I received a Balance Bar prize pack for this review. I was not financially compensated for this post. My opinions are my own and not by any means influenced by any other part.

The way you snack has a huge impact on your diet and how you control cravings. I usually carry energy bars in my bag for that time when I need a little snack and want to stay in control of my diet. Energy bars are easy to carry, do not need to be refrigerated, take no space, and more importantly they are yummy. So I try to keep my energy bars handy to make sure everything is balanced.

Now balance is not such an easy thing to achieve and for that reason Balance bar has launched The Balance Project!
RONKONKOMA, N.Y. – January 28, 2015- In a recent effort to define the nation’s level of balance, researchers* found that 98% of Americans believe achieving and maintaining balance in their life is important, however, only 14% report that they always feel balanced. To help bridge this gap, Balance Bar Company, makers of Balance Bar® uniquely balanced energy nutrition bars, has launched The Balance Project, a multi-year, multi-platform program to open a dialogue that will aid in improving America’s levels of balance.

While discussions both in the media and by the water cooler focus on the importance of balance, there’s not much out there to help us share how we’re actually finding balance. The Balance Project is an online hub to share ideas, daily victories and challenges and even have some fun as we all embark on a journey to sustain balance.

“The days of extremes are done – today’s goals are more accessible and more rewarding. It’s about finding the right lifestyle for you, with just enough work and play, ambition and rejuvenation, nutrition and indulgence,” explained Erin Lifeso, Senior Director of Marketing for Balance Bar. “It all adds up to making sure the family time, friend time, work time and play time are all equally good times. It’s a goal many of us share (and one where perfection is not a requirement), and though our destinations look different we can share the daily journey in getting there.”

According to the research, the most common ways Americans try to achieve balance is by keeping their finances in order (66%) and through activities that improve health – like getting enough sleep (68%), eating healthy foods (56%), and exercising regularly (48%). Just because it’s important to find balance in certain areas does not mean it’s easy to achieve. For example, when it comes to health and diet, roughly 2 in 5 Americans think it’s difficult to actually find balance. The Balance Project’s exclusive guide, Gabrielle Reece, a worldwide fitness and wellness role model, entrepreneur, wife, and mother of three, will provide advice, tips and her personal insights for addressing and achieving balance in these areas.

“One the biggest reasons I see people fail at achieving their health and wellness goals is because they don’t go into a program with a balanced approach,” explains Reece. “I’m thrilled to share my perspective on balancing busy lives, families and work with healthy diet and exercise habits that anyone can incorporate into their lives.”

Balancing Act
Balance is a very fluid goal, as our levels of balance are always fluctuating, even day-to-day and season-to-season. For example, Americans report being the most balanced on Saturdays, and the least balanced on Mondays. They also indicate that they are most balanced during the summer months, and least balanced during the winter months, when 61% of Americans report feeling unbalanced.

Gender Wars
According to the survey, 70% of male respondents indicate that they are more likely to feel balanced, while only 63% of women indicate the same. What are men doing differently? Staying calm. When looking for balance, ladies should take the idea of “don’t sweat the small stuff” to heart. In nearly every area tested, women are more likely than men to admit something has a significant impact on throwing them off balance, including finances, sleep, health, and family.

Steps Towards Balance
While it may seem daunting at first, it is possible for anyone to achieve balance. The first step is to make it a priority. Among those who consider themselves to be balanced, 70% say achieving and maintaining balance is very important to them, compared to only 55% of those who are not balanced. Once you decide to make it a priority, achieving it could be as simple as heading to bed an hour earlier; 70% of balanced Americans cite getting enough sleep as one of the ways they achieve balance.

Maternal Instinct
A mother’s work is never done, but at least she knows where to focus her attention to find balance. Nearly every single mom agrees that health (99%) and family and personal relationships (99%) are important to achieving balance in life. How can the busy mom get to a Zen state of balance? For starters, get outside. Enjoying nature (67%) and taking vacations (66%) are the top actions that have a significant impact on achieving balance for moms. Spending time with a significant other (63%) was revealed as the next most impactful way for moms to try and achieve balance.

Win it:

To celebrate the launch of the Balance Project, Balance bar is offering one lucky Born 2 Impress reader, the chance to win a Balance prize park including: Balance Bar tote bag, notepad, iPhone card holder and a box of (15) Balance Bars!

To enter this giveaway, please use the Giveaway Tools form below: