Here are some tips to balancing your work, your life

In a previous column, I wrote about a recent Harvard Business Review study that reported that women in the workplace experience more stress, feel more pressure and find it harder to achieve work/life balance than do their male counterparts.

My experience working with several groups of women managers over the past few years certainly confirms the findings of that study. Here are some lessons about finding balance in your work and your life that I’ve taken away from working with these wonderful women.

Pay attention to stress. Stress is a fact in our fast-paced world. It is one of the primary culprits in the battle for balance in your life. It impacts sleep. It impacts your health. It impacts relationships. Recognize your stressors, face them and take proactive measures to reduce your stress levels.

Learn to ask for what you need. When you recognize your stressors, figure out what you need to reduce your stress and ask for it. Maybe it’s asking for a different work schedule. Maybe it’s asking for a raise or for more time off. Maybe it’s asking for help at work or at home. Whatever it is, ask.

Pay attention to your "shoulds" and "ought tos." Much of our stress is self-created. Stress often comes when we listen to those messages in our heads about what we "should do" or what we "ought to be." Learn to listen closely to those messages and ask yourself where that expectation is coming from and how realistic it is.

Listen to messages from "the universe." I’ve been working and traveling a lot in the past year. I recently went to a workshop in the middle of nowhere Ohio, two hours from the airport. Coming home, I realized as I was approaching the rental car return that in my haste to leave, I had left my luggage sitting on the sidewalk at the lodge. I rearranged my ticket, headed back in a real hurry, and got a speeding ticket. I also got behind a tractor on a two-lane mountain road and could do nothing but slow down and follow. That afternoon forced me to look at my need to slow down. Sometime the messages are there if you just pay attention.

Develop a strong support system. A sound support system is critical. Consciously creating and making use of a good support network of family, friends, coworkers and outside resources goes a long way toward achieving a balanced life.

Balanced employees are happier, healthier and more productive. As we head into 2017, it seems like a good time to take stock and look at the challenges of balance you face. May you have a happy, productive and balanced New Year.

This story was originally published January 18, 2017 at 4:21 PM with the headline "Here are some tips to balancing your work, your life."