An octopus has it so good, lots of “arms” (tentacles) meaning they can multi-task and have the envious ability to be stretched all over the place. Humans are a bit limited in that regard. Our lives can get very chaotic whether you’re employed or not, parent of children, or single. We carry many titles. The best thing to happen to my life (professionally and personally) is when I found a good balance. Take a peek at my schedule, it’s made my life a little easier to deal with because the titles won’t go away..

1. Faith: This may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s the foundation of my inner being. Participating in faith based activities or meditation time on a weekly basis allows me to gain perspective on just about anything I’m going through.

2. Exercise: I’m new to this one because I’m quite lazy, but it’s amazing. Here’s my thought process tackling working out: I have very little control over the things in my life.. I’m single and I’m not in the city destination of choice, the one thing I can control is my health. I own it, it’s mine, and I’m a large part of the end result.

3. Friends: At least twice a week, I try to have an outing with a friend (usually intimate one-on-one setting). Laughter, sharing stories, venting frustrations, etc..It’s good to be in the company of others.

4 Negative Nate (or Nancy) time: I once read a piece of advice that didn’t make sense at first until I gave it a shot. Take maybe 20-30 minutes to let the negativity of the day flow and leave it in that space. This even can be consolidated into a simple phone with a friend, who can understand your situation.

5. Mentor: If you’re a career oriented person like me (employed or unemployed), it’s important to find a trusted industry leader with quality experience to guide you along the sometimes muddy waters. Make a point to chat with them informally once a week.

6. Hobby/writing: This blog alone is a stress reliever and a memory jogger for me, give it a try. The creation of this website and maintenance is considered my hobby. Find a hobby and squeeze some time  in weekly.

7. Joy rides: With gas prices near the sky, this may come off as ludicrous but I find it therapeutic on the weekend to just hop in the car and ride. Let the window down, crank up some tunes, and let your mind wander (well a piece of your mind, of course the other half is reserved for paying attention to the road!!). Doesn’t have to be exhaustive, but find your favorite part of town and breeze through with no rush to get anywhere else anytime soon.

These all may seem time consuming or quite cliché, but they’re really not. Once you make them apart of your normal routine, you’ll begin to notice the balance versus always trying to figure out “what’s wrong with me”. For me, it’s the other end of the balance scale; whereas daily obligations alone may tend to weigh me down.