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Article #213: Learn How to Better Balance Your Life

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Do you spend a lot of time doing things enjoying life. Can you enjoy a life that
you wouldn't choose to do, if you had a is seriously off balance? Dr. Kaye
choice? Perhaps your life feels out of doesn't believe so.
control or maybe you hate your job. If To accomplish balance, Dr. Kaye
you've nodded your head at all, your life recommends taking responsibility for your
is off balance. But it's your choice: you own life. He argues that if you don't
can find balance before it's too late. know what you want and what your purpose
Chicken or Egg: Identifying the Causes is, others will decide for you. To avoid
According to Merriam-Webster Online this, Dr. Kaye recommends sitting down
Dictionary, imbalance is "the state of with paper and pencil to answer these
being out of equilibrium" and stress is questions:
"a physical, chemical, or emotional - What kind of person am I?
factor that causes bodily or mental - What do I intend to be?
tension." - What do I expect will happen?
So does stress cause imbalance or does - How do I want to live my life?
imbalance cause stress? Both. And Once you answer these questions, you can
neither. While they feed off one another, move on to make positive choices in your
there are common underlying reasons for life, including positive career choices.
both. Good Career Choices Matter
The Federal agency NIOSH (The National Can you be truly happy if you're working
Institute for Occupational Safety and at a job that makes you miserable? Mike
Health) identifies work as a major Heuring, Director of Career Services at
culprit of stress. In a recent report, the University of Montana, Missoula,
NIOSH revealed, "The nature of work is thinks not. The reason? We spend a lot of
changing at whirlwind speed. Perhaps now time at work, often spending more waking
more than ever before, job stress poses a hours at work than at home. For this
threat to the health of workers and, in purpose, when advising students, Mr.
turn, to the health organizations." Heuring suggests: "figure out what you
NIOSH posted a survey by Northwestern want to do based on your skills,
National Life, in which 40% of workers abilities, values and interests, then
reported that their jobs were "very or find a major that will train you to be
extremely stressful." Northwestern employable in your chosen position."
National Life's study also revealed that Even if you're already well into years in
one-fourth of employees rate their jobs a job, it's not too late to start a new
as the number-one stressors in their career. According to the U.S. Bureau of
lives. Labor Statistics, people, on average,
In an informal survey of my own, I asked change careers more than three times in
forty people to identify their main their working life. And there's no rule
causes of stress. I found similar results saying you can't change careers more
to the NIOSH survey. The mains causes of often. Life is short. Do what makes you
stress were as follows: happy.
1. Work Ms. Buell worked for seventeen years in
2. Money the corporate world before becoming a
3. Personal Relationships/Home professional life coach. Her desire for
4. Too little sleep better life balance eventually led her in
Work and money, receiving the most votes, another direction. For Ms. Buell, the
can have a rippling effect, creating best way to achieve balance was in
difficulties in other areas of your life. finding a career that helped others find
For instance, if you're unhappy at work their balance.
and/or worried about money, it can take a Your Turn: Find Your Balance
toll on your personal life (#3) and on Finding balance takes work. If it seems
your sleeping patterns (#4). like too much work make a change,
Asking the Hard Questions: Eliminate the remember that time is limited. Dr. Kaye
Clutter has a vivid memory of a relative, before
What do you want from life? What do you dying, muttering to him: "It could have
need? What could you cut out? Linda been so different." Dr. Kaye finds this
Manassee Buell, professional life coach tragic, and in his work, he sees many
and founder and owner of Simplify Life, people heading for this. "They live on
finds that most people who come to her autopilot, just letting things happen.
are simply too full. "They have filled They have no goals, make no plans, and
their lives to overflowing so that the get no results. All they have are a lot
first thing they have to do is start with of unfulfilled dreams."
a process of eliminating." So in the end, it can be tragic to remain
As a starting point for eliminating, Ms. in imbalance. In "Simplify Your Life: 7
Buell advises to "go through each day and Simple Strategies for doing what you love
notice or keep a list of anything that is to do," Ms. Buell maps out how to avoid
'draining' your energy." Whether it's the this:
clutter on your desk or your overcrowded Define a simpler more satisfying life:
schedule that doesn't allow for exercise, - Eliminate energy-draining tolerations
Ms. Buell believes that clearing the - Decide what you want your life to look
clutter can help you achieve a healthier like
life balance. The goal is simple: clear - Understand your financial picture
out what you don't want to make room for - Create a life changing plan
what you do want. For some, clearing the - Develop your own supportive community
clutter might even make stressful jobs - Have fun and enjoy your life
more tolerable. For others, their job IS It's Not a Sprint! Accomplish Balance
the clutter. Endurance
More Hard Questions: Who Are You and What Finding balance does not happen
Do You Want? overnight. Remember, it takes work. "The
Steve Kaye, PhD, professional speaker, key is that this is not a 'project,'
consultant, and founder and owner of One something that you do quickly and it is
Great Meeting agrees that cutting out the done," says Ms. Buell. "Creating a
negative can lead to healthier life Healthy Life Balance is a 'process,'
balance. Dr. Kaye is good example of something that will evolve over time.
balance: he seems to be happy and






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