Out with the Old in with the New
As I write this blog, I feel like I am running out of gas. My husband had knee replacement surgery in November. He is currently recovering and going through rehab. His recovery is going well. My elderly mother sold her home and moved from Florida to Georgia. A word to the wise. Regularly purge your home of items you no longer use, want or care about. Use digital storage to save pictures or print media. She moved into a much smaller home. This means that much of the “stuff” she brought must be stored, thrown out or given away. Downsizing after collecting a lifetime of “stuff” is stressful for her and us.
Managing the multiple tasks around surgery and a state-to-state move is overwhelming and stressful. This is part of the reason I have not posted a written blog in a few weeks. Much good has come from this time. My husband is free of pain and my mother is close. I have also decided to embrace my true calling. For some readers, my decision will seem like a slight change in direction.
My online business is transitioning. I began my online presence providing support to social workers with REAL Social Workers Online Magazine. The purpose was to provide real answers to the everyday concerns social workers faced. That has been a rewarding experience. A few years later, I created Happyhalfhour.club. This blog focused on relaxation for hardworking professionals who want to be happy.
Supporting Working Women
I will continue to provide support to my social work colleagues and relaxation tips to hardworking professionals. However, you will notice that my work in stress management, stress relief and relaxation will specifically target working women like myself. I am expanding my reach. 83% of social workers are women according to the Profile of Social Work Workforce. Women make up 57.4% of the US workforce according to Catalyst a global nonprofit that works with companies to build “workplaces that work for women.”
Working Women regularly approach me asking how they can relieve stress. They want personalized solutions. That is what M.L. Bailey Consultants provides. We do not believe that one size fits all. We also believe that while internet searches may provide ideas for temporary relief, most working women desire long lasting results from an individualized process.
Consequently, I am expanding my focus and reach by providing support to all working women who are stressed and close to burnout. These women have the responsibility of managing a household and a career.
Three characteristics describe stressed working women
- May or may not be married or in a committed relationship
- Are raising school age children or guiding emerging adult children
- Support aging parents who desire to maintain their independence
- Others have unyielding expectations of them based on their roles
Free Resources
You will find supportive resources on the services page of my redesigned website M.L. Bailey Consultants I also want to highlight two of my free supports. They are described below.
To support working women during the holidays, I am providing the Get Through the Holidays Without Losing It Challenge. Every Sunday at 4pm I go “live” on Facebook to share stress related information. On Monday I post the replay in our private Facebook group. Wednesdays I review what we discussed during the livestream and check-in with participants. On Friday I post a question of the week to lead us into the next week.
The Get Through the Holidays Without Losing It Challenge started November 22 and will run through January 2, 2021. Follow the link to view Hidden Reactions that Increase Holiday Stress.
Take the “Ish” Out of Selfish and Put Self First is a free learning support I developed for working women. Many women neglect themselves while take caring of their multiple responsibilities. This free learning support encourages women to make self-care a priority. Working women who have completed Take the “Ish” Out of Selfish and Put Self First are giving it high marks. Follow the link for more information and to enroll.
Be on the Lookout
Before the end of the year, I will post my calendar of events for the month of January. You will find it on the home page of my website and on the M.L. Bailey Facebook page. This way you will know our focus for the month so you can get in on the action.
I will release a new learning support soon entitled From Burnout to Balance: Finding Balance the Foundation of Stress Relief. Working women struggle to maintain a lifestyle that prevents overwhelm. We answer the following questions. What exactly is a balanced life? How does a working woman create balance while managing multiple responsibilities? What can be done immediately to create more balance?
“I want to be happy, whole, satisfied and successful. What about you?”
Visit the M.L. Bailey Consultants website. We are sprucing it up, so please be patient with us. You may join the conversation like our Facebook page, follow me on Instagram and connect with me on LinkedIn.