Building Your Support Network
by Renee Peterson Trudeau

Opportunities like the Texas Conference for Women help us connect with our peers and find resources and tools to help build our personal and professional support networks. Having a support system can have a huge impact on how you experience day-to-day life.

Research shows that individuals who have robust support systems:

• are more effective at work and at home (they feel as if they have a “team” behind them and that they’re not all alone)
• keep resolutions, particularly those involving their health and physical well-being
• weather personal and professional challenges more easily
• are less likely to feel overwhelmed and find it easier to maintain perspective
• stay healthier on all levels—mentally, physically and emotionally
• are less likely to feel isolated (isolation can lead to feelings of despair and failure)
• experience less stress and burnout.
• have children who are comfortable asking for and receiving support and help from others

To help you understand the importance of your support network, try the following exercise: Draw a large circle and visualize yourself standing in the middle. Divide your circle or “support wheel” into four categories: self, work/community, family/marriage and household. Create your personal support network by filling in the four quadrants as needed. (Refer to the list below for ideas or come up with your own list.)

A few things to keep in mind when
creating your support network:

• Everyone’s support system will look different; this is about what you need to feel fully supported where you are right now.
• Your support system will change depending on your life stage, current needs, and the age of your children and parents (if you’re involved in their care, as well).
• Choose friends/colleagues whom you admire for their experience/insight and enlist the support of those whose lives reflect the values/beliefs you admire.
• Your support system may/may not include your family—they are only one of the many resources listed above!
• Consider how you want to turn this support wheel into something you’ll use every day (a list of phone numbers you keep at arm’s reach, a visual chart on your bulletin board in your office or kitchen, etc).

Your personal support system is
not limited to, but may include:

• Professional/personal mentors
• Professional development and networking organizations
• Professional or skills-based teachers, instructors or trainers
• Work/life balance, business or career coach
• Professional peers/colleagues
• Friends with kids
• Friends without kids
• Neighbors
• Play groups
• Parenting groups/activities/instruction/support
• Babysitting co-ops (start one in your neighborhood)
• Child care providers (facilities, home-based, babysitters, etc.) and pediatricians
• Social groups; creative or book/hobby groups; activities just for women or moms
• Therapist, counselor, and/or support groups (12-step and others)
• Spiritual mentors/groups or community
• Financial consultants or advisors
• Online support communities, teleclasses, etc.
• Family members
• Meal co-ops (start one in your neighborhood) and meal delivery programs
• Personal concierge or errand service
• Home care/cleaning and yard care help
• Bodywork and women’s health specialists (physicians, chiropractors, acupuncturists, menopause/hormone health specialists, nutritionists, personal trainers, massage therapists, etc.)

< Return to the newsletter home