Today is the official vernal equinox (or spring equinox, a.k.a. the first day of spring) and that means that the sun is directly over the Earth's equator, which means that today the length of the day and night are just about equal. Although the science behind this day is fascinating, what it's really got me thinking about is balance.
With the day and night being perfectly in equilibrium today, I'm wondering what else could be put into a better balance. The thing that really needs to balance out is my hectic schedule. Who doesn't feel like this sometimes? There are a lot of little things that I know I could be doing better, so today—in honor of the vernal equinox—I'm finding balance in all of the different aspects of my life.
From saving money to a bit less time on Pinterest and indulging in some "me" time, this is how to get (and stay) balanced.
Read more ¿Qué más? 5 things I am doing for the unofficial first day of Spring.
1. Shopping vs. Saving Money: Although I'm excited to buy some of the latest Spring styles (like the little white dress I've been coveting), I also know that it's important to save some money for a rainy day. I'm going to strike a balance here by budgeting out the same amount to go into my savings as I spend during my upcoming Spring shopping trip. If I spend $50 to buy the colored pants I want, then I will put away $50 into my savings account, if I buy some colorful bangles and a few tops that amounts to $80, then I'll put away another $80. I'll do this with all of my future purchases to make sure that I am not spending too much but still allowing myself a little bit of shopping.
2. Friends and Family vs. "Me" Time: I love spending time with my friends and family but it often leads to hectic weeknights and busy weekends that leave me exhausted. What I really need to balance out my life is to devote the same amount of time to social calls as I do to catching up with myself (whether that means going to get a massage or doing my laundry). My plan is to devote a few nights a week to saying "no" to making plans with others and just focus on the things I need to get done for me. Not because I'm being selfish, but because I need to take care of myself just as much as I take care of my family.
3. Messing around on Facebook and Pinterest vs. Spring Cleaning the House: This is what I like to call my "unproductive versus productive time" balancing act. I love spending some time doing nothing but looking at pretty photos or catching up with people on social media sites like Facebook and Pinterest, but I also don't want to spend all the hours in my day accomplishing nothing. So to balance out my Facebook habit I'm committing that for every hour I spend online, I'm going to also spend an hour spring cleaning the house. This way there's a balance between how much time I spend doing nothing and actually doing something.
4. Indulging in Sugary Drinks and Coffee vs. Drinking Water: Okay, I don't actually drink coffee but I have a nasty tea and soda habit that I know I need to cut back on. I do drink a lot of water as well but I know that I could be doing better here, so I'm going to limit how much tea (or coffee, if that's your thing) and soda I drink by making sure to always follow it with a large glass of water. I'm also going to try switching to decaf tea after lunch and only allowing myself one soda a day. That will not only strike a better balance for me, but it will also be better for my health.
Read more ¿Qué más? Abuela's best spring cleaning tips.
What area of your life could use the most balance right now?
Image via mark sebastian/flickr
