Get a Better Handle On Life

We live in a wealthy technological age where we have all we need at our disposal. One of the costs of this is a steadily rising tide of demands and pressures which produce stress in us. There’s a lot to do and have, and it’s tempting to try and have it all!

For many people, this means that they are so busy so much of the time that they no longer have the space, nor the ability to focus on managing the stress that goes with their lifestyle. And, if you want to follow the wellbeing gurus’ advice, it just produces another list of things to fit into your busy schedule.

What if, instead of struggling to reduce the stress in our lives, we simply give up and accept it?

(This is the audio version of a webinar I presented some months back, so please excuse the references to 'video blog' and webinar).

#stressmanagement #burnout #wellbeing

ARISE – Start your day on a positive note then supercharge your day with this soothing, guided mindfulness exercise. 

Over the years, I have built up a sizeable archive of resources. These are exercises, video and audio tracks that I've produced for a specific purpose, then filed and forgotten about.

This ARISE track is one of these. I produced it (I think) for my online course on Mindfulness, now I'm sharing it with you.

#morningmeditation #visualisation #relaxation #mindfulness #morningroutine #startyourday

What are the pros and cons of working from home? As we have moved on from the enforced home working due to the Pandemic, more of us now have the freedom to choose to work in or away from the office. 

In the old days many organisations resisted the idea of home working. That obstacle has now largely disappeared, and so has (mostly) the stigma that if you worked from home you were not quite as serious about your job as your office-based peers.

Rick has now chosen to be entirely home-based. He is a reflective guy, and lately he has been keeping notes on his experiences, both for an against. His insightful comments lead us into a fascinating conversation.

See what you think, and let us know. Whether you work from home or not, let us know your thoughts. The workplace has shifted, but have attitudes moved as well? Please share. You can email us at [email protected].

#homeworking #solopreneur #workingfromhome #onlinebusiness #officehours

Freelancer, solopreneur, or simply working from home? Working for yourself is great if you are cut out for it, and even if you're not you can still make a go of it if your start with your eyes open and the right mindset. Be ready for the hurdles and give yourself the advantage. 

Starting a business can bring unexpected emotional stresses, but the pitfalls can be handled if you are ready for them. The personal challenges are something you can plan for, if you know what they are likely to be.

And while there's no denying the positive aspects of taking the high-road to the self-fulfilment that only being self-employed can bring, just like any other fable, there are two sides to the story of being your own boss.

Serial entrepreneur Barry Winbolt shares ideas on making the transition as painless as possible.

Also, check out:

The VIA Character Strengths Survey

www.barrywinbolt.com/blog

www.youtube.com/BarryWinbolt

#homeworking #selfemployed #ownboss #sidehustle #solopreneur 

In this episode, I'm sharing some ideas on what can loosely be called, Alternative Career Guidance. There's plenty of conventional career advice out there, most of it sensible and sound, but it all points one way. 

Pretty well every week I get questions relating to choosing the 'right' path to a career, or tension about how to prepare. Underlying many of these questions is uncertainty and even pressure and stress. If this is you, then maybe some alternative viewpoints can help give you pause for thought.

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#mentalhealth #careeradvice #careergoals #choices #career #jobuncertainty

Avoid relationship breakdown with these three ways to stop arguing. There's no talent in fighting and there's no glory in 'winning' an argument.

On the surface, arguments are the biggest cause of relationship breakdown, but while they certainly contribute, they are usually a harmful symptom, rather than the cause of relationship breakdown.

#arguing #relationships #arguments #argue #relationships #conflict #disagreements #getabetterhandleonlife

Download the episode notes here.

See my online course: How to Become a Great Listener.

© Backing Track: Adventure, Chad Crouch, www.soundofpicture.com, licence CC BY-NC 4.0

Losing someone or something you love is one of the defining human experiences. Loss is universal and inevitable; we’ll all experience it in some way at some time. That doesn’t help much if you are grieving, but it does mean that we understand what helps. Though you may not agree right now, especially if your heart is still aching, it is also a growth experience; we come out the other end stronger and a little wiser.

If you are suffering in that way this episode will guide you through some useful and practical ideas to help ease the pain.

You can find an edited text version of this episode here. In the episode I also talk about Seven Ways to Change Your Thinking.

#heartbreak #heartbroken #sad #breakup #healing #lostlove #bereavement #loss

Backing Track: Adventure, Chad Crouch, soundofpicture.com, licence CC BY-NC 4.0

I met a man recently who I'd been dying to talk to for quite a long time. I've been following his Just Say Hello project on Facebook, and I've had this idea floating around in my head for months. It's called, Ordinary People Who Do Extraordinary Things, and I thought this chap, Duncan, is definitely in that category. 

Now that I've spoken to him, I realise I was wrong. This is no ordinary person, in fact, anything but. 

This was a spontaneous recording made on his iPhone as we spoke. Listen now to how a former celebrity photographer spent a day with one of the most iconic figures in contemporary music, Lionel Ritchie. Told by Duncan Raban, a natural storyteller.

© Backing Track: Adventure, Chad Crouch, www.soundofpicture.com, licence CC BY-NC 4.0

Most of us spend a lot of time working, and studies show that most of us don't enjoy it as much as we could. Have you ever really taken the time to stop and think about getting a job you really enjoy?

It's not just about money, organisational culture, sense of fulfilment, and even feeling valued all contribute to how happy you are at work.

If you do your job, pay the bills, and enjoy the evenings and weekends but deep down find yourself wanting more from your work, is that enough? Maybe you're ready for a career upgrade and to live the life you deserve?

Adele Leah is a career coach with an attitude that’s seen her place client after client in careers they love. In this engaging conversation she explains the practical steps to take if you want to find greater fulfilment in your job, and career happiness.

If you want to improve anything about your work and career, this episode is an invaluable starting point.

Download Adele's workbook How to Gain Career Confidence and Clarity.

Here's a link to Livemore for you to download the app, where you'll find more from Adele, and the ever growing range of contributions from the other Livemore experts.

#careerhappiness #careercoach #livemore #worklife #careerchange

Backing Track: Adventure, Chad Crouch, soundofpicture.com, licence CC BY-NC 4.0

I'm in conversation with Rick Gough. Rick came up with the brilliant idea he calls 'Declutter Your Work'. Not only is it a great idea, it is also timely as many of us will we hope soon be returning to some sort of work normality.

You may be familiar with Marie Kondo's decluttering method for the home. Rick Gough has taken her six principles and applied them to how he works.

As you'll hear, it has benefits that can go far beyond the work space – it reaches into our inner spaces and provides a metaphor for a tidier life.

#decluttering #tidyoffice #hotdesking #workingfromhome

© Backing Track: Adventure, Chad Crouch, www.soundofpicture.com, licence CC BY-NC 4.0