You want to be a good wife, a mother and an efficient employee but you can’t seem to find a balance between work and family life?
Here’s good news for you! There are tips to help you reclaim a good work-life balance that enables you to focus on yourself and your relationships.
Finding a balance between work and family life is one of the most daunting tasks for working adults–as more people are finding it a daunting task to fulfil their roles both at home and at the workplace.
As a mother, you want to be at home with your kids more often and at the same time, you want to fulfil your responsibilities at work.
Rather than feeling stressed over a lack of sufficient hours to do all you need, why not focus on doing the best you can do daily with the time you have.
Imagine how relaxed and in control you’d feel!
Here are 11 ways to help you find a balance into your life:
1. Find Quality Childcare
You could ask your network of friends and family for references to nannies, babysitters, and day care centres. Make a list of criteria that are important and then schedule an interview with qualified childcare providers.
This will help you to evaluate if they have excellent experience and are flexible to various age groups like new-borns and older children.
A good childcare provider should have vast experience and an excellent record to prove it. A good day-care facility should also have flexible hours and outdoor space.
2. Create a schedule
Don’t just put together a nonchalant to-do list, go the extra mile and establish a proper schedule for your workday.
For example, if you plan on working for 9 hours, set aside an estimated time for each task you’ve got on your to-do list. Avoid falling into the time-wasting trap of regularly staring at your phone and inbox.
3. Make the Mornings Easier
Get organised the night before and avoid starting the day on a frazzled note. Start with laying out everyone’s cloth for the next day.
You should also make plans on what to make for breakfast and repack your kids’ backpacks –and your purses or work bags so you don’t have to stress yourself the next morning.
This will afford you time to look over the next day’s to-do list.
4. Build downtime into your schedule
When you plan your week, make it a point to schedule time with your family and friends and activities that help you recharge
It is important that you treat your family like they matter.
Map out family events, family time and date nights with your spouse on your calendar in advance every month–and then treat them with importance.
Figure out your family’s priorities like a calendar that includes dates when bills are due, a chore chart for the kids, a list of school extracurricular activities and birthdays.
Set aside 15 minutes each Sunday to review and prepare for the upcoming week’s schedule. This helps eliminate surprises during the week.
4. CUT OUT THE THINGS THAT DON’T ADD VALUE TO YOUR LIFE
Avoid interruptions and distractions especially when spending quality time with your family. Cut down essences that can interfere with family moments like television, Internet, video games, etc.
It is important to manage your time effectively and prioritize family time.
You could be out playing with your kids instead of surfing the net. It’s a good way to pull yourself away from wasting time when you could be spending quality time with your family.
6. Make the most of the family time
Try turning off mobile phones, television and cook a meal together or play board games as families.
Make a list of things you’d like to do together and plan towards it, relaxing together is also valuable.
Making time for your kids is crucial, both during the week and on the weekends, to nurture your family and allow everyone to bond.
Create activities that fit into your schedule like a family breakfast or a family night with board games or movies so that everyone knows what to expect and what to look forward to.
7. Spend Time with Your Partner
Don’t forget to nurture your relationship with your partner. Start by having monthly date nights to get closer and enjoy each other’s company.
This will bring back some excitement to the marriage or partnership and help you to “check in” with each other.
If going out on a monthly date is too expensive, that doesn’t mean you can’t focus on each other. Have an indoor date night by cooking a savoury meal together or even sitting together and talking.
8. Avoid Distractions at Work
Avoid wasting time on activities like spending too much time at work with a colleague who is constantly venting and gossiping.
Although it’s okay to have a rapport with co-workers, but casual Internet surfing, gossiping, and long lunches are distractions that will make you less productive. Focus on your tasks at work and talk to co-workers during breaks.
Also, discipline yourself and set time limits when checking email or making phone calls.
You may even leave work earlier if you make a conscious effort to limit the time you spend on distractions.
9. Outsource some of the house chores
There are a lot of similar little things that can free up your day so you can have more time with your family.
Consider outsourcing any of your time-consuming household chores or errands. You can order your groceries online and have them delivered and have your dry cleaning picked up and dropped off at your home or office.
10. Sleep
Having adequate sleep of at least 8 hours can improve your well-being and productivity.
Try going to bed an hour earlier than usual for a few nights and see how it impacts you the next day. Getting up becomes easier and you’ll have the energy to do more than simply sit and watch TV shows when you get home from work.
11. Make time for yourself
Don’t forget that part of work-life balance is taking time for yourself –especially mothers. Even if you worry about everyone else, don’t forget about yourself.
It is good to have some time to oneself. Since your time is divided between your home and your career, make time to care for yourself so as to feel relaxed and effective.
Treat yourself to a spa day, fit in time for exercise, focus on a hobby, go for a walk or listen to music, remember to eat well and read as well.
No matter what you choose to do with the time you’ve dedicated to yourself, it needs to be a time that is just for you. You deserve a little time for the things that ignite your joy.
You may not have it figured out yet but what counts at the end of the day is doing the best you can with what you’ve got.
If you can apply these 11 tips to your daily routine, balancing your job responsibilities with your home duties will be a lot simpler.
You’ve got some balancing to do with your family and your work, so make your time work for you.
