They say being a parent is the toughest job in the world. Well, what if you actually have a job alongside being a parent? You’re basically working two jobs at once, and it’s so hard to find the right work-life balance. Every day ends with you feeling burnt out, and each morning begins with a sigh as you get ready for what lies ahead.
Every working parent needs to learn how to achieve a positive work-life balance. This will lead to a less stressful life that’s easier to manage, improving both your career and personal life! Here’s what you should do:
Separate work from life
Firstly, always make a separation between work and your personal life. This means that, when work finishes, you forget about it. Put your phone on silent, turn off email notifications, and allow yourself time to enjoy family life. You don’t get paid to answer emails or do work outside of your contracted hours, so why should you think about it? When you’re at work you are in work mode. When the day ends, you go home and it’s all about your family. Creating this separation in your mind is a great way to reduce stress as you’re not worrying about things to do at work. Why waste your free time fretting when you can’t do anything until the next morning anyway?!
Learn to delegate
Career-driven parents need to learn to delegate different tasks, making their lives easier. Ironically, we’re not really talking about delegation at work. Instead, we’re thinking about the tasks you have as a parent. For example, childcare. When you work, delegate this task to a relative or find your child a nanny. It means you don’t have to juggle the task of looking after children and working at the same time.
Similarly, think about other tasks a parent might have. There comes a time when your elderly parents need looking after as well. You can’t find the time or the mental capacity to look after them as well. So, finding long-term senior care solutions is a way of delegating this task. In both examples, you ensure that your child/parents get the care and attention they need while you work. It frees up your responsibilities and makes life easier to balance.
Dedicate time to yourself
Even when you separate work from life and have other people taking care of things when you’re working, it can still feel like everything is overwhelming. You spend the day working, then come home and instantly go into parent mode. Therefore, it’s crucial to set aside time every day for yourself. When the kids are in bed or otherwise occupied, dedicate half an hour or so as ‘me time.’ You don’t do anything other than relaxing and de-stressing. It’s a brilliant way of letting tension leave your body, helping you find a sense of balance.
All parents need to find a positive work-life balance. Don’t let your career or your parental responsibilities overpower your life. With the tips above, you will slowly see changes in your daily lives, feeling far more balanced and less stressed.
These are nice tips. I agreed on these tips because they’re all reasonable and it can indeed help you balance your time!
separating work from life is even more important in today’s world where work from home is almost the norm..
This is such an important balance for parents to find.