Finding perspective and balance for your 24/7 life one minute at a time.

With so many distractions in our lives – including always-on technology – it can be easy to lose perspective.

This doesn’t have to happen, though. By taking a moment here and there to prioritize what’s important and what’s not, you can reduce stress and gain better balance in everything you do.

Technology such as tablets, smartphones, the cloud, Wi-Fi and more allow us to be in multiple places at the same time. We can talk to a client while picking up our children, work while lounging on the beach and check on  production output while waiting for a flight. Technology – and the speed of life it enables – offers great opportunities, but it also has the potential to take over your life if you’re not careful.

Stress Is on the Rise

I’m not sure if stress is really on the rise or if it only seems that way. Many surveys report the constant access to technology and the pressure to respond to and monitor it can indeed be stressful.

But there has always been some new “thing” that has caused distraction and brought new stressors into the lives of people. Perhaps what’s different today is that we’re actually hearing about stress from more people more of the time.

It could be the stress of leaning about new technologies, the pressure to constantly adapt and re-evaluate your business or career, or the growing need to learn more – and faster – that’s creating the inability to maintain balance.

Small Adjustments Can Make Big Changes

Finding and maintaining perspective is an important skill to acquire, and creating balance keys on gaining perspective.

You know the major components of your life: your physical, cognitive and mental health; your family, friends and significant relationships; your job, career or business; your financial situation; your education, training and skills development; your community; your home; your beliefs; and your activities, hobbies and interests.

To achieve balance, some people reevaluate their lives and make significant adjustments. People struggling with addiction, poor health, anger-management issues or other significant challenges may need to make significant adjustments.

Most of us, however, will find it’s the small adjustments that make the difference. Most of us don’t need to quit our jobs or leave our spouses or downsize our lives to reduce stress and achieve balance.

We just have to gain a better perspective and make a few different choices each day until we change unhealthy, unconscious patterns to find balance.

Next page: 3 Quick Steps to Gaining Personal Perspective and Balance