There’s been a lot of publicity in the last few years about work-life balance. From Sheryl Sandberg’s book “Lean In” to Anne-Marie Slaughter’s article “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All,” high-powered executives are asking how to balance a successful career with family responsibilities.
It’s a question mothers and fathers have been asking for a long time: Can you have a fulfilling full-time career, exercise, have a social life and raise children at the same time? You can do a lot, and all of it eventually, but not all at once. Here’s how to have more time for what’s important to you. Ask yourself these few questions, and employ some simple techniques to help create balance in your busy life.
Am I happy? As full-time workers, caregivers and parents, we need to make decisions about what makes us happy and take action. You spend a lot of time thinking about your children or your spouse and what makes them happy. But you need to consider what makes you tick, because if you’re not healthy and happy, those around you will not be either.
Children learn a lot more from our behavior than from what we say. They are closely observing your interactions with others — your spouse or significant other, friends, family, co-workers, baby sitters, you name it. If you want your kids to learn balance and happiness, you have to demonstrate it. It will affect your own outlook in turn.
Do I do things for myself? Figure out what keeps you mentally sound. If regular exercise helps you feel more relaxed, make time to do it before work or after the children are in bed. If you’re saying “there’s no way I have time for that,” combine the exercise with another chore. For example, take the dog for a walk, run around with the kids in the yard or climb the stairs a few extra times when getting the laundry.
Maybe you escape from the daily grind by reading a good novel or watching a movie. Do those activities in the evening. Perhaps you can have family reading or movie time, depending on how old your children are. Or you could wait until the young ones are in bed to read or watch a movie.
If you crave social interaction, find a top-recommended baby sitter, and get out with your spouse or friends. The more you do it, the easier it becomes. If this plan is not an option, arrange for family outings with friends and their families, or invite them to your house for a potluck. Social interaction with adults outside of work is important, especially if you are an extroverted person.
Do I sleep enough? Sleep is one of the first things to be neglected when we get busy, and it shouldn’t be. Sleep is vital to proper mental functioning. If you’re not sleeping enough at night, it could be preventing you from feeling content at work and home.
How do I handle the chores? If you create space for all these other things, how do you get the dreaded cleaning and cooking done, as well as the shopping, doctor appointments and everything else? Put appointments and grocery shopping (the necessities) on your calendar for the week. On Sunday, make a plan for dinners (homemade or otherwise). If you like to cook, you can prepare a large meal or two that can be eaten during the week.
Cleaning can be done in small spurts of 15 minutes here and there, or you can let it wait. If you just can’t wait, engage the kids and your spouse so it gets done faster and gives you more time to relax on the weekend.
There are many creative ways to make time for what you need to recharge and function well at work and home. If you aren’t allowing yourself time for what’s important to you, you’re doing a disservice to your family, friends, colleagues and (above all) yourself. Take care of yourself and your needs, because no one knows you as well as you do, and only you can make yourself truly happy.
Marcelle Yeager is the president of Career Valet, which delivers personalized career navigation services. Her goal is to enable people to recognize skills and job possibilities they didn’t know they had to make a career change or progress in their current career. She worked for more than 10 years as a strategic communications consultant, including four years overseas. Marcelle holds an MBA from the University of Maryland.
More from U.S. News
The 9 Top Jobs for Work-Life Balance
4 Questions to Ask Yourself About Work-Life Balance originally appeared on usnews.com
