Every hard-working parent knows the struggle of finding the perfect balance between work and personal life, a task that often seems unattainable. Our time generally appears to be completely consumed by various tasks.
And in the rare moments when you do catch a breath for some personal time, you may find yourself weighed down by guilt for not being productive instead.
While I do not manage to complete all tasks always, I do succeed in striking a pretty balanced equation between my work and personal life.
I am sharing my top four strategies to help you create a work-life balance.
1. PLAN YOUR LIFE
Among other things, what has greatly helped me achieve a work-life balance is maintaining a common Google calendar with my spouse.
Involving my partner in the daily chores and responsibilities for our home and growing family has eased my burden a bit, as the tasks do not just fall solely on me because I am the mother.
A shared calendar helps my husband and I stay informed about our workspace schedules, plan for boys’ trips, girls’ outings and family time.
The calendar holds all our day-to-day plans helping us track our life events. It even allows me to block in some “me-time” when my husband can take care of our baby for an hour.
2. KEEP YOUR EXPECTATIONS REALISTIC
My life has changed substantially after having a baby, shifting from having high expectations to maintaining realistic ones regarding exercising, home upkeep, career, social life etc.
After becoming a mother, time and energy focus mainly on daily survival. For instance, I’ve moved from taking daily showers to being grateful for a shower every alternate day, thanks to dry shampoo.
Earlier, I ensured to tidy up my house every night before bedtime. Now, the golden hour right after my baby sleeps is often spent on relaxing on my couch while watching TV or trying to meet work deadlines.
By reducing my expectations I’ve avoided disappointment with my life.
3. RESET YOUR GOALS
Previously, my goal was to exercise 3-5 times a week. Now, I aim to accomplish two tasks daily for my personal betterment and the benefit of my family.
Sometimes this involves blow-drying my hair and doing laundry, other days it’s a walk outside and grocery shopping. The luxury to workout as per my wishes is no longer available, so it is crucial to adjust my goals to my current life phase.
4. DELEGATE WHEN POSSIBLE
Nowadays, most of our shopping happens via Amazon. Even our groceries are home delivered through Prime Now. We have hired a house cleaner, a gardener, and a laundry service as well.
All this assists us in offloading tasks we have no time for, maintain a clean living space, and provides us more family time. We highly appreciate these services for helping us maintain a balance between our work and personal lives.
Working parents, what are your secrets to maintaining work-life balance? Have you tried any of the strategies mentioned above?
