You want to be the best parent you can be but your career is also an important part of who you are. So how do you juggle the two? If it constantly seems like you’re running from pillar to post, consider these tips for balancing work and family. If you can’t stop the whirlwind you may as well slow it down.
Creating space from the demands of work
A useful article in the Guardian proposes creating boudaries between yourself and work. It offers the following tips:
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Set aside a time of the day that you commit to not even looking at your emails (and preferably any screens at all).
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Just say ‘no’. The Guardian consults life-coach Melanie Allen on how to handle balancing work and family. She advises: “If you tend to say yes without thinking when you’re asked to do something extra, stall. Don’t answer straight away. Say you’ll get back to the person asking, then use that time to think clearly about whether to say yes or no. If you want to say yes, fine. But if you want to say no, say no and keep saying it. Don’t justify your actions or give excuses. There’s no need to be nasty or rude.”
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“Work smarter, not harder”. Cutting back on sleep and exercise is a big mistake. To remain focused and creative you need to look after your body and mind to keep it running at its optimum level.
Manage your home life like you manage your job
When you’ve got a challenging task to tackle at work, often the best way to approach it is to divide, manage and conquer. It’s the same when it comes to handling your personal life with finesse. An article in Mom MD emphasises this, suggesting that “some of the same skills and strategies you use at work such as planning, organizing, communicating, setting limits and delegating can be used effectively on the home-front for achieving a satisfying, fulfilling and well-balanced life both personally and professionally.” The article goes on to suggest concrete ways of implementing this policy. These include:
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Build a support network of family and friends to share the load.
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Let go of guilt: Instead of spending the time worrying about not spending enough time with the family or letting things slide at work, spend the time seeing to those things. Guilt has the power to eat away at your emotional energy.
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Establish boundaries. One of the key elements to balancing work and family and wielding control over your life is to establish boundaries.“Boundaries” as the article explains, “are an imaginary line of protection that you draw around yourself. They are about protecting you from other people’s actions. Determine for yourself what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour from other people.”
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Let go of perfection and decide on your own standards instead of wasting your time worrying about anyone else’s judgement.
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Make time for yourself: If you don’t take time to relax, relieve tension and look after yourself, you’re more likely to burn-out. Looking after yourself will ultimately benefit all those around you.
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Befriend flexibility: Balancing work and family requires you to open yourself up to constant change. If things don’t go exactly to plan, or slip off schedule, be kinder and more forgiving with yourself.
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When you do get quality time with your family, enjoy it: When you’re at home and spending time with your family on holiday, give them your focused attention. Implement traditions, rituals and family holidays that you can all look forward to. In order to effectively manage balancing work and family it’s essential to “create relationships with your spouse and children that are not incidental but rather instrumental to your success.”
One of the most effective ways of balancing work and family is to make smart investments that allow you to spend more time with your family. There’s perhaps no better way of doing this than to invest in a holiday house in an investment-friendly region. If you’re looking for quality holiday homes in smart investment areas it’s worth looking to Calpe. When searching for “properties for sale Costa Blanca” you’ll find the region is a popular holiday destination ensuring great rental income year-round, and when you’re not renting it out, this family-oriented beach town is perfect for spending quality time with the kids. Get in touch with leaders in the real estate market, Grupo Esmeralda, for more information about properties for sale in Costa Blanca.