,The endless stream of chores and responsibilities often makes people feel overwhelmed. It can be incredibly challenging to find a balance between everything that needs to be done for a career and all the attention that our families deserve.
However, no matter how busy your life is– there are a few ways you can limit the stress that comes with a demanding schedule and find the desired balance.
1. Make Mornings Your Friend
At first waking up earlier than you already are can seem like the worst idea in the world. The truth is that you can train your body and mind to wake up earlier without a problem.
When you feel overtired, it is difficult to do even the simplest task. That is why replacing the tired evenings with mornings can boost your productivity.
When you feel tired in the evening, just go to bed and wake up earlier to make up for it. Your quality of work in the morning will be a lot better as the sleep will give your brain a chance to recharge.
Another plus of waking up early is that if you get your work done in good time, then you might have a bit more time to prepare a nice breakfast and spend the morning with your kids, husband, or wife.
If waking up early still feels impossible, try creating a morning routine that you actually enjoy. Give yourself ten minutes to watch a video or read a chapter from your favorite book. Do something that makes you happy after you wake up and that way you will start looking forward to the mornings.
2. Learn to Say No
Even the best bosses in the world sometimes may give tasks that don’t really need to be done right away (or at all). When one cares about their job, it is easy to say yes to every task that we are handed but it’s important to learn that sometimes saying no is essential if you want to find balance.
Unless the task definitely needs to be done, leave it for the next day. Going home on time can be challenging, but if you learn to say no, you will see that it is more possible than you thought before.
There are some challenges that come with saying no. One of them is the fear of being fired if you do it too much. For that reason, it is important first to learn how to evaluate which tasks are actually important and which tasks you can leave for the day after.
If you still find it hard to figure out what is a crucial task and what is not, then consider discussing it with your employer. might be the best thing you can do.
Explain to them that you have not been spending enough time with your family, but make it clear that you also want to do well at work. Ask them what you should prioritize and what you can leave for later but make sure that you’ve made it clear that work is important to you.
Most employers are very understanding when you have an honest discussion about your worries; it is a better alternative to hiding what’s wrong and underperforming at work.
3. Pick an Activity to do With Your Family
This one should be simple but ends up being a bit difficult to achieve if your children are teenagers who want to spend a lot of time with their friends. An activity for the whole family can be anything from family game night once a week, to going bowling together once a month, or simply going on trips together whenever possible.
Choosing one or few of those things can help you gain some quality time with your loved ones.
Some examples of activities to choose from include: Family movie night, cooking together, a weekend barbecue in the backyard (you can even invite another family to make it more fun), and camping.
The ideas of things you can do with your family can be endless if you let your imagination run. What does your family love to do? To make it even easier you can choose a few activities and ask the family members to vote on it. Whatever gets most votes is your family activity.
4. Organize Well
Good organization and scheduling is everything. The first step you can take to restore some order is simple: get a family calendar. You can put it somewhere where people often walk by, such as the fridge.
Each member of the family will be responsible for putting in their schedules. That way you can see when you have time to enjoy some quality time together. You can also help each other when you see the other person has more on their plate.
Another tip about organization is to have family meetings from time to time. It may seem a bit robotic, but it gives a chance for members of the family to express their feelings about the current situation at home. It is a better alternative to being angry at each other because someone didn’t do the dishes and is keeping the anger inside.
When you keep anger inside it will only come out later a lot worse than if you had spoken your mind.
5. Say Goodbye to Distractions Once and for All
I am not saying you should never watch a movie again. But let the Bachelor wait when you haven’t spent time with your family all week or when there is an important work task waiting for you.
Having time for yourself is essential, but you can avoid certain things. That includes time wasters such as browsing through Facebook and Instagram. Or spending way too much time sending cute snaps of your kids to your friends.
Enjoy reality TV or playing Candy Crush on your phone? While these may be good at relaxing you, try taking a walk with your husband instead. A walk can relax you a lot more and give you some very much needed quality time together.
Getting rid of distractions can be especially tricky when you are feeling stressed. People who worry commonly hide in watching TV or playing a game so they don’t have to think about the problem at hand.
Remember that balancing work and family life doesn’t have to be so difficult. Take a deep breath and try to implement at least some of the tips offered. Even just one of them can be the push you need to feel better.
