How to Start Feeling More Balanced Today

Almost any time I read an article or hear someone speak about life work balance, the solution is the same--take time off, take your family on a cruise, take your family with you. There are a lot of people who do not have the real time, budget, or desire to do these things.

You may not have a “traditional family,” you may be single, a single parent or are taking care of your own parents. There are those of us who don’t want to wait for the big trip but want to have a sense of peace and balance every day.

Here are my suggestions:

Get rid of the old mantra that you have to do it alone. No one achieves professional success without help from others. Think of your friends, family and colleagues as your personal community and get over any reluctance to ask for help.

Community brainstorm session. Invite some of these personal community members to your house, tell them that you are feeling overwhelmed, tired, overworked, stressed and out of balance. Ask them to share their own best practices and ideas of how to adapt a few to your life.

Let your community offer their resources. When my partner of 18 years passed away and I became a single mother of an eight-year-old boy, I had no idea how I could continue speaking across the country, do what was necessary to run my business, and stay sane. Friends and colleagues came together and helped create a community for my son. People were willing to stay overnight, and take him to activities while I was away, or needed to attend meetings. My son was taken to baseball games, movies and trips, so that I had time to myself for reflection, exercise and socializing with adults. If you are a parent, this is when carpooling can be a good idea. If you don’t have children, and are feeling overwhelmed and you are working all the time, ask people in your personal community to come and get you for lunch, coffee, a movie, etc. When they show up, make sure you go. The workaholic world will function without you for a few hours.

-Simma Lieberman, "The Inclusionist"
Career Coach
www.simmalieberman.com