Do you yearn for an environment and life where you have time for work, your family and friends, and yourself without constantly burning the candle at both ends?.Do you yearn for an environment and life where you have time for work, your family and friends, and yourself without constantly burning the candle at both ends?

You are not alone. The lack of balance in modern life has quickly become one of the worst negative trends in the 21st century. Stress and depression are quickly becoming the primary reasons why people are missing more and more workdays.

You can take your first steps to a more balanced life today by learning how your positive personal chemistry works. With easy and simple methods, you can turn your life around and feel happy again, waking up strong and ready to battle anything!

This is the first article in a series exclusively for YNOT NEWS, about issues of health and life for the adult worker. This week we will take a look at some general issues regarding your lifestyle and how you can take a few simple steps to feel better.

Several of the body’s hormones and signal substances form a unique “feel well” system, which raise the mood, ease pain (both physical and emotional) and improve sleep. In this article you will find natural methods that stimulate the production of the body’s own “feel well” substances: endorphins and oxytocin.

Hormones are involved in many processes in our body and are a big part of how we feel and function. The word “hormone” comes from the Greek hormon, meaning “present participle of hormone: to urge on to activity.”

One of the most important things in life and one rule that I try to live by is balance. If you think about it, finding balance and keeping it can be applied to all areas of life. For example, if you work too much (yes, you can do that!) you might find that the work you are doing at the end, might not be as productive as if it might have been if you took good breaks, both long and short. If you work too much, you might sacrifice other important things, such as family and friends, and the negative cycle begins once balance doesn’t exist.

From personal experience, I know how hard it can be to balance work. For example, to take some time out, spend it with friends, with family, or by yourself without working. I am what you can call a workaholic, and often find myself working 16 hours a day, for months in a row. But the trick is to balance it. You will find both your body and mind much happier once you do. Actually, you can improve business BY NOT DOING IT! Yes, that’s true. If you take a break, you energize yourself to make a stronger comeback and you might even come up with new ideas, approaches and/or solutions for your business.

Once I notice I’ve worked a lot, which happens very often, I take breaks. I train in the gym once a day, and after every other session I try to fit in a massage – that really helps me relax. I might invite friends over or take them out to dinner, or I take a weekend vacation with someone I like. It doesn’t matter what I do, as long as it’s something that I enjoy, and it starts a positive cycle! It’s good for my mind, my body and my business!

Some might want to say, “Hey, I enjoy business and work, that’s why I do it 20 hours a day.” I can’t argue with that, but I do know that we as humans function in certain ways and we must have rest. We need to stimulate all the different parts of our mind and body and we can’t do it with business alone. That will, in most cases, result in a life that lacks something vital.

To find balance and keep it is all about starting a positive cycle instead of getting into the more well known negative (destructive) cycle.

For example, say you feel too tired to workout or exercise, or to cook good healthy food, so instead you lie on the couch and order pizza… again. Or you feel too stressed that you simply ignore everything in life except work… all day, all year long.

Sound familiar?

Sure, it’s okay with a pizza in front of the TV – the combination might even form a nice relaxing Friday evening, but the crucial questions here are: how often and why?

When you stimulate the body’s feel well substances you will, in time, feel much happier and alert, which in turn makes it easier for you to choose and do other activities which will make you feel good. Maybe you take that break and finally get on your way to the gym, which leads to even more stimulation of the production of the feel well substances I discussed earlier.

The body’s feel well system lowers the amounts of stress hormones and provides protection against the harmful effects from stress. Therefore, it’s extremely important to find or create time for yourself even when you are in a tough or stressful period in life – especially at those times when it’s the hardest to do just that.

Maybe we need to teach ourselves to view pleasure and relaxation as ordinary daily chores, something that we do without even having to plan for it. Just like brushing your teeth or eating.

An example of a positive cycle might be that you feel tired and stressed, so you take a brisk walk or go to the gym. You then eat a low fat salad with skinned chicken and get a massage or relax and meditate. Get into the mindset that “tomorrow is another exciting day!”

An example of a negative cycle might be that you feel tired and stressed and don’t have energy or feel like exercising. Instead you order pizza or you drink beer and sit in front of the TV for several hours and think to yourself, “How will I have the time to do everything tomorrow?”

It’s all about balance. It’s often not easy to always be taking care of yourself but you have to do it! We only have one life… so much to do… so much to experience! You might think that you can’t live a healthy lifestyle because you don’t have time or the patience but that’s not true. Once you have found balance you will find yourself more in harmony and you will have time for work, family, business and friends. Try to start new positive cycles each day in order to find and keep the balance positive!

(Stay tuned for Part Two of “Positive Life Cycles” in next week’s issue!)

Peter previously worked in mainstream companies such as Nokia and several other design and marketing / advertising companies. After many years in adult, he now operates Team Perfecto as President. Team Perfecto holds an affiliate program, production and more. Contact Peter at peter@teamperfecto.com and visit the website at www.teamperfecto.com.