4 simple steps to add more balance to your life

We’ve all heard the statistic that the majority of new year resolutions are broken before January is out, but still – year on year – setting unachievable goals becomes something of an imperative, providing us with another reason to be hard on ourselves. Not banished all carbohydrates for vegetables? You’ve failed. Taken a week off the gym? Try again in 2020.

This year, though, whether you’re still keeping up with your resolution or consider setting them to be a fruitless task, why not make the plan to introduce more balance to your life? Small goals may not sound so impressive out loud, but they often lead to bigger changes.

Here are four simple things you can do that might just be achievable…

Chances are, telling yourself to get a certain amount of sleep each night is going to be counter-productive. Often, the harder you try to sleep, the harder it gets, and a vicious circle ensues.

By focusing the change on your routine – say, setting a specific time to get into bed at least three nights a week, whether that’s to read or listen to relaxing music – the goal is much more surmountable. With research from The Sleep Council revealing that nearly a third of people who routinely go to bed between 10pm and 11pm sleep very well, this small step might just be the change you need.

Ideally, we’d all follow the well-known guidelines to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables every day, but time can easily become an obstacle.

Rather than a complete overhaul of the food you enjoy (swapping out pasta for a vegetable alternative can be quite disheartening when it’s cold outside and you’ve worked late), simply try adding to your meals. Bringing in a sandwich for lunch? Add in a serving of spinach to up your intake. Making a curry for dinner? Throw in a portion of broccoli for good measure. Not restricting yourself makes healthy balance much easier.

Hectic work schedules, expensive gym memberships and a lack of motivation are just a few of the things that stop us getting the exercise we need. The pressure to “get in shape” is particularly high post-Christmas, and finding the whole thing daunting is an understandable reaction to widespread fitness chat.

The key is to start small. If you’re currently doing nothing more than walking to and from the train station each day, try a beginner’s workout on YouTube once a week. If you manage a three-mile run every now and then, go once more a fortnight than you’re currently doing. Not only is adding a single activity to your routine more feasible, but it’ll save the money wasted on a barely-used gym membership.

In recent years, reading online money diaries has become a seemingly endless source of curiosity/frustration/envy for nosy people. The power in keeping one privately, however, is not generally discussed. Yes, your ultimate goal is to increase your savings, but it’s such a big task that getting a hold of where you’re income is currently going could give you the stepping stone you might need to reassess your finances.

It might be that you’ve been buying lunch and going out for dinner regularly, so at-home cooking is a priority - or maybe after work pub trips are adding up more than you thought, and setting the money aside that you’d usually spend is a technique worth trying. Whatever it may be, a diary is a great place to start.

If you need some inspiration on how to live a more balanced life, head to the Evening Standard’s live event with The Body Coach, Joe Wicks. The fitness star will be sharing his story and answering readers’ questions. There’s also a chance to meet the man himself. Tickets are priced at £30.50, or £40 with a copy of his new book, Veggie Lean in 15, included. For more information and to buy tickets, visit eventbrite.co.uk/e/an-evening-with-joe-wicks-tickets