Balance is a concept many people desire to achieve in life. But with the world demanding so much from everyone, having a moment’s peace appears nearly impossible. It’s significantly more challenging if you have a family to look after. Your priorities jump from one to another, rattling your brain and adding stress.
Family, work, and self are three important things to focus on. When you put one on the pedestal and forget the others, you risk encountering more problems that may take time to resolve. So, how do you juggle several balls and maintain a semblance of sanity? Check out these ways:
Make A Schedule And Stick To It
Loads of heavy tasks often keep people from finding life beyond work, resulting in emotional and physical stress. Fortunately, there is one way to lessen burnout and mental fatigue, and that’s to create a workable schedule. That means dedicating your working hours for work only, then focusing on other things in your life after clocking out.
The clearer your schedule is, the more you’ll see periods you can dedicate to non-work activities. You’ll have more time for family and yourself or gain new skills for a career shift. You could get help kickstarting your career in dentistry, for example, or take up crocheting as a new pastime. If you set aside enough time not dedicated to work, you could create a less stressful and more balanced lifestyle.
When creating your schedule, you can start setting an exciting non-work-related activity you can do every other day. For instance, set a time for movie night every Tuesday and order takeout at a new restaurant every Thursday. Doing something fun will keep you happy and relaxed since it breaks the monotony of your regular workday. Furthermore, it’s crucial that when you have a schedule, you stick to it, so you get used to your new routine.
Learn When And How To Say ‘No’
If you’re the type to help anyone without question, you may need to take a step back and reflect. Helping others isn’t wrong, but constantly accepting every call for assistance will leave you swamped. As such, you gain unnecessary tasks that you have to finish, leaving you with less time for yourself.
Saying ‘no’ to a task sounds difficult sometimes. You might fear your colleague or boss getting mad at you, but you must set boundaries. Remember that you can’t do everything anytime, and that’s okay. After all, you’re not a robot. You have to rest and prioritize your own time and energy, too. Refusing to do tasks isn’t a sign of laziness or incompetency. It simply means you know your limits and understand there’s a time and place for everything.
Negotiate Work Arrangements
Some people tend to forget that negotiating is a thing, and it’s a great way to make and push through plans that both parties can accept. Many people nowadays seek a work-life balance, as seen in the rising trend of quiet quitting or doing just the bare minimum at work. However, this method may or may not benefit you. Thus, it’s better to try negotiating work arrangements, especially if you’re a working student or single parent.
To begin, do your research. Your company may offer flexible work arrangements for employees depending on their situation. You could even ask colleagues already in a flex arrangement what you need to know or do.
Next, put your strategy in writing to make it easier for you and your superiors at work to understand what you need. Include how your proposed changes can benefit both you and the company. Additionally, you can emphasize the value other colleagues have brought to the company while on a flexible work arrangement.
Not all companies accept flexible work arrangements, so you must expect some resistance. So, you must be flexible and prepare backup plans if necessary. Remember to highlight the perks of the arrangement for the company. In this way, you and your boss could reach a compromise.
Strengthen Your Familial Bond
Good communication is key to all relationships, platonic or otherwise. Maintaining it with your family ensures you can solve internal problems quickly and accurately. If you communicate with them constantly, your bond, trust, and understanding with them will strengthen and improve your work-life balance.
Talking about your work troubles at the dinner table is not always fun. But you need to let your family know what’s going on. That way, they’re less likely to put so much pressure on you. In turn, you could receive more support from them for your endeavors, like when you need to leave early or stay up late to continue a project. You must keep communication flowing and make your words clear to avoid misunderstandings.
Make Time For Yourself
At the end of a long day, you’d want to do something to unwind. Everyone needs some time alone to recharge. Taking your time off work doing the things you enjoy lessens stress and balances what would otherwise be a monotonous life. Therefore, it’s vital to end your work day on the dot without unfinished tasks so you can rest.
While at home, try to focus on your hygiene and health. Poor health is a major cause of irritability and mood swings which could affect work performance and personal relationships. Hence, you must maintain a healthy lifestyle or start on one now.
Take a break from technology, too, if needed. Social media can be mentally draining, so it’s best to mute notifications and limit phone usage for more time interacting with people already around you. A weekly digital detox could improve your emotions, sleep patterns, and provide you with more family bonding time.
Conclusion
Balancing your career, family, and self doesn’t have to be a heart-stopping juggling act. By making an effort to communicate with your family and colleagues properly and prioritizing what your body needs, you could achieve the work-life stability you deserve.
