How to Balance Career, Parenting, And Family Like A Pro

 

Being an adult is tough with managing a job, finances, family, health, and emotions day in and day out incessantly. Work-life balance is so rare that about 30%¹ of the global population is workaholic.

But being a working parent is tougher. To add to everything, you already have on your plate, you now also have to take care of your children, their education and health, and their enjoyment. That’s why you must prioritise setting disciplined routines to maintain a balance between your career, parenting, and family.

5 Habits to Become A Pro

1. Set Strict Priorities

   The first step to balancing your life is to set priorities. Is that Sunday-networking event important or is movie time with your children? Will your company topple over if you don’t tend to that “urgent” email at night, or can you better spend the time with your kids?

   Try to identify those tasks on your to-do list that give you a sense of false busyness. To ensure a healthy work-life balance, you don’t need more time. You need better time management. This comes by shaping your schedules according to your priorities and delegating tasks that don’t make it to the list.

2. Prepare Your Children and set them up

   One great decision that you can make when it comes to finding the right balance in life is involving your children in making decisions. Give your children a peek into what your days look like and train them to become independent.

   Introduce your children to easy household chores like tidying up their beds and folding their clothes. Teach them how to ride their bicycles to their after-school activities on their own. This way, you’re not only buying yourself more time, but you’re also teaching them essential, basic life skills. You could also introduce them to financial literacy and set them up for a comfortable future by saving up. A plan such as HDFC Life YoungStar Udaan can help you prepare for future expenses such as marriage or higher education.

3. Block Time for Family

   83%² of employees blame workplace burnout for negatively affecting their personal relationships. To avoid this, practice scheduling time off from work with your family.

   Plan to spend time with your loved ones - friends, family, parents, and children. You can put in place time blocks for having at least one meal together in a week. Ensure that your family goes out on a trip twice a year. Make time for regular visits to the mall with your children. It needn’t always be elaborate.

4. Avoid Working on Holidays

   Companies often pressurise their employees into working on holidays to meet targets, commonly without compensating with an overtime allowance. That’s why, when presented with the option of working on holidays, decline politely.

   There is one bitter truth that working parents need to come to terms with. Your company will not value your time as much as your children will. Your contribution outside office hours might not hold any weight. But the time you spend with your children playing, cooking, painting, and laughing will amplify your bond beyond measure.

5. Take Deliberate Breaks

   Practice self-care frequently if you want to strike the right balance between your career, parenting, and family like a pro. Take breaks from your work and go on a solo trip. Leave your children with your parents and take your spouse out to dinner. Go for unplanned shopping sprees with your friends.

   64%³ of global employees say that despite their passion for the job, they’re constantly stressed. That’s why, the more you learn how to make yourself happy, the less stressed your life will become!

Conclusion

If you’re a working parent, you must be proud of yourself for riding through life so well. Achieving your career goals while fulfilling the needs of your family ultimately boils down to how efficiently you can keep up your mental strength, energy levels, and stamina. Don’t forget to take care of yourself or the stress stemming from chaos can drive you insane.

Source

¹ https://clockify.me/workaholism-facts#:~:text=Research%20indicates%20that%20workaholism%20affects,their%20passion%20for%20their%20jobs.

² https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/burnout-survey.html

³ https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/burnout-survey.html

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ARN: ED/11/22/30229