These days, it's not uncommon to read articles about the well-balanced life. It seems that everyone is striving for a perfect blend of activity and rest, solitude and friendship, work and play. In reality, many people are frantically bustling through their days, going from one item on the to-do list to the next, with no real balance at all.

When you have fibromyalgia, living a balanced life becomes much more important. In fact, balance may be critical to your health. But striking the perfect balance takes practice. It also takes time to figure out what works for you. Some people may require more rest, while others are able to withstand more activity. Those who have high-stress jobs may need to devote more time to meditation and relaxation exercises. The idea is to find the best balance for your situation.

To help you attain some sense of balance in your life, figure out how you're spending your time. Are you devoting too much energy to your job? Do you spend too much effort cleaning your house and not enough taking care of your health? Do you make time for yourself on a regular basis, or is all your time devoted to your husband and kids?

Once you start to see where things are out of balance, make an effort to restore some equilibrium to your life. If you work too much, try cutting back your hours. If you put too much emphasis on a clean house, look for ways to cut corners or hire someone to help do the cleaning. If your family occupies the bulk of your life, make sure to squeeze in some time just for you.