Improving your balance between life and work starts with getting better at recognising in and out-of-balance symptoms. It's personal. When you are in or out of balance what is it like? Start to tune in more regularly.

Developing a personal set of 'traffic lights' will help you to recognise the warning signs more easily so that you can take steps to stay in balance. For example:

RED: Feeling terrible, very negative, beat myself up, lose my rag and can't cope, under the weather or ill.

AMBER: Feeling under pressure, snap at my children, feel resentment and anger at little things, unkind to myself.

GREEN: Feeling in control: busy, 'together', 'no panic - no problem' response to difficult situations, positive about myself, give others the benefit of the doubt.

Start to notice the colour of your traffic light and act to keep it green.

When it is red, you need an urgent break: What needs to happen right now to get to a happier place that is healthier for all? What then needs to happen for you to avoid getting back to red? How can you trigger yourself to notice your light at amber? 

When your light is amber - take a moment to breathe and refocus. Is this really how you want to be? What needs to happen for you to get back to green? What triggers you to leave green? Can you act to change the causes of imbalance?

I'd love to know what your triggers are, especially if you are a working parent, as I'm currently writing about working parents and it would be good to have some live examples to use. What are the biggest hurdles for you when it comes to balance issues?

headoffice@coachange.co.uk with blog in the subject.