5 simple ways to balance your work and family life.
One of the most challenging aspects of parenting is finding that balance between work and family life. It can be a struggle to focus on your career while you have many family responsibilities at home. At the same time, a hectic work schedule can get in the way of spending quality time with your family. However, achieving work life balance is certainly not an impossible task. Here are 5 simple ways to balance your work and family life.
Schedule Fun Family Activities
To ensure you get that quality family time, make it a priority to schedule a fun family bonding activity each week, whether it be a movie night, a weekly games night or a picnic on the beach. Perhaps you could find a fun physical activity that you can all enjoy together on the weekends, like bike riding, hiking or swimming. Mark it down in your calendar so that these activities become a regular part of your schedule. During this time, set aside any work demands, put your phone away and focus solely on being with your family. It’s important to have a time during the week where you can forget all about work and just have fun with your partner and kids.
Communicate with Your Boss
If balancing work and family is really becoming a struggle, it may be a good idea to ask your boss about your company’s policies on working from home. Be open with your boss and inquire whether it’s possible to have a more flexible work schedule. If you’re a strong employee and have been working at the company for a while, you may have a good chance at negotiating an arrangement that will work. You could begin by suggesting a trial period so that you can demonstrate that the arrangement won’t get in the way of work productivity.
Make Time for Exercise
As a working parent, it’s easy to forget to focus on yourself. Family responsibilities and work commitments often get in the way of good self-care. Doing exercise each day will help reduce stress and ensure you stay in good physical health. A healthy mind and body will ultimately make it easier to deal with work and life demands.
Limit Distractions
One of the best ways to achieve work life balance is to limit your distractions as much as possible. At work, it’s easy to get distracted by time wasting activities, whether it’s by gossiping with co-workers or casually surfing the internet. This reduces your productivity throughout the day, which means you have more to stress about when you’re at home. It’s crucial to eliminate any distractions so that you can get more done throughout the work day and prioritize your family at home. Once you’re at home, try make it a priority to focus on your family. Turn off your work email notifications and set a time to deal with them at work.
Get Support
It’s only natural to feel guilty when work begins to take over your family life. If you have young kids to look after on top of work, it can all become too much. Sometimes all you need is a little support from the people around you, whether it be your parents, neighbors, good friends or hired help. Always make sure to ask for help when you need it. Having that extra support system will make things much less hectic at home. Don’t hesitate to talk to other parents for support and advice about balancing work and family.