Tag: Work Life Balance
I often am asked how I manage my business and a young family and love sharing my tips. ~ Do what works for you and your family. There is no cookie cutter approach. ~ Get the right support and outsource time-consuming tasks such as cleaning and shopping. You can’t do it all! I use Lifestyle […]
Welcome to our first ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile for 2013! This post is brought to you by Eugenie Pepper from PLUM. Our Balance Beam profiles are published on a semi-regular basis, placing focus on organisations from Australia, New Zealand and around the globe who are implementing a variety of work life balance initiatives […]
In the workplace, a total of 3.2 days per worker are lost each year through workplace stress*, so it’s important that business leaders are mindful of work/life balance for the optimum mental wellbeing of their employees, and the creation of a healthy workplace. Mental wellbeing in the workplace continues to be a major issue for […]
Many of us have a love-hate relationship with work. It defines us, it gives purpose. Without it we are in trouble; and yet it can be so difficult to control. As a barrister in the North-east of England for fifteen years I thrived on the adrenaline, the camaraderie, the clients and – yes, okay – […]
Is there really such a thing as work/life balance? I don’t know. What I do know is that a balance is usually between two things that are quite different to each other. Some would have it that it’s a balance between opposites. If that was the case, then we should rename work/life balance the death/life […]
Over a coffee recently, a group of my friends was discussing a new “what the heck am I doing?” trend emerging among our cohort of working parents. The topic was sparked by one super busy-professional-mother-of-young-children friend who was continually interrupted by her not-so-subtle vibrating iPhone. Did I mention that she, like the rest of us […]
Following on from ‘On Having It All – Part 1’, Abbie discusses some ideas for the future of work life balance and how we can move this debate forward. [hr] Anne-Marie Slaughter’s article ‘Why Women Still Can’t Have It All’, has certainly stirred a now bubbling work life balance pot. From her perspective “the women who have managed […]
I was thrilled to be featured in the Sunday Mail article ‘Work. Life, Family And All That’, written by Genevieve Meegan (along with a gorgeous photo of myself and my daughter Harper, left). I was in very good company, sharing the page with Gale Edwards, Christine Zeitz, Suzy Reintals, Natasha Scott-Despoja and Antoinette Jones. The article […]
A beautiful quote which we can all take to heart. From Gwyneth’s interview with Harper’s Bazaar. You can also visit Gwyneth Paltrow’s website www.goop.com
For my birthday Tim treated us to dinner and a night at the movies. We decided to go and see The Hunger Games, even though I had really wanted to read the book by Suzanne Collins beforehand – it’s just a general life policy I have to try to read the book before the film! However, this wasn’t […]
Welcome to our latest ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile, brought to you by Rachael Bermingham from Rachael Bermingham Books. Often we are so caught up in our busy lives we don’t take a step back to see what is going well and how we might improve. Our Balance Beam profiles aim is to inspire you to […]
Welcome to our latest ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile, brought to you by Magda D’Abaco from iBare Giftware in Victoria. We have had such great feedback to our ‘Balance Beam’ posts. It is wonderful to have an insight into what other organisation’s are doing and be inspired to think more about what we can do. Do you […]
Welcome to our latest ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile, brought to you by Kim Tyrer from Galafrey Wines in Western Australia. We have had such great feedback to our ‘Balance Beam’ posts. It is wonderful to have an insight into what other organisation’s are doing and be inspired to think more about what we […]
Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the Crows Foundation Ladies Luncheon. The room was full of energetic, happy, generous women; it was a wonderful afternoon. The lunch was chock full of action, including an auction, a Liza Emanuele fashion parade, and a silent auction (which we were proud to contribute to). The highlight for me however, was […]
I’m always interested when I hear women talking about how little time they have for the everyday things … especially themselves! Of course, I come from an era when women always had time! Although I do remember my mother rushing around to organise the house for when my father got home; she used to go […]
I don’t know about you, but after a busy day, I just don’t have the energy to spend a few more hours preparing dinner. Today we’re all so frantic dashing between family, work, keeping up with our blogs and social media profiles, and trying to keep fit and healthy, that cooking tends to take a […]
