There are a lot of ways to balance your life and learn how to live a healthy lifestyle. Over time, I’ve found so many things I wish I had done differently for my entire life, but never even thought of. Maybe experience is the only teacher I’ll really listen to, but I’d like to offer up some wisdom I had to get the hard way. The following are a few ways I’ve learned to make my life more balanced, and I think they can help you balance your life, too.

1. Face Your Fears A long time ago I heard a great song by a guy who said that I should do something every day that scares me. For a long time I wondered how it would be possible to do that. I’m not Lara Croft, and I don’t even do things like white water rafting or skydiving. So I really had to puzzle over what he was talking about. It took a lot of soul searching, but I finally think I’ve got it. Every day, it’s wise to think of something that scares you and push through it.  If you’re afraid of public speaking, go to a poetry reading. If you’re afraid of heights, try indoor rock climbing or a hike near lots of cliffs. The point isn’t so much to do interesting things — although that’s definitely a bonus — but to get out of your shell. In other words, balance your life by getting so scared your knees shake. 2. Clean Up a Bit The problem with disorganization is that it has this tendency to make you feel kind of foggy and lazy. I’ve found that if I just clean up a little bit, I feel a lot better. Just spend ten minutes tidying up the room you’re sitting in, and see if there’s any difference.  Go ahead, I’ll wait. 3. Practice Calculated Weirdness I was online the other day and saw a monk standing on his head. While it looks (and is) painful, I decided to give it a try against a wall. I lasted about ten seconds, but I laughed myself silly imagining a little lumberjack yelling “Timber!” The point isn’t to torture yourself, but always try new things. Keep your life in balance by trying new things, doing a bit of extracurricular cleaning and facing your fears. Fortune favors the bold — and the occasionally weird.