You may not realize how your life balance – or lack of life balance – affects not only your life, but also the lives of those around you. Yet, it can and sometimes does, to a great extent.

That’s why life hacks for life balance have become such a hot button topic these days.

Imagine… you get a frantic call from your teenage child who just started driving. It’s late at night and he or she is on their way home from work when they get a flat tire. They are stranded in the dark by the side of a busy highway. You grab your things and head out. You’re on your way—off to the rescue!

You’re driving as fast as you safely can, worried the entire way. But you know you will be there soon and you’ll take care of it. All will be well. Then your car sputters. It sputters again. And stops. You look at the gauge. You’re out of gas.

When you simply can’t go anymore—you are also no help to anyone else. That’s why making sure you have life balance is important to you and those you love and care about.

Taking even small moments for “me time” can help you find balanced living. It can help you be a better mom/dad, better wife/husband, better friend, better daughter or son—and maybe even be happier too!

Here are some of the specific ways “me time” refills your tank and helps you achieve life balance at the same time:

It helps you relax

Little things you do that help you to relax also improve your stress management – and overall stress level – by allowing you moments to breathe in the middle of life’s inevitable chaos.

What do you to relax? Relaxation doesn’t always have to be a major production like going to the spa for the day or taking a trip. In fact, that might be the opposite of relaxing for some people. Especially if you are thinking about what you should be doing during this time, big things that constitute “relaxation” might create more stress. Instead, aim for just taking a few minutes out of your day to do something that doesn’t require thinking—or planning.

Examples could be:

• Taking a long bath with candlelight (yes, men too!)
• Going shopping for something you don’t really need but is within your budget and makes you feel good
• Reading an article or part of a book outdoors—in a park or on a beach… even just out on your porch
• Taking a few minutes to garden
• Going for a drive with a pretty view
• Heading out for a walk or stroll—by yourself or with someone you love
• Just sitting out on your porch and enjoying the silence

It helps you improve focus

Your brain must go down periodically to go back up higher than before. In other words, there is no possible way to maintain 100% (or more) productivity all the time. If you don’t have time-outs to not be productive, you will not recognize when you are operating at maximum productivity.

In fact, there are many time-tested and proven theories that demonstrate down-time is a panacea for getting past a mental block or for beating burnout. In other words, if you are having a hard time coming up with ideas or hitting a brick wall with a problem you’re trying to solve, the experts behind these theories say simply walking away for 20 – 30 minutes can be the answer.

It’s good for the spirit

Staying in a constant state of stress – or even just total focus – can be hard. It can take a toll in many areas of your life—your health, happiness, and well-being. Taking even just a little downtime can do wonders for you. It may just be all you need for a total reboot that reenergizes your life in many different areas—but especially your spirit.

While all of these benefits may seem like they are helpful to you…that’s not all. When you experience the upside of “me time” – the awesome benefits of relaxation, improved focus, and a renewed spirit – those in your life are rewarded as well. You become someone who actually has something left to give and share with the ones you love.

And don’t forget… one of the most important things to note with “me time” is that quality is more important than quantity. Even just a little goes a long way so long as you completely let all your tension and stress fall to the wayside during these moments. If you can do that, you will likely even find life balance easier to attain and that your engagement when you are “on” is so much higher as well!