November 2010 - Issue 77 - www.clareevans.co.uk

Hello ,

Last week I attended the IFALife Social Media in Financial Services 2 - a great seminar aimed at the Financial Services industry but with plenty of information relevant to anyone thinking of or currently using social media in their business.

If you're in the industry make sure you don't miss out on Social Media in FS3 - find out more on IFALife.

This month's special offer - return your completed Time Audit by the end of the month and you'll be entered into a draw for a signed copy of Time Management For Dummies AND a Time Audit Feedback session.

Return your Audit and you'll also get free feedback on your Audit results with tips and ideas for easy ways to save you more time.

Take a listen to my podcast - Top Tips Part 2 on Freelance Advisor.

This month's media mentions:

- BBC News Magazine:
Going for a smoke
End of term already
- Contribution in November's Red magazine.
- Contribution in December's Men's Health magazine.

Keep in touch with what I'm up to and get extra news and tips from my blog or Follow me on Twitter.

Enjoy the rest of this month's newsletter.

Clare

P.S. Feel free to pass this newsletter on to friends and colleagues.

"The only constant is change".

Change is something that affects all of us throughout our lives. In the current economic climate, many people are going through enforced change - either through redundancy, changing jobs, down-sizing or moving house. Loss of a loved one through death or divorce also results in a major life change.

Change can affect you in different ways and your ability to cope varies from the type of person you are, how strong you feel, what else is going on for you and your level of stress.

When you experience change there is a natural curve with six main stages you go through. How quickly you progress and the intensity of each stage will vary from one person to another.

Managing the change process is important in helping you and others to deal with it and move through it.

Shock and Denial - when you first hear the news of a change you experience shock, denial, confusion, fear, numbness and blame. There's a sense of loss and fear, a disruption to the 'status quo'.

How often do you hear people say "I can't believe this is happening" or appear cold, unemotional and not react?

Anger/Resistance - this often follows after the initial shock. Feelings of frustration, anxiety, irritation, embarrassment and shame with resistance to the change.  Taking it out on or blaming someone else for the situation you're in. This stage can go on for some time.

Dialogue/Bargaining - as you come to terms with the situation you are more likely to be able to talk about it. Often the healing part of the process happens when you are willing to talk about what's happened and get involved.

Depression - at the bottom of the curve comes a sense of overwhelm and helplessness. This may result in a complete inability to function and no energy or motivation to do anything.  People may withdraw - physically and mentally and emotionally.

Many people who have been through change and emotional upheaval find it helps to share their experience with others either in a support group or with a professional.

Acceptance - at this stage you're ready to accept what has happened, start to explore new options and put plans in place for the future. It becomes easier to think more positively.

Commit to a new normality - while 'normality' may not be possible in some cases of loss, once you accept the situation, moving forward to a more secure and meaningful existence becomes possible.

People will also move forward and back within the curve as they adjust to the change. They may pass through some stages more quickly than others or get stuck at a particular point. If they don't know how to move on, this can hold them back for months and even years.

If you're going through a period of change and you're having trouble dealing with it, don't be afraid to ask for help and support. Talk to a professional or someone who isn't closely involved. They'll be able to help you move through the curve more quickly.

Change can be tough but the quicker you learn to deal with it, the quicker you will be able to move on and grow stronger as a result.

Give me a call or email me if you'd like to book up a free Strategy Session and don't forget to send me your completed Time Audit - www.clareevans.co.uk.

Until next month.