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Imagine you’ve toward the end of your life. What would your regrets be? How can you have a better life now !!!

Balance Topics: Romantic Relationships, Friendships, Exercise, Sedentary vs Health, Stress, Fear Decisions, Summary.

Our Loco Life. With a full roster of work, family, friends, & other obligations—not to mention trying to make time to stay healthy and have an occasional moment or two alone—it can be tough to fit in &balance all the things we want & need to do. As we try to keep all of those commitments, it’s not uncommon to form habits & take shortcuts that let us fit more into the day. We may stay at our desks longer, forego vacations, or crowd out time for family & friends. Sure, they seem like no big deal now. But be careful of these key areas of possible future regret.

Regrets. A recent survey by Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America found that roughly one-third (32%) of Americans “regret” major choices in their lives. But what kind of consequences do those decisions have in the long run? Possibly big ones, experts say. Here are some key things you may be doing now that you’ll likely regret in a decade or more.

1. Not enough attention to Romantic Relationships. Many people have relationship regrets, whether they’re related to friends or romantic partners, says Gail Saltz/MD, an associate Professor of Psychiatry at a major Hospital in NYC. The relationship road not taken is a big source of regret among people she sees. Career-focused romantic partners may find themselves either living in apart in different areas or faced with one partner making a sacrifice to be with the other. Given the day and age we’re living in now, many, many people feel they shouldn’t have to do that for someone else, and so they don’t,” she says. Later, they may have the great career, but regret that they didn’t try harder to make the relationship work, she says.

2. Neglecting Friendships. While lost friendships are often considered unimportant compared to romantic partners, their loss can be just as painful & regrettable. When you put in too many hours at work and let those friendships drift away, you’re setting yourself up for regret. From several studies on regrets and their causes, not making time to maintain friendships is a big one, especially because it can be harder to make new deep friendships later in life. This is especially true at work, where friendships with colleagues can boost both happiness & productivity.

3. Being Sedentary – Little/No Exercise. It’s easy to end up sitting at your desk all day or blow off working out because you’re tired when you get home. However, failing to make time for regular exercise can affect everything from your overall health to your creativity. As we get older, establishing a regular exercise habit is even more important. A study in the 3/16 online issue of Neurology found that regular exercise can slow brain aging by as much as 10 years. Many people know better, but don’t heed the potential consequences of their actions when they’re younger. It’s a firmly rooted early belief that “I’m invincible”, or “I’ll be young forever”, or these issues of later just don’t pertain to me”.

4. Monitoring & Controlling your Health. Keeping health history—including check-ups & routine testing such as blood pressure, cholesterol, & others—is important in the long run. If you’re not managing your health and sharing your health concerns & history with a medical professional, you risk missing important warning signs. Many treatments are time-limited, and early detection can make a big difference in outcomes – remission & survival.

5. Managing your Stress. Living in a chronic state of being over-booked and under a lot of pressures can lead to a number of stress-related problems, says Stress Expert Mary Wingo, PhD. Mary says it’s important to find ways to control that stress before it causes damage. “Sit down—by yourself, with a friend, partner, therapist, self-help group, etc.—and list every single stressor,” she advises. Then make a conscious effort, the way you would if you were trying to eliminate bad habits, to reduce or eliminate what stressors you can, she says. Adopt stress-relieving habits like meditation, exercise, & other practices that are helpful to relieve stress. If needed, work on one at a time, till you have it mastered.

6. Letting Fear drive Decisions. Whether it’s fear of not making enough money, disapproval from others, or other known & unknown concerns, many people let fear rule when it comes to making decisions, which is a common source of regret, says Hal Shorey, PhD, professor Psychology. Instead of taking healthy risks and following their passions or intuition, some people worry that they won’t meet certain goals they, or others, have for them selves and instead make choices that aren’t really right for them. Such fear-based decision-making can also lead to ethical issues, which Hal has seen with his students:

7. Summary. Always be looking for ways to reduce or eliminate stress. Nurture friendships at work. Make time for important people in your life – family & friends. Take care of your health. Being aware of your own values system and what matters to you, can also help you make more regret-free decisions, the Author says. Some regrets we just get over in time. We rationalize or explain them away. But other things linger. I think that the key question that a lot of people like to talk about these days is, imagine you’ve toward the end of your life. What would your regrets be? If you look at these, you might come up with a plan for how better to live your life better now !!!

Comments: Do you know of any other ways to strive for Balance in your Life?

from Fast Company 26 Aug 16 enhanced by Peter/CXO Wiz4biz