In life, it is all about "Balance". Are you a working parent who trying to balance both work and family responsibilities?
Working and managing a family is difficult to balance, and it
comes with numerous challenges. Maintaining a work-family balance is important
to your professional success and overall quality of life. Many technology improvements
have reduced people's chores while also allowing them to stay connected to their
works. Finding a healthy work-family balance, on the other hand, might be challenging
when your professional duties extend into your personal time.
This article will help you to understand what work-family
balance is, why it is important, and how to achieve it.
You can also read: Parenting Stress: What Causes It And How To Handle Parenting Stress
Children And Technology: Is It Harmful For Children To Use Technology
What Is Work-Family Life Balance?
Work-family life balance refers to how you prioritize and
schedule your work and personal lives. Achieving a healthy work-family balance
does not mean an equal balance. As your priorities change, so will the way you
balance your work and family commitments. However, achieving this balance and
adapting it to your changing priorities will allow you to be more confident and
productive while still having a satisfying life outside of work.
What Is The Importance Of Work-Family Balance?
Increased productivity, higher work engagement, lower stress,
and more time to spend on leisure activities are all advantages of scheduling
or prioritizing work and family balance. Working parents who can achieve a
healthy work-family balance are generally happier, healthier, more focused, and
less likely to miss work. If you are having trouble balancing work and family
life, talk to your partner about strategies for achieving work-family balance.
7 Strategies To Balance Work And Family Life
Managing work and family life is a challenge for almost all
families. When both parents work, it can be difficult to balance work and other
responsibilities
1. Focus on Priorities and Schedule Accordingly
With so many expectations on our shoulders, it is difficult
to be everything to everyone. I understand you have a variety of roles and
goals in your life, such as wishing to be successful at work, have a healthy
relationship bonding, be an involved parent, and so on. You may also have
dreams of furthering your education, maintaining a home, and so on. All of
these responsibilities eat up your time and energy and they often overlap.
Because there are only 24 hours in a day, you must consider
your goals and set priorities and schedules based on them. For example, if
"being an involved parent" is one of your top priorities, set aside
time each night to play and spend quality time with your children.
2. Make a list of " What you want to do" and " When you want to do it"
The majority of working people are usually busy on weekdays. You
can reduce the stress of the upcoming weekdays by planning and preparing the
weekdays routine during the weekend. For example, keep a family calendar plan
and schedule things for weekdays and paste them on the fridge or any common
wall. Look at what is on your "To-do list" for the week over the
weekend and make plans for how you will handle it.
You can do some pre-preparations for the upcoming week, such
as grocery shopping, meal preparation, and creating a food menu list, among
other things. You can ask for the support of your older children(if you have) to
complete these tasks; this will provide an activity for them while also
allowing you to spend quality time with them.
3. Create a Daily Routine in your Life
Make a plan and set aside time to spend with your family.
Create a movie or game night with the family, have dinner together as a family,
have a family conversation, and so on.
Note: Parents, when spending time with your children and
family, please try to avoid all distractions such as television, mobile phone, and
other pass times. Most importantly, try to keep your plans as much as possible
when planning day-out activities.
4. Tell your Children about your Professional Life or Work Experience
Parents, your children should understand that they are a
priority in your life through your words, but it is also necessary to let them
know that your work is also equally important to you. Discuss your job with your
children, including what you do and how you do it, and if possible, take them
to see where you work. When you share a part of your professional life with
your children, they are more likely to understand.
5. Take Care of Your own well-being (Me-Time)
Taking care of yourself is important and a top priority. You know
what, taking care of work, children, and managing various other duties can
leave you physically and mentally tired. Allow yourself some time to heal and
refresh.
A quick outing with friends or family, going to a fitness
class, sitting down and watching a movie or your favorite drama or series after
the kids are in bed, and so on can help relieve the stress that a busy schedule
brings. Remember that if you take care of yourself, you will be better able to
take care of others you care about.
6. Develop the Confidence to Say "No"
Saying "no" can be difficult, especially when you
are dealing with your higher officials. However, learning when to say
"no" is important for balancing work and family life. When your
answer to any assignment or work is always "yes" you may start feeling
overwhelmed by your increasing workload, which can lead to stress and decreased
productivity.
To avoid an embarrassing situation like this, check your
schedule and make sure that you have enough time to do additional work. If you are not sure you would not able to do
another work, tell your higher official right away and thank them for taking
the time to consider you.
7. Understand that Imbalance is Unavoidable at Times
When you are trying to strike a balance between work and
family, you will find that you have to let work or family take priority on
occasion. It is impossible to strike the right balance in your life at all
times. For example, you may need to miss an important meeting because your
child is sick, or you may need to miss your family dinner time at home because
an important project has a deadline. As a result, learn to deal with the fact
that imbalance is sometimes unavoidable.
Things To Avoid If You Are A Working Parent
Working parents should avoid doing the following things as
much as possible:
* Do not bring professional work to home; instead, try to
complete your work on time in the office
* Avoid over-scheduling yourself. It is sometimes acceptable
if your home is not properly cleaned. Accept the fact that, you would not be
able to complete everything in 24 hours
* Do not expect everything to go according to plan. You may
find yourself in a situation where you must adjust your plans at the last
minute. For example, an unexpected guest could change or break your day
Final Thought
It is not simple to find a balance between work and family.
Every individual and family must find unique solutions to their difficulties
based on their personal preferences and requirements. In general, a work-family
balance occurs when a person is able to effectively satisfy family
responsibilities while also performing work responsibilities.