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5 Things to Remember for a Work-Life Integration That Works 

In a recent Thrive session, we were joined by Stacie Barber, an integrative Lifestyle + Wellness Coach, who specializes in working with women on work-life integration by providing practical techniques and tools to increase overall mental wellness, increase productivity and prevent burnout.

Are you surprised to hear that the entire room was packed full of women? We weren’t either. 

Stacie’s passion for helping women like me find balance in our busy lives was amazing! Here are five easy words of wisdom that I took away from this session and will most definitely be utilizing them in my life. (Pstt…you should too!) 

Visualize your ideal self. 

This is not to be confused with envisioning a picture of you in a magazine photoshopped with a plastic smile and a “perfect” life. Nope, not that at all. This is the real you we are talking about. 

Visualize yourself in a happy moment doing what you love with the people you love – that’s where the true magic happens. Our brains think in images and the more positive we can be in our imagery, the truer it will become in our lives.  

“Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.” – Lao Tzu 

Give yourself the opportunity to take off one hat before putting on another. 

This is such a great way to say it’s okay to take a couple of extra breaths on the car ride home from work before your kids greet you at the front door. It’s okay to take a walk and listen to your favorite podcast before starting dinner after a busy day.  

Pro Tip from Stacie – give yourself some grace to be selfish at times! 

Treat self-care like a doctor’s appointment. 

I am pretty sure I heard a few “amens” in the crowd after Stacie said this. As women, we are so guilty of putting everyone or everything before ourselves – whether that be a partner, animal, child, work or other family. 

Next time you put off something as simple as morning yoga before anyone wakes up or a trip to your favorite gym class, remember that you aren’t just hurting your mental health and depleting your cup, you are also leaving less availability for you to be able to fill up other cups around you.  

When your mental health is at its best, your life and others around you will be better for it! 

Take current guilt over future resentment. 

So many of us feel guilty on the rare days we make time for something that we want to do. Stacie reinforced that you should never apologize for doing something for you. In that moment you may feel guilty and think about all of the other things you “should” be doing, but that also can lead to a deeper more evil occurrence that will slowly start to creep in…resentment. Not only will resentment have longer lasting effects than the temporary guilt we are feeling, it will cause more damage than good. 

Moral of the story – take some time for you! Even if it’s 5 minutes. 

We can be mirrors to other women in our lives.

Every time I attend a Thrive event, I’m always amazed at how incredible the women in the room are. Their passions for ensuring that every woman in that room has the tools to be their best self is truly inspiring. 

As they say, “The proof is in the pudding.” 

If you see a woman who appears like she is thriving in her career while also staying true to herself, you tend to want to be more like that woman.

If you are a leader who prioritizes work/life balance and encourages your staff to leave on time every day, the staff will more than likely follow that mindset in their careers. 

If you are a woman who always seems positive and gives great advice to those around you, more than likely there is someone around you who is thinking about how they can be that for someone else and continue to spread the contagious energy.


I know I can speak on behalf of all attendees when I say that all of us in that room needed to hear these words of wisdom from Stacie Barber. Let’s all hold ourselves accountable to live our best lives. View upcoming events.

Posted on
April 4th 2022
Written by
Madison Beard
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