Today's woman faces ever-increasing demands on her time. This demand creates stress and unfortunately not only wears us out and makes us feel badly, but also ages us faster than we might like. Fortunately there are some strategies we can employ to recreate the balance that we desperately need to support our complete well-being. All three of the following strategies have been proven successful and, in combination, are powerful catalysts towards the balance between work and home that you desire.

One: Create small windows of time in your day to meditate or enjoy complete silence.

Two: Find strategies to release those things that are creating stress.

Three: Build a support network of women who understand, who you can lean on when times get tough, and who you support as well.

Beginning your journey
The strategies listed above are best tackled in the order listed. Meditation or the simple enjoyment of silence is the first step toward healing your mind. This practice will allow your mind to begin to build new networks of thought and new, stronger, more supportive perspectives. Just as it's been proven that an athlete's muscles need periods of rest to allow peak performance, our minds also need periods of complete silence or rest, in order to allow optimal functioning.

Quieting the mind can be quite challenging for someone who spends all her time thinking, planning and contemplating. I recommend, from personal experience, a 5-minute guided meditation or listening to the sounds of nature (water is always good) for a short period of time. You can choose your own means of quieting your mind, but if you've not done it before, a guided meditation might be a nice place to begin.

The second phase of beginning a life of balance can be accomplished with a mind that's open to trying out new perspectives. There are lots of ways to make new choices about those things that create stress in our lives. Simple shifts in perspective can be accomplished by simply asking yourself, "Am I creating the stress? Might I be adding to the stress? Or can I choose to let this go and release the stress?" If the answer to all of these questions is a definitive and resounding "NO!" then you may want to begin with a therapist or counselor to help you find out what's stopping you from making a shift.

If, on the other hand, you realize that you do have some control over the stressors and the way you view them, you are well on your way, and can begin reading books like Wayne Dyer's, There's a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem, while you work with a coach or EFT specialist to break through blocks that you may be carrying with you.

The third phase has to do with building a network of supportive friends and colleagues. I am a firm believer that we were placed here to help each other and I have found over the years, that when I need a special support person to show up in my life, that person always shows up. Begin to notice who shows up for you, and I bet you will find that a network is forming right before your very eyes. You simply need to be watching so that you don't miss it. We all need a little support sometime, and on a day that you've tried everything else and life still feels too demanding, a supportive friend will hold you up while you regain the strength to tackle it.

So, if you didn't know where to begin, now you can:

• meditate or enjoy silence ó just quiet your mind
• release those things that are creating stress
• build a support network (and be a support partner for others)

You'll find yourself in a better place almost immediately, and you will soon start noticing the balance returning to your life. Don't expect that life will show up perfectly balanced tomorrow, but follow this plan for a few months, and I bet I'll be hearing some stories of change happening soon.

For more information on really digging into the process, enjoy the article: Your Values, Your Balance

by Julie Renee Fisher, Complete Well-being Coach and Owner of Sol Journe, LLC, as well as President of Advertising by Design, Inc. Julie provides coaching and mentoring for professional women all over the world. Register for her free e-course and e-coaching at http://balanceworkandhome.soljoune.com.

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Your Values, Your Balance