know if there’s anything I forgot or tips you want to share as you’re on your journey. Sending you all acceptance, and compassion.
xoxo Jamie Jo
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