1. Adelaide to Naracoorte Adelaide to Keith Keith to Padthaway Padthaway to Naracoorte Adelaide is full of tours and picture perfect scenerywhere memories are made. You can visit the Adelaide Central Market, which is open Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. This market is the largest produce market in the Southern Hemisphere. This wonder is sure to take […]
I recently read a great post and video blog, ‘Why Setting Boundaries Is Key On The Road To Job Happiness’ by Jenn Korducki Krenn of the website Dream Champs. It immediately resonated with me and reminded me of my earlier working life. How many of you have experienced the situation of sitting at your desk until 6, […]
Welcome to our latest ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile, brought to you by Tanya Titman from Consolid8. We will be regularly placing our focus on organisations from Australia, New Zealand and around the globe who are implementing work life balance initiatives into their organisation. Our aim is to inspire you to seek greater work life […]
Take this test to see how much of a Pro you are at juggling: Could you cook dinner, supervise homework, do a set of squats, clean the kitchen benches and have a phone conversation? Could you drive, listen to a business webinar, put your makeup on at traffic lights and do your pelvic floor exercises? […]
Money has been at the forefront of many people’s minds over the past few years with job instability, changes in tax, and decreasing pay cheques etc. It is understandable that the change in the economy has not passed without leaving a negative effect on our financial mindsets. However, I would like to instil the confidence to accept […]
At the start of the year Tim and I were advised that the office space that we utilised was no longer going to be available. It wasn’t a complete surprise, and in one sense it seemed like perfect timing, as we were actually moving house the following week. However, one of the main reasons we were moving was […]
A recent survey reported in The Herald Sun shows that 40 per cent of non-working mums feel stigmatised for staying at home and 58 per cent of working mothers feel labelled as not taking parenting seriously. In the last ten years, more and more mums are returning to work earlier. 10% return to work in […]
We have been fortunate enough to receive coverage via a number of media outlets and blogs over recent times. In case you have missed these, here are the links below. You can also see all our media coverage since we started in 2004 by clicking here. Lifestyle Elements launches Corporate Concierge Service In-Business Magazine […]
It’s about now that your new year’s resolution to be healthy is wearing off and the realisation hits that you can’t maintain this healthy lifestyle and do all the other things you want or need to do. This whole idea of becoming healthy, losing weight, looking nicely tight and toned, eating right and quitting various […]
Some of my concierge colleagues recently shared an article from the Sunday Herald Sun entitled ‘Experts warn of the perils of outsourcing your life’. “The perils of outsourcing? Really?” (For those of you who are Modern Family fans, picture Cam saying “Really Mitchell? Really?”). I ask you to please refer below for the definition of […]
Corporate Concierge services are still a very new concept in Australia and New Zealand. Many people view it as a luxury and can’t understand why they would offer a Corporate Concierge service in their organisation. We have had such positive responses from the organisations we have worked for that we wanted to share with you 5 […]
Welcome to our latest ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile, brought to you by Rod Sherwin from Tap4Health. This post is another great example of how you can incorporate different work life balance initiatives into your organisation, in particular from the perspective of someone working a full-time job and growing their own business aswell. Would like your organisation […]
“If you want to be an effective leader, start leading the way with regular breaks. “ This quote comes from the blog post ‘Take A Break! Bad Things Rarely Happen” by Tristan White, CEO of the Physio Co. which also happens to be one of Australia’s Top 20 Places to Work. It’s the final line in the […]
Welcome to our latest ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile, brought to you by Kailah Shannon from Coffee Secrets. Once again we provide you with a fabulous insight into an organisation implementing work life balance initiatives. Our aim is to inspire you to seek greater work life balance inside and outside your business. I hope you enjoy […]
On New Year’s Eve the clock struck midnight. Firework displays lit the sky. Celebrations with family and friends were in full swing and you may have even had your midnight kiss from that special someone. 2012 kicked in and with it comes the excitement of newness and dreams. You make your New Year’s Resolutions with […]
