The last several posts have discussed your life wheel and this is a continuation of that theme. The remaining spokes on your life wheel are the emotional and intellectual - your heart and your head, so to speak. Your heart certainly needs tending to on a regular basis - it can be a very fragile part of our existence. The emotional spoke on the life wheel helps us to keep in tune with how we are really "feeling", but only if we pay attention to the signals. Our emotions are simply that, signals regarding what you are experiencing. Sometimes it is very easy, even obvious, to know what we are feeling, other times the true emotions may be hidden. I encourage you to pay particular attention to your emotions during times of transition or high stress.
It may be beneficial to practice relaxation techniques or meditation to help keep the emotional spoke on your wheel in balance, but particularly so if you are experiencing a great deal of stress. Writing in a journal can also be helpful as a coping mechanism. Other activities that can aid the emotional spoke on your life wheel include developing plans, talking things out, physical activity, spiritual activity, and/or social activity.
As far as the head is concerned, or the intellectual spoke on the life wheel, you need activities that help to keep your mind active and clear. Besides stimulating work, hobbies, doing crossword or jigsaw puzzles, researching, writing and reading are all activities that can help to keep your mind active. Of course, learning something new or engaging in stimulating conversations/discussions are always good ways to keep your mind working.
Writing in a journal can help not only the intellectual and the emotional spokes, but could also benefit the spiritual spoke on your life wheel. Some people realize their new career direction through writing in their journal. Another activity that can be beneficial to your heart and your head is researching and writing about your family's history. Whatever you choose, finding creative outlets can certainly benefit the emotional and intellectual spokes on your life wheel.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including career change or job search, planning for retirement, loss of job, coping with an empty nest, preparing to return to work or school, and other life planning issues. She meets with individuals in person and via telephone helping to find solutions to problems related to life transitions. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). Please visit her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com for more information on her services.
To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
How Well Balanced Is Your Life Wheel (part 3)
In the last post, we discussed some of the concerns people have had regarding the occupational spoke on their life wheel. But not all problems and not all the joys in life are because of work. Today's post will discuss the physical, social and spiritual aspects of the life wheel.
For the physical aspect of your life wheel, you want to include some physical activity, at least on a weekly basis, although more frequently would be better. The physical activity you choose should be appropriate for you and something you enjoy enough to keep at it. So, although I would love to ride a bike, it has been so long since I rode, that at this stage in life, I might do more harm than good for my body. In addition to keeping physically active, you should be sure to eat healthy and get a sufficient amount of sound sleep. Some people find that if anything is off/out-of-balance in any aspect of their life that their sleep is immediately effected. So they may have a fairly immediate signal that all is not well - although they still may have to figure out what is wrong.
The social spoke on your wheel encompasses the social - not-work related contacts - that you maintain. You may have some acquaintances that are just that and others who are truly friends. On those days when you're feeling down and don't really feel like 'faking it', your true friends will understand and will offer to help or, at least, to listen. If you are between jobs, resist the temptation to hide out - you need to continue to have social contacts. The same applies to those who are in retirement. Retirement should be from work, not from life. You really need to maintain some relationships through retirement in order to maintain the social aspect of your life wheel.
The spiritual spoke on your life wheel could include spending time appreciating nature, meditating, reading, or other spiritual activities. This allows you to tap into your beliefs/your source of strength. Even when things are going well in your life, you should still devote some time to the spiritual aspects of life. So often, it is when things are not going well that we draw on our spirituality, which can certainly be a source of inspiration and consolation, but I would encourage you not to reserve that just for the difficult times in life.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including career change or job search, planning for retirement, loss of job, coping with an empty nest, preparing to return to work or school, and other life planning issues. She meets with individuals in person and via telephone helping to find solutions to problems related to life transitions. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). Please visit her web site at http://www.yourcareerplan.com/ for more information on her services.
To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
For the physical aspect of your life wheel, you want to include some physical activity, at least on a weekly basis, although more frequently would be better. The physical activity you choose should be appropriate for you and something you enjoy enough to keep at it. So, although I would love to ride a bike, it has been so long since I rode, that at this stage in life, I might do more harm than good for my body. In addition to keeping physically active, you should be sure to eat healthy and get a sufficient amount of sound sleep. Some people find that if anything is off/out-of-balance in any aspect of their life that their sleep is immediately effected. So they may have a fairly immediate signal that all is not well - although they still may have to figure out what is wrong.
