Continuing from what is lifestyle balance?

What is Time Management?

The great equality of life is that all of us have 24 hours to achieve what we want. When we use time wisely, we are able to convert opportunities into outcomes. However, when we don’t use time well, we find ourselves loaded with work that we were unable to complete, and slowly lose control of our lives.

• The key to lifestyle balance is understanding value. This means, knowing what we matters most to us.
• The next part is prioritising. Consequently, achieving maximum value means, knowing what to do first and what to discard.
• Finally, it is critical that we stay on the chosen path because, success may take time and effort for which patience is important.

Points to ponder on lifestyle management:

• What is management of time?
• Why is it important?
• How do you prioritise? Why is it important?
• How do you increase your effectiveness?

Another important Lifestyle balance is… Sleep

Sleep is a naturally recurring altered state of consciousness where nearly all senses, muscles and movements are subdued and do not respond naturally to stimulus. Our sleep induces anabolism which results in the build up of the immune, nervous, skeletal and muscular systems which allows the body to replace the cells which were used during the awakened state.

Sleep can be divided into REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and NREM (Non Rapid Eye Movement). REM sleep is associated with dreaming, faster brain waves, loss of muscle tone and suspension of homeostasis. NREM results in significant drop in the amount of energy used by the brain allowing it to build up its store of ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) which is the supplier of energy for metabolism.

Sleep moves from REM to NREM. Here, sleep generally starts by body activity slowing down, which decreases body temperature, heart rate and energy use. Also, brain waves become slower with increased amplitude. Then, there is slow eye movement, where alpha waves disappear and theta waves appear. Next, eye movement stops but there can be high bursts of brain activity as sleep is consolidated. Finally, there is deep sleep. This is the constructive phase of sleep for the recuperation of the mind-body system.

Sleep blots out experiences, both good & bad. It rests the muscles and rejuvenates the essential organs of the body – heart, kidneys, liver etc. Consequently, when sleep is deprived, fatigue sets in and impairs decision making. Therefore, sleep deprivation is a confirmed source of stress.

Try to get at least 7 hrs of unbroken sleep in a comfortable place. Wear comfortable clothes and keep the body at a comfortable temperature.

Points to Ponder on Lifestyle balance:

• What is your sleep pattern?
• Do you get at least 6-8 hours of unbroken sleep?
• How do you prepare for sleeping?
• Do you ensure that your last meal is light and you have given at least one hour after the meal before going to sleep?
• Why is maintenance of body temperature important for good sleep?

An element to avoid in Lifestyle balance – Addiction

Addiction is any attraction, which leads to dependency. Consequently, this element has enormous potential to affect our consciousness and reduce our awareness. Some of the elements are;

• Substance: Obviously, this is the most prominent of all addictions, be it hallucinogens, alcohol, tobacco or allied products.
• TV: Today, TV has become an inseparable part of our lives. While there are many positives associated with TV, one can easily get hooked on entertainment. Consequently, TV becomes living, even dictating our value system. Hence, TV viewing needs to be seriously calibrated because entertainment offers images of an unreal world which stay with us long after the episode is over. Not just that, emotionally charged programmes can easily trigger stress in us, a completely unnecessary and non-value state which should be avoided.
• Social media: Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp have taken over our consciousness. We post and then keep going back to see how many likes and comments we have got. It dominates our existence and can be terribly destructive. Thus, we end up losing sleep to check messages which come in at all hours from all parts of the world.

Points to ponder on addiction.

• Are you addicted to anything? Addiction means, do you get uncomfortable if you are denied the stimulus or stimulant?
• How many hours of TV do you watch per day?
• Do you discuss your favourite programme with friends and acquaintances?
• How often do you wake up at night to check your mail or messages?