The vision of working at home in your PJ’s with fluffy slippers may be what pops into your head at first with the occasional break to watch Oprah. However in reality working from home is more demanding of you as an individual than any role where you have the support and guidance of co-workers. Is […]
Welcome to our latest ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile, brought to you by Susanne Thiebe from LessMess. We regularly place our focus on organisations from Australia, New Zealand and around the globe who are implementing work life balance initiatives into their organisation. Our aim is to inspire you to seek greater work life balance inside and […]
Welcome to our latest ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile, brought to you by Janene Samuel from Gametag. We are getting a great response from our readers to these profiles where we place our focus on organisations from Australia, New Zealand and around the globe who are implementing work life balance initiatives into their organisation. Our aim is […]
Frantic? Can’t possibly take anything out of your schedule? Modern life is flat out, and that’s that. Or is it? Have a look through the following ‘types’ of busy (adapted from Soul Sisters Empowerment Groups), and see if you can identify your own style. ‘Badge-of-honour’ Busy Being busy equals being significant. Keeping your schedule jam-packed […]
I was inspired to write this post after reading Gretchen Rubin’s interview with Rachel Bertsche on her blog The Happiness Project. In the post Gretchen asks Rachel a number of questions around happiness, one being ‘Is there a happiness mantra or motto that you’ve found very helpful?’ Rachel’s answer was the inspiration for this post today – “These […]
Welcome to our latest ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile, our first from South Australia, brought to you by Stephan Knoll from Barossa Fine Foods. We will be regularly placing our focus on organisations from Australia, New Zealand and around the globe who are implementing work life balance initiatives into their organisation. Our aim is to inspire you […]
I work part time from home, which has it’s positives and certainly it’s challenges. Lately, I’ve been thinking about the differences between working full time and part time. I’ve come to realise it’s not just about the physical hours you put in, there is a mental or ‘thinking’ component that has to be considered. My biggest challenge as a […]
Welcome to our latest ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile, brought to you by Amanda Tallent from Bennetts Boots Wide Calf Boots. It provides a great insight into the work life balance issues of organisations with seasonal staff. We will be regularly placing our focus on organisations from Australia, New Zealand and around the globe who […]
Welcome to our latest ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile, brought to you by Katrina Nelson and Lisa Nisbet from Spot The Dog Walker. How are you been enjoying our ‘Balance Beam’ series so far? We would love to hear from you. It is great each week to read about what different organisations are doing around Australia and […]
Prior to 1969, an impossible thought was landing on the moon and mankind achieved that feat. So with the utmost respect achieving balance in your life in 2011 is absolutely possible. And the good news is that you don’t need to be a NASA rocket scientist, you just need to have a plan and remain […]
Welcome to our first ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile for 2012, brought to you by Rebecca Bastiaensz from Forage Cereal. We have had a lot of positive response to our Balance Beam series, and look forward to presenting you many more organisations who are implementing work life balance initiatives into their organisation. Our aim is to inspire […]
Yes, I’m actually writing a blog post about Giggle & Hoot! And no, 12 months ago I had no idea who Jimmy Giggle & Hoot The Owl were! For those who don’t have kids or grandkids, or who are reading this blog post outside of Australia, Giggle & Hoot are TV presenters on the ABC’s […]
I thought I would recap our posts from 2011, highlighting some of the more popular ones, and some of my favourites. I would love to hear your thoughts, and if you think any others should be added to the list, please let me know! Please leave your comments below. 2011’s Most Popular Posts Lessons […]
You may have read my previous post Lessons from Grief and Suicide about the death of my brother Max. I had an amazing response to that post and one friend sent me through the following blog post – The Lost Tale from the Roadburn Cafe by Melanie Safka. I particularly enjoyed this article by Lucy Cornes (wife […]
I grew up in a home where being late was not an option. If we had to be at a certain place at 3:00 p.m., then we were at that certain place at 3:00 p.m. For a short time, I believed that everyone was like that. I believed that no one was late, that everyone […]
As a mompreneur balance is something that I consider often – whether it is more or less than any working mom is also something that I consider. It does seem to be a much sought after result – balance is something that I have been chasing my whole life – balancing my studies, friends, chores, job […]
Don’t to forget to share this post with your followers and friends! [twitter style=”horizontal” text=”Share on Twitter!” float=”left”] [fbshare type=”button” float=”left”][hr]by Sally Symonds, Healthy Life Mentor and author of “50 Steps to Lose 50kg . . . And Keep It Off” & “50+ Recipes to Lose 50kg . . . And Keep It Off” One in […]
Don’t to forget to share this post with your followers and friends! [twitter style=”horizontal” text=”Share on Twitter!” float=”left”] [fbshare type=”button” float=”left”][hr] It seems like the harder we try to achieve it, the busier, more stressed and exhausted we become. You only have to Google ‘Work Life Balance’ (over 32 million results) to know it’s something […]
It is now well known that keeping the mind healthy and happy can benefit a person’s overall health. Therefore, one of the most common tools I use to assist my clients to create perfect health is by promoting the regular practice of meditation. A common objection, for those who have not done it before, is […]
Prior to 1969, an impossible thought was landing on the moon and mankind achieved that feat. So with the utmost respect achieving balance in your life in 2011 is absolutely possible. And the good news is that you don’t need to be a NASA rocket scientist, you just need to have a plan and remain disciplined. […]
Welcome to our latest ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile, brought to you by Kathyrn Williams from Youth Off The Streets. Already our Balance Beam profiles have provided inspiration and ideas to our readers seeking to improve work life balance in their organisations and every day lives. I hope you enjoy this latest ‘Balance Beam’ profile, and […]
I am a regular reader of Red Balloon CEO Naomi Simson’s blog. She provides wonderful insights into the world of an entrepreneur, as well as offering interesting commentary on relevant workplace issues. One of her recent blog posts Free Childcare for all Australians particularly struck a chord with me. As many of you know, I am […]
We have had a great response to our Balance Beam series and are excited to present to you this week our sixth profile, brought to you by Imelda Argel from Imelda Argel & Associates. Imelda’s profile particularly focuses on her development on an internship program, and interesting way to enable better balance and reduce pressure on staff. We […]
Welcome to our latest ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile, brought to you by Max Australia & Spectrum Communications from Max Australia & Spectrum Communications. We will be regularly placing our focus on organisations from Australia, New Zealand and around the globe who are implementing work life balance initiatives into their organisation. Our aim is […]
It won’t come as a surprise to those who know me that I am a bit of a gadget geek. I also regularly have good intentions about my health and fitness, but only sometimes can I commit and achieve my goals (the positive being that I do sometimes achieve my goals). Therefore, I really enjoyed […]
Welcome to our latest ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile, brought to you by Angie “Speedy” Spiteri from Time Equals Money. Lifestyle Elements is passionate about showcasing organisations from Australia, New Zealand and around the globe who are implementing work life balance initiatives into their organisation. Our aim is to inspire you to seek greater work […]
Welcome to our latest ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile, brought to you by Linda from Family Capers. We will be regularly placing our focus on organisations from Australia, New Zealand and around the globe who are implementing work life balance initiatives into their organisation. Our aim is to inspire you to seek greater work life […]
Did you know that employees who have control over the design and organisation of their personal workspace are happier, healthier and up to 32% more productive? Research conducted with over 2000 office workers, by Dr Craig Knight from the University of Exeter in the UK, reveals that simply allowing employees to enrich their workspaces using […]
Welcome to our latest ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile, brought to you by Shona Mackin from Socialface. We will be regularly placing our focus on organisations from Australia, New Zealand and around the globe who are implementing work life balance initiatives into their organisation. Our aim is to inspire you to seek greater work life balance inside and […]
Welcome to our very first ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile, brought to you by Claire from Maxted Thomas.PR. We will be regularly placing our focus on organisations from Australia, New Zealand and around the globe who are implementing work life balance initiatives into their organisation. Our aim is to inspire you to seek greater work life balance […]
