STRESS MANAGEMENT Signs of Stress and Imbalance How To Break Through Fear in Turbulent Times What is Stress? Solving Problems in a High-Stress Environment Break Through Self-Doubt & Fear Let's Get Physical Holiday Stress Hotspots Make 2004 your Year of Organization Holiday Stress Hotspots Manage Stress by Stopping Obsessive or Unwanted Thoughts Meditate Stress Away Taking Stress for a Ride 3 Strategies to Reduce Stress Cleaning Up Stress; Control It, Change It or Let It Go! Substance Abuse The Courage to Feel Bad The Challenge of Change Tips for Managing Holiday Madness Modern Day Stressors: What Stress Looks Like in the 21st Century The Life Juggle: How to Find Lifework Balance New Year's Resolutions   CHANGE The Questions Leaders Should Ask Themselves about Change The Top Ten Ways to Manage People through Change Understanding Change The Challenge of Change   RUNNING A BUSINESS Be Heard. Be Strong. Be Effective. How to Deliver Impressive Presentations Getting Started in the Speaking Business: Answers to Burning Questions What Entrepreneurs Need to Know to be Successful How to Create and Maintain Culture as You Grow Recruitment and Retention of Diverse Candidates   DIVERSITY A Passion for Diversity Traits of a Diverse Organization Simma's Holiday Diversity Q and A How to Go from Eggshell Walking to Multicultural Festivity Making Are You Wasting Your Money on Diversity Training? Interview Bias: Overcoming the Silent Forces Working Against You How to Help LGBT Employees Help Your Organization Grow How to Integrate Diversity Into Your Business Strategy Diversity Benefits Organizations and Communities Diversity Fast Facts How to Integrate Diversity 10 PC Tips for Communicating with a Diverse Audience Are You Truly Successful? Interviewing Employees Who Stay Wage and Position Disparity Across Gender What Every Consultant Needs to Know About Diversity Consulting and Training Diversity Competency Assessment Recruitment and Retention of Diverse Candidates Understanding Diversity Dialogues Dialogue as a Communication Tool Amongst Diverse Groups of People Communicating across Generations in the Workplace Simma & Kate's Strategies for Cross-Generational Relationship Building Valuing Diversity during the Holidays   COMMUNICATION Understanding Dialogue: A Q&A on the benefits of dialogue Dialogue as a Communication Tool Communication with Concern Helping Others Deal with Loss 10 PC Tips for Communicating with a Diverse Audience Tips for Better Communication Between Men and Women in the Workplace Understanding Diversity Dialogues Dialogue as a Communication Tool Amongst Diverse Groups of People Simma & Kate's Strategies for Cross-Generational Relationship Building Web Site Tips   GENDER COMMUNICATION Differences in Male and Female Communication Styles Gender Communications Differences and Strategies Wage and Position Disparity across Gender Tips for Better Communication between Men and Women in the Workplace   WORK/LIFE BALANCE Life/Work Balance in the Real World New Year's Resolutions: A New Approach? Working with Loved Ones: Leverage Potential and Avoid Pitfalls Modern Day Stressors: What Stress Looks Like in the 21st Century The Life Juggle: How to Find Lifework Balance   RESTAURANT & HOSPITALITY All in the Family Are You Truly Successful? How to Create and Maintain the Culture of Your Restaurants Let's Get Physical Meditate Stress Away Taking Stress for a Ride The Challenge of Change 3 Strategies to Reduce Stress Cleaning Up Substance Abuse   FEAR & SELF-DOUBT Break Through Self-Doubt & Fear Substance Abuse The Courage to Feel Bad

The Life Juggle: How to Find Lifework Balance   By Simma Lieberman. Almost any time I read an article or hear someone speak about life work balance for speakers, the solution is the same- take a year off, take your family on a cruise, take your family with you. There are a lot of people in our business who do not have the real time, budget, or desire to do these things. They may not have a “traditional family”, but have a family of friends, are single people, single parents or are taking care of their 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 and in everything we do. So if you are not taking a year off, retiring at 35 or ready to move to a more quiet area, how can you gain live your life so that you will have sense of peace and balance? Here are my suggestions: 1- Develop a mindset of community. Get rid of the that old mantra that you have to do it alone. No one achieves professional success without help from others. Think of the people who are your friends, family and colleagues as community and get over any reluctance to ask for help. 2- Community brainstorm session. Invite some of these 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. 3- Let your community offer their resources. When my partner of 18 years passed away and I became a single mother of an 8 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. Many of those people are NSA members who understand day to day activities of running a speaking business. My son gets taken to baseball games, movies and trips so that I get time to myself for reflection, exercise and socialize with adults. 4- Become a better planner of work and personal time. Improve your planning skills. Buy tickets in advance for events, and go with other people, so you won’t cancel to catch up on invoicing, paper work, or reading those important publications. There is a perception that if people don’t have a “family”, they don’t need to take time for themselves. Learn to be firm and say no to doing “favors” when you have other plans. Be strategic about meeting attendance. Don’t waste evening, or weekend time attending a meeting just because a colleague wants you to come along. 5- Limit distractions that take unnecessary time. Author and speaker Kate Berardo has learned to assess what she can do by e-mail rather than spend time on the phone. “Knowing how e-mail can be a distraction, I open my emails, red flag those that need immediate attention, and save the rest for the end of the day. I used to answer everything in the morning thinking I would just get it out of the way, but I would find myself not even beginning important work until 4:00 and it would be too late to contact any of my clients on the east coast or Europe” 6- Learn to integrate fun activities with work. Many speakers have a family of friends throughout the country. You need to set aside time to continue these relationships. Turn work in other areas into vacation and visit friends, or sightsee. If you have no one to take care of your phone or e-mail, you can hire someone hourly to do that, or trade with another speaker when they go away. When I work in areas where I have friends or family, or just want to visit. I bring my son. That way I get to spend time with him, see family, and share an experience. 7- Know yourself. Don’t compare yourself to other people. Know w hat gjves you a sense of peace and balance and what makes you feel off kilter. If you relax by reading, get books you enjoy and set aside time for it. It makes a difference in your day if you do something relaxing right before sleep in order to wake up calm relaxed and stay focussed. If you want more time to be with friends, put them on the schedule. Wherever you go you bring yourself with you. It doesn’t make a difference if you are on a years cruise, at home or playing golf. If you do not know how to create an internal sense of balance you will feel the same as you always feel wherever you are.   Simma Lieberman works with people and organizations to create environments where people can do their best work. She specializes in diversity, gender communications, life-work balance and stress, and acquiring and retaining new customers. You may reprint these articles free of charge, on a non-exclusive basis, provided that Simma Lieberman's name and contact information are included. She would love to know that you plan to use her article(s); please contact her to let her know. Call Simma at 510.527.0700 or Email simma@simmalieberman.com Visit her website at www.simmalieberman.com FREE subscription to the Lieberman Learning Letter Receive a monthly e-newsletter with tips from Simma's workshops and programs. Topics include diversity, stress management, gender communications, and work life balance. Email:   Back to top

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