The social spoke on your wheel encompasses the social - not-work related contacts - that you maintain. You may have some acquaintances that are just that and others who are truly friends. On those days when you're feeling down and don't really feel like 'faking it', your true friends will understand and will offer to help or, at least, to listen. If you are between jobs, resist the temptation to hide out - you need to continue to have social contacts. The same applies to those who are in retirement. Retirement should be from work, not from life. You really need to maintain some relationships through retirement in order to maintain the social aspect of your life wheel.
The spiritual spoke on your life wheel could include spending time appreciating nature, meditating, reading, or other spiritual activities. This allows you to tap into your beliefs/your source of strength. Even when things are going well in your life, you should still devote some time to the spiritual aspects of life. So often, it is when things are not going well that we draw on our spirituality, which can certainly be a source of inspiration and consolation, but I would encourage you not to reserve that just for the difficult times in life.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including career change or job search, planning for retirement, loss of job, coping with an empty nest, preparing to return to work or school, and other life planning issues. She meets with individuals in person and via telephone helping to find solutions to problems related to life transitions. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). Please visit her web site at http://www.yourcareerplan.com/ for more information on her services.
To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
How Well Balanced Is Your Life Wheel (part 2)
In the previous post we posed this question and discussed some of the issues related to your current work situation and your life goals, as part of the Occupational spoke on your life wheel. In addition to looking at the work you are doing, or have been doing, you want to consider whether or not you are using the skills that you most enjoy using. Certainly, many jobs have changed over the last several years, along with the multiple changes in technology. If your job no longer requires the skills you really enjoy using, you may need to determine if there are other situations in which those same skills would still be needed, or if those skills would be used in other occupations. In some instances, the skills may not be much in demand - or at least not in the kinds of jobs in which you could make a decent living. Again, are there ways in which you could still apply those skills, or is it time to read the writing on the wall that those skills are now outdated?
Also, it may be a matter of personality clashes or personal conflicts with your co-worker(s) or supervisor(s) that cause you to be unhappy with your current work situation. If that is your situation, again, I encourage you to consider whether the situation is manageable or whether you need to start preparing for a change. You also need to consider whether your current career goals fit with your life and your plans. If you have not done so, you should visualize some aspects of your work future and determine if your current path will contribute to your achieving your career goals and life plans.
I believe it is important to look at the source(s) of your frustration/unhappiness with the occupational spoke on your life wheel, if that is the case. The topic of your life wheel will be continued in the next post. You also want to be sure that during your working years that you make time for other spokes on your life wheel. Individuals who don't do that tend to have a much more difficult time coping with retirement. For many, that is because without their work, they feel as though there is nothing left in their lives.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including a career change or job search, planning for retirement, loss of job, coping with an empty nest, preparing to return to work or school, and other life planning issues. She meets with individuals in person and via telephone helping to solve problems related to life transitions. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). Please visit her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com for more information on her services.
To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
Also, it may be a matter of personality clashes or personal conflicts with your co-worker(s) or supervisor(s) that cause you to be unhappy with your current work situation. If that is your situation, again, I encourage you to consider whether the situation is manageable or whether you need to start preparing for a change. You also need to consider whether your current career goals fit with your life and your plans. If you have not done so, you should visualize some aspects of your work future and determine if your current path will contribute to your achieving your career goals and life plans.
I believe it is important to look at the source(s) of your frustration/unhappiness with the occupational spoke on your life wheel, if that is the case. The topic of your life wheel will be continued in the next post. You also want to be sure that during your working years that you make time for other spokes on your life wheel. Individuals who don't do that tend to have a much more difficult time coping with retirement. For many, that is because without their work, they feel as though there is nothing left in their lives.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including a career change or job search, planning for retirement, loss of job, coping with an empty nest, preparing to return to work or school, and other life planning issues. She meets with individuals in person and via telephone helping to solve problems related to life transitions. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). Please visit her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com for more information on her services.
To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
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