7 Steps to Find a Balance Between Work and Family

A work-life balance is really hard to accomplish. If you're looking for some suggestions as to how to do this better, read for some tips from a reader.

Balancing work and family life can be a challenge for anyone. Both spheres of life are important and it is tricky to find time for each. It can be especially difficult for professionals who try to work from home because in such a case the boundaries are even more diluted.

It is all about prioritizing time and energy. This balance doesn’t always mean spending equal time on both, but rather making it matter anyway. Priorities might change with time, and one should be able to adjust the balance accordingly.

We’ve gathered the 7 best tips on how to achieve a healthy balance with help from Jooble experts and are ready to share them.

Set the Ground Rules

The first step is to set clear boundaries for yourself, colleagues, and family. This is especially vital for remote professionals. One needs to establish rules on the time when they are working and the time when they should not be disturbed.

It helps to build realistic expectations both for colleagues and family members. For instance, turn off business notifications after hours when it’s possible. And also let family members know to not disturb you during the day. Make sure to talk to your relatives about their wishes and needs as well so you can adjust.

Focus on Goals

There are only 24 hours in a day. It is completely normal that you won’t be able to do everything. The important thing here is to set clear goals you want to achieve.

Separate specific periods and write down what are your priorities for them. