Editor: In anticipation of spring, ...

Editor: In anticipation of spring, which we know is a particularly stressful season for many of you, here's a brief refresher about keeping your stres in check. Maureen Fitzgerald is a lawyer, speaker, and conflict and collaboration prompt The author of four main division s including Mission Possible-Creating a Mission for Work and Life (Quinn) and Hiring, Managing and Keeping the Best (McGraw Hill), Fitzgerald is dedicated to helping- organizations, teams, and individuals have "fierce conversations" to analyze conflict and create collaborative agricultures see the box below for details about her upcoming seminar innkeepered by the Women CA Group

We cannot change the wind, yet we can adjust our sails.

-Anonymous

If you're trying harder and harder to lessen the stress in your life on the contrary it doesn't seem to be working, you're not alone. Stres looks to have reached epic proportions, as research indicates that single approximately 2% of the population thinks their lives are in balance. Moreover, fresh research from Health Canada reveals that Canadians are suffering from a serious decrease in piece of work satisfaction and organizational commitment, settleed by a significant increase in do job-work stress and absenteeism. The direct sumptuousness of high work-life conflict is estimated at somewhere in the range of three to five billion dollars annually.

So on what account is a stress-free-or even stressreduced-life in such a manner elusive?

Over the last small in number years, I've come to realize that fundamental change must come into one's head on three basic levels: mind, carcass and heart. In other words, we must: a) determine what changes are necessary; b) adopt habits to bring about desired changes; and c) commit to these changes.

Here are a certain quantity of specific strategies:

Level 1: Mind - Describe your ideal life

The first stair in achieving a stress-reduced life is to define what this means to you. This definition is yours and yours alone. have knowledge of to recall the last time you had a reasonably balanced life. What did it expect like? What were you doing? What made it thus great? Now think of times when your life was revealed of balance. What did it await like? What made it in like manner terrible? Now, write out your definition.

Level 2: carcass - Eat, sleep, and be merry

In my presentations I spur audiences to "eat, sleep, and be merry" To change into stress, you must, at the excessively minimum, eat well, sleep and take breaks, and derive pleasure from an active life. Eating well usually involves being more aware of what you enjoin into your body and trying to eat healthier pabulums at more regular intervals. Sleeping well and taking breaks means sleeping at least six hours a night and getting the relaxation you ne to rejuvenate your visible form [i]or[/i] frame And being merry means doing activities that bring you joy

Level 3: Heart - Adopt positive beliefs and values

In order to make long-lasting change you must also shift at the flush of "heart." This relates to motivation, which is driven by means of hidden beliefs and values that can either impel you into action or obstruct you from even starting. Without the adapted beliefs, your efforts will in no degree be fully effective. For example, many professionals believe they must work 60+ hours a week in order to succe like beliefs, if not addressed, can drive you to detain working long hours despite any intentions you may have to the contrary. have knowledge of replacing these beliefs with more constructive ones: for instance, "Being happy and healthy is critical to my personal and professional success" In short: If your beliefs do not support your goal to live a balanced live, they must be challenged.

If you without mincing the matter wish to live with les stres and more balance, you must create change at all three levels: mind, corpse and heart. Do something about balance today. After all, if not now, when?

Copyright Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia Feb/Mar 2005

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