Find Joy Not Stress In the Balancing Act By Sandi Epstein The title to this article is enough to make some of us snort and say "yah right!" Stress can be the natural result of being a wife, mother, executive, house cleaner, cook, public speaker, decorator, mover, travel agent, nurse, accountant, manager ... and so on. I am not saying there isn’t good reason for this stress. But lets look at some ways to bring more joy into the juggling act and reduce some of the stress. Have you laughed today? Charlie Chaplin would have some great material in an average day of a working mother so take a moment to see yourself through the lens of laughter. Whether fielding a call on which you discuss various potty-training strategies then breaking to sign off on a multi-million dollar contract, or reaching into your purse mid-budgeting presentation to find yourself gripping a sticky lollipop left over from the weekend, you must stop a moment at the amusement of it. And while you are laughing take a moment to be in awe on yourself, our next point. Be in awe of yourself. The human mind and body is a miracle. You can jump from analytical thinking to creative play in moments or you can endure sleep deprivation you wouldn’t have dreamed of in college. So pat yourself on the back at least daily and appreciate the blessings of mind and body. What is joyful to you? I bet you can’t make a list of joyful experiences as quickly as a list of the headaches. So change your paradigm to the positive and do make a list whether it is in your head on lunch break or on paper on the train, describe what joyful is for you, make a list and be sure to get a "hit" of joy every day. For example, joy for me is to learn something new. In just five minutes I can learn something about someone I work with or look up a topic of choice on the Internet or sign up for a class to learn something later. Check out the BlueSuitMom's free virtual classes and learn something new without leaving your desk! These are just a few of the ways to put joy into your balancing act. Also see: • Finding work and family balance • Secrets of other executive working moms • Secrets of Balance From the UK First Family - Tony and Cherie Blair Sandi is a professional coach helping people to achieve their best in life.