Is Your Work-Life Safety Net Showing Signs Of Stress?

By Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter, MRW

The parallels between the job search and life itself can be quite indistinguishable. So much of what the job seeker goes through can easily be supported by adopting attitudes that relate directly to success in other parts of your life. Consider the following message and see if you agree.

High wire acts aren't as common as they once were, and that's really too bad. Those of you fortunate enough to have ever seen one live may recall the crowd-wide gasps when the performer would seemingly make a misstep while negotiating the chasm between platforms. Thankfully, and to the delight of those witnessing these performances, the athletes attempting these acts rarely fell from their lofty path.

Your life, and your career transition, may well be served by reflecting on these intrepid individuals and remembering that life itself is a balancing act with much worse consequences than landing in a safety net when that balance is upset.

If you think things seem a little more off balance lately in our society, you may be right. The human race has generally decided to focus only on the easy or fun parts, while leaving what is considered the drudgery or less glamorous parts of life on a heap for someone else to deal with.

The problem with this attitude is the severe lack of balance it creates for all of us. The safety net below is showing real signs of stress and strain as this prevalent attitude causes it to fill with those who couldn't or wouldn't recover from their own missteps.

Below, you will find two columns that may help you to achieve the balance we all seek.

This is by no means an all-inclusive list and you can probably come up with several more examples on your own. But it just might be a great place to start if you don't want to be the next occupant in an already crowded net.

As the year draws to a close, take a moment to take stock of what may be out of balance in your own life, and career. If the wire you're walking seems to be getting narrower with each step, it may be time to find out what's missing on the other side and adjust yourself accordingly.

Next: 10 Most Stressful Jobs Of 2012

Don't Miss: Companies Hiring Now

Stories from Glassdoor.com

• Is University Of Phoenix A Good Place To Work?
• Looks For The Companies With The Smudged Glass Doors
• Major Considerations When Choosing A Major For Today's College Student