Being in touch with your best self

In my work I meet people who are stressed, exhausted and frustrated.  At work they feel they are no longer in control as they try to manage the increasing pressures and demands being placed upon them.  Most of these people have given up on the idea of having a good work-life balance and are resigned to having no choice when it comes to how they respond to these pressures and challenges. It does not have to be this way.

Finding balance is about dealing more mindfully with the changes that are occurring, including the pressures and challenges.  This means stopping and  taking the time needed to find out how work in impacting on your thoughts, your emotions and your physical health.

How out of balance is your life?  Sometimes it has to get really bad before we do anything about it.

For me the answer is to get in touch with my relationship with work here and now, not remembering “the good old days” ( which if I am honest were not always that good!) or thinking about how it might be if only I worked harder, came to the end of my “to do” list.  This is all about being more mindful.   Becoming  mindful is simple but it is not easy. …it takes commitment and patience to reassess our roles and the way we behave in the workplace.  But it is only when we know the REAL cause of our imbalance that we get the clarity we need to take action.

It may surprise you to know that the pressures and demands we face in the workplace are not the source of our stress.  The real cause is that we are too afraid to make the changes needed to be really in touch with best selves ourselves.

So how do we do this?

Step 1: Take an honest look at yourself and your situation and ask yourself how true to yourself are you being when at work.

Step 2: Ask yourself ” What is my best self like?”

Step 3: Develop a blueprint for being your best self

Step 4: Be your best self more often by taking small steps and then evaluating the impact. Don’;t try to do it all at onbce.

Step 5: Learn to trust your instinct more

Step 6: Look after your physical well-being, and more specifically listen to your body when it tells you it is unwell or in pain

 

And finally…slow down!