Are you wondering how to balance your work and family life? Depending on what the responsibilities are for both family and work, this can be more difficult. You may feel like you are being pulled in two directions trying to get all of it done. While you cannot divide yourself in two, there are some things that can be done to make it easier.
One tactic that can help is creating a schedule and making sure to schedule in the time with your family and what they may need. This method can help other know when you are available for meetings and can help to not have meetings scheduled at times that are more difficult for you. While there may be times that this is not feasible, it is a first step of setting those schedule limits. For some, if there is something on their schedule, then they make sure to do it so put on the time you need for yourself and family as well. This schedule will also help you to determine what is working and what does not so that you can try to make the changes that are needed. It can be helpful to put your children’s activities and days off of school on your calendar as well. While you may not be the one to take them to the activities or be able to take off all of their days off, it will help to make sure that you arrange care for them or transportation to activities.
Make sure to set boundaries around what you are able to do with both your job and your family. Remember that you can only do so many things so setting realistic boundaries around what you can do is important. It is important to make sure that these boundaries are communicated so that people are aware of what you are able to do. It is easier to set these before something comes up so that when you are not able to do something, you can remind them of the boundary. There may be times when you need to work outside these boundaries, but it is important to determine why when you do and how often it is happening.
Depending on the ag of your children, they can also help with chores around the house, especially when it is related to something they need or want. If they are old enough, it is important to communicate with them about what expectations you have for them and how everyone in the family works together. These chores or expectations will differ depending on age, but even younger children can help to clean up their toys.
Think about how your day goes and which parts of the day are harder than others. Think about what makes it harder and then try to think of what could help. Are there things that could be done or set up before everyone goes to bed or gets home? Are there ways that your children can pitch in to help or even just make the time easier? In the moment it can be hard to figure out how to improve these difficult times, but after it happens, think about what worked well and what could be improved.
When thinking about this balance, think about what goals and expectations you have for yourself in these areas. How involved are you at work or with your family? What responsibilities do you have for both? Also think about what strengths you have and try to use these to make it easier to balance. Are there chores or other responsibilities that would be better done by someone else and could be handed off to them? It is important to think about how you see your life being successful and what you want to see happen so you can try to achieve this.
Remember that finding this balance can be hard at times and there may be different periods when it is easier or harder. Remember to be realistic about what you can accomplish and your expectations. If you are looking for more ways to find this balance or think this through, feel free to reach out to me.