According to various sources, the majority of people would like better work life balance. However, have you ever taken the time to clearly describe what that would mean for you? What would be your ideal balanced day? It was Nigel Marsh, the Regional Group CEO of Young and Rubicam Brands for Australia & New Zealand, who got me thinking about […]
One of the problems with being a personal concierge is that, as we are able to help with so many things, often people just don’t know where to start! Hopefully the list below will help with some ideas, get the juices flowing, and you can knock a few things off your ‘to do’ list by […]
There are certainly some people who come into our lives for a reason. A little under two years ago, I was lucky enough to be introduced to an amazing woman by the name of Elizabeth Manley. At the time she was simply introduced to me as an elderly lady whom would be a new client […]
Or outsource the small stuff first! We all know about spring cleaning our house (whether we do it is another matter) but have you ever tried to spring clean your to do list? Yes, I realise it isn’t spring, but winter is actually the perfect time to spring clean (not sure if winter clean is […]
I have previously written a post about ‘workaholics’ in response to the book Rework by 37Signals – you can read that post here. It was therefore interesting to read this article on the Sydney Morning Herald website entitled ‘The Workaholic Nation’ by Judith Ireland. The article is focused on the sense of pride many of […]
Emma is a full-time Nutrition and Dietetics student which can be monotonous at times, but working casually for Lifestyle Elements as an assistant personal concierge makes her days exciting, challenging and rewarding. Although no day is the exactly the same for a personal concierge, here is an example of what Emma might do on a […]
I recently read (ok, I actually listened to it on my iPod) a book called Rework. The book is by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson who are the founders of 37Signals. I particularly enjoyed the book and found their take on work and entrepreneurism refreshing, logical and, personally, quite freeing. My take on it is, just because […]
Lifestyle Elements (along with a great picture of myself and baby Harper!) were lucky enough to be featured in South Australia’s ‘The Advertiser’ newspaper yesterday. The topic of the article was ‘Australian working mums spending just 15 hours with their children’. There were many (many) comments on the article on both www.adelaidenow.com.au and facebook, which obviously stirred […]
Well, almost anything! Sometimes, one of the biggest stumbling blocks when delegating work to someone else is worrying about what they’ll think. We find this a lot in our role as a personal concierge. “Won’t they wonder why I don’t do it myself?” “Won’t they think this is a waste of time?” “Isn’t this a […]
A few years ago one of our clients recounted a women’s networking lunch she had recently been to. The women on her table were all very successful in business and had achieved highly in their various areas of expertise. What our client couldn’t get over were the comments they were making, such as “….and I still […]
Yes, offering flexible working hours is a fantastic initiative for those organisations and job roles where it is an option. I am particularly passionate about organisations ensuring that staff work hours are managed appropriately, to avoid the inevitable burn out. However, what about those organisations or job roles where flexible working hours just don’t work. […]
Hired help eases the work strain Cara Jenkin, CareerOne Editor | From: The Advertiser | December 28, 2010 HELPING OUT: Concierge Emma Jones with Internode chief executive Patrick Tapper and chief operations officer Liz Cornelissen. Picture: DEAN MARTIN Source: The Advertiser EMPLOYERS are hiring personal concierges for staff to help them so […]
Lifestyle Elements was recently featured in an article for Body & Soul. The question they were asking was “Are we more stressed than in the 60’s?”. What do you think? As mentioned in the article “we have appliances to do our chores, more leisure time than ever before and the technology to do almost anything […]
By Abbie Allen If would like to use the following article in your publication please contact Abbie Allen Traditionally, the concierge was the guardian of the castle and ‘keeper of the keys’. The concierge was responsible for greeting and looking after guests and members of the household. Today, this tradition of assisting and caring has […]
By Abbie Allen If would like to use the following article in your publication please contact Abbie Allen As featured in ‘Inner West BEC – Small Business Matters – Volume 1 No. 10 May 2004’ It’s the choice entrepreneurs make when they start their own business. We give up free time, leisure time and family […]