Balancing Work and Home Responsibilities
Recently, I have had a few clients that have asked “How do I maintain my sanity when working from home. How to I create work life balance?” It may sound like a simple request, but it can be quite challenging, especially if you don’t create boundaries.
If there’s only one piece of advice I could offer right now, it would be prioritise. And that is because life is never one dimensional. There are layers and ‘important’ things will always come up!
Your life is interesting and fulfilling because of variety. The professional and personal aspects of your life make every day worth living. Now all you really need to do is learn how to balance it all.
Train yourself to balance life’s demands by implementing these effective habits:
Prioritize. Although you may be a little hesitant to go through this step, it’s vital. If you don’t prioritise you will be constantly juggling your time and you will feel like life is out of control.
Do you find yourself putting greater effort into your career? Perhaps that’s where your passion lies right now. It’s important to come to terms with that.
Have you experienced being at work and contemplating where to take your kids this weekend? Maybe that’s truly your focus, and that’s okay too! A tip for new players. Don’t try to do everything at the same time. It will only lead to burn out and you feeling less than what you are. I did that early in my career with young kids, and I can say, looking back it did adversely affect my children and my bond with them.
The first step is determining what’s more important to you. After you’ve done that, consider whether you can afford to be in that position. If there are factors pointing to unrealistic priorities, be honest with yourself. Put first things first!
Create a distinction. Now that you’ve outlined your priorities, your next task is to ensure the responsibilities are properly distinguished. Are there certain responsibilities which really shouldn’t be on your radar right now?
Earning another degree can certainly add to your qualifications, but is the timing right? If your job is already fulfilling, how about putting off more schooling for now? Use your time wisely so you can balance professional and personal responsibilities.
It’s great if your kids can participate in tons of extracurricular activities. But do you have the time to attend all the games and recitals? Meet them halfway by limiting the activities or share the responsibilities with your spouse.
Stick to a dedicated schedule. It’s only fair to give each aspect of your life the time it deserves. Once you’ve identified the priorities, avoid allowing both areas of your life to intertwine.
If you’ve allocated three hours each evening to those special people in your life, ensure you stick to that. This will keep your relationships intact.
Sure, unexpected occurrences may pop up at work and throw your plans out of whack. But what’s important is that you make the effort to stick to schedules as much as possible.
Make it worth your while. When you’ve identified set windows of time for specific responsibilities, maintain your focus and follow through.
If it’s time for work, make it all about work. Try to produce your best quality and get the best results. That way, you’ll feel at ease when you’re ready to move on to your personal time. You’ll rest better knowing you’ve given your best at work.
The same thing goes for personal time. Turn off the television. Silence your cell phone. Shut down your computer. Allow yourself to take care of personal responsibilities without interruption.
When you practice these tips regularly, you’ll find is that it gets a little easier each day to balance these two different areas of your life.
Soon, you’ll be able to handle any unexpected circumstance without getting flustered because you have a good handle on balancing your work and home lives.
