Great Ways to Balance Family Life and Your Career

February 8, 2021

One of the biggest challenges in life is finding balance between family and work. To have it all takes some finesse. You need to learn how to prioritize, make the most of your time, and be present. Here is a list of ten great ways to find balance between family life and your career.

Organize Your Schedule

Scheduling is not just for doctor appointments anymore. You may already schedule important work meetings. But, to bring balance to your life, you need to schedule most of it. No matter which type of calendar you use (i.e., dry erase poster, electronic calendar, and/or personal organizer), start scheduling everything. Schedule your sleep, your work hours, and your errands. Schedule time for your family members and for yourself. Schedule childcare, school, and extracurricular activities. Schedule breaks for yourself. If you plan it in writing, it will happen!

Delegate Responsibility

You are not the only one that has to do everything. Let go of the reins and let others help you. Build your support network. Start delegating some of your responsibilities to others at work and at home. Delegate leg-work duties to your employees. Delegate household duties to your family. Find reliable childcare. Create a carpool system to share the responsibility of carting the kids around with other working parents. Ask your nearby family members to chip in with the kids and errands. Keep reminding yourself that you alone should never bear all the responsibility at work or at home.

Bring Your Employer Home

Not literally, unless you want to. Gaining the support of your employing organization will do wonders for finding balance. Great employers have built in benefits and flexible hours for parents. Open the lines of communication with your superiors and let them know about work issues that will supersede family time and family issues that will supersede work time. Share your goal of maintaining balance between life at home and at work. Most bosses are working to achieve the same balance and they will understand.

Know Your Limits

Be realistic…you cannot excel at absolutely everything at all times. Some things are only going to get 70-90% of your attention. Make a ‘to do’ list and determine your priorities. At 6:00 p.m., are your new clients or your kids going to get 100% of your attention? Do you really need to fold your underwear before putting it in the drawer? Who is important enough to wake you up at midnight? Keep reminding yourself that you are not everything to everyone. Give yourself permission to say “No”.

Make “Me Time” a Priority

You must take care of yourself. Take time to relax and rejuvenate. Participate in daily meditation, deep breathing, and long baths…whatever allows you to stop and take a break. De-stressing is the name of the game. Feed your soul by spending some quiet time alone. At your desk, in the bathroom, or in your parked car. Don’t get distracted with social media or other time-suckers…this is not that kind of break. Try to detach from your thoughts and become aware of the world around you. All it takes is a few minutes of alone time to feel refreshed.

Make Dates

Make time for your partner. This is your biggest advocate…the person who chose to love you unconditionally. The person who also wants to see balance in your life. Show your partner your deep commitment. Feed the relationship with fun, romantic activities. Picnics, theater, dancing, or roller-skating…find activities that enable you to interact and share. Dates can also include learning new skills with each other. Take a course together. Learn yoga, dancing, martial arts, cooking, or how to play an instrument together. Spending recreational time together builds a stronger relationship and fuels romantic fires.

Keep Your Social Life

When the family is busy, schedule time with friends. Like the saying goes “Friends are family that we get to choose.” Nurturing your social side with friends and work colleagues is an important part of life balance. Go to happy hour when the kids have extracurricular activities or take a friend to lunch in the middle of your work day. Hold family barbecues and invite friends and their families. Make new friends with others who are also working to maintain the work-family balance.

Make Family Time Fun

Connect with your family by bringing a bit of entertainment to any activity. Create a music playlist to sing and dance to with your family. Listen to it on a break at work and think of your family. Make games out of chores. A race to the finish. The best duster wins. Have a game night – board game, cards, or charades. Whether working or playing, spread warmth and cheer. Laugh and have a good attitude around your family to enjoy every moment with them.

Get Off Your Phone

The people in the room with you are more important than those who email, text, and IM you. Get your head up, make eye contact, and give the people in your presence your attention. Your phone is one of the biggest distractors of your life. Yes, it is essential. But, not at all times. Just take a look around a crowded restaurant. Who is present and engaging the world around them? It is NOT those engrossed in their phone. In meetings or during family dinners, try a no-phone policy. The first step to connect with the people around you is to disconnect from your devices.

Be Mindful

Ever go home and not remember the drive because you were too caught up in thoughts? You were not being mindful of the driving experience. You are where your mind is. If you are constantly thinking about work, then you might as well be at work. Whatever it is that you are doing, be present and aware. Mindful walking is a great way to practice this skill. Take a walk and pay attention to all that you are sensing. Each time other thoughts interrupt, acknowledge them and return your focus back to the walk. Mindfulness is at the root of life balance.

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