By: Susan O’Halloran, MPH
More time, understanding, love and …I’m reading a very interesting book by Michael J. Silverstein & Kate Sayre of The Boston Consulting Group called Women Want MORE. After surveying 12,000 women from varying walks of life, geographical areas and from every income level, the response, in a nutshell, is remarkably similar to the results I’m hearing from women attending the Here’s to Life Now! workshops. One aspect of the Women Want MORE study looked at the values most important to women and found the following:
- 77% said LOVE
- 58% said HEALTH
- 51% said HONESTY
- 48% said EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING
I’m sure lots of women nod their heads “yes” when they read this and I wonder how many of you are able to incorporate these values into your day-to-day life until it becomes second nature? Women begin to multi-task from an early age and hone this skill as they age and take on new responsibilities related to work, family life, and keeping the home running smoothly. It is only the very self-aware woman who is conscious of when she needs to put the brakes on and take some time for herself and perhaps readjust priorities.
Doing this requires reflection, which requires time, which requires working this into an already busy day. It also means asking yourself the right questions and knowing what love, health, honesty and emotional well-being mean to you. Each of these values is important in its own right and they also play upon each other. For example, being in a romantic loving relationship has a fantastic influence on your emotional well-being. The opposite is also true.
How do you put the brakes on and take time for yourself? Do you agree with the importance of the above values and if so, how do you incorporate these values into your daily life? Let us know more!
Written by: Susan O’Halloran, MPH. Susan is Founder and President of Here’s to Life Now! a healthy living company that works with companies and individuals to build sustainable health habits that cut health care costs and improve quality of life. In addition, Here’s to Life Now! has an online network of traditional and complementary health care practitioners that provide expert advice and services locally and nationally.
Tagged: attitude , Balance , Emotional Health , family , relationships , values , women's health
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February 18th, 2012 at 1:16 pm
I have found that it is essential to be in tune with your body. It will provide signals when it is time to rest, ask for help, schedule a massage or whatever one needs to regain balance. The trick is to remember to listen and be kind to yourself which many women find challenging.