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Go back to Career Corner
"It would be nice for you to write about balancing
home life and work. As a career professional how does one excel at work and at home? I find that this is a hard task for
me."
Perfect balance between work and home at all times
is not a reasonable goal; you'll drive yourself crazy trying to achieve it. But here are some tips for managing - and getting
the most from - both home and work: - Be intentional about your
work and your life.Don't just take what comes; design your experience. Set aside a specific amount of time - say, 15
minutes - on a particular day at a particular time this coming week, and make sure to put it on your calendar. Arrange for
childcare during that time if necessary, or plan it for when the kids are asleep. When the time comes, sit down and be ready
to write. During the time that you've set aside, think about your work schedule. How much time does it leave for the rest
of your life? What are you currently doing with the time you have outside of work? How mindful are you about how you spend
your time? ... Are you stretching your work beyond what it needs to be? If you're literally home only when the rest of your
family is asleep, think about whether it's desirable and possible to change your work schedule. If you live alone, and your
work hours isolate you from friends and family, think about whether that is something you want to change. ... Now think about
your goals outside of work. Most of us are better at managing work - making lists, meeting deadlines - than we are about
managing the rest of our lives. ... How intentional have you been about spending time with family or friends? About pursuing
the activities you love, that make you feel really alive? ... Plan your time off for the next year, and put in on your calendar.
If you need to ask for time off, ask early. Think about how you'll spend your vacation time. Be intentional about the experience
you'd like to have, and take steps to make it happen.
- Create routines. Standardizing
activities streamlines them and frees up energy you would otherwise use in planning or thinking about them. For example, save
time and mental energy by having a morning routine, with each activity done in the same order each day. You can have an evening
routine as well. Write down the steps in the order that makes the most sense, and use this as a cheat sheet until you've memorized
the routine. Create routines at work for repeat tasks, and look for ways to streamline things whenever you can. If you have
small children, create routines and rituals to help them feel secure. For example, if kids act up whenever you leave or come
home, make up a fun transition ritual, such as a song you can sing together at departure or arrival. Create family rituals
such as Game Night Fridays or Saturday Morning Pancake Breakfast or Annual Family Camping Trip. Get family members involved
in chores by creating a group routine that you can perform together. These rituals bond families and create structure and
continuity for children.They also save you time. Make sure to create space in your busy schedule for some "me" time.
You can find 10 minutes a day no matter how busy you are... And the busier you are, the more important "me" time
becomes! Don't worry about spending "me" time productively; "me" time is for allowing your soul to breathe.
Staring out the window is often a perfectly good use of this time.
- Be where you are.
If you're thinking about home when you're at work, and thinking about work when you're at home, then you can never focus the
power of your undivided attention where it's needed and your life will pass you by, leaving you feel ungrounded and unfulfilled.
When you're at home, be at home. Think about home things. Be with your family. Leave work at work. If this is not possible
- for example, if you're required to bring work home with you - then set boundaries around the work you do at home. Have a
particular time when you're working, and/or a particular place in your home where you work. Work only when you plan to, and
stop when the time is up. Work only in the area of your home that you've designated for work. Similarly, if issues at home
need attention while you're at work, put boundaries around the time you spend attending to them. Schedule phone calls home
during the day if necessary, and stick to your schedule. The rest of the time, be at work in mind as well as body. Sometimes
emergency situations arise at work when you're home, or at home when you're working. These are not the time to seek balance.
Take care of emergencies that arise, but avoid constantly responding to "emergencies" that can actually wait until
you're done with what you're doing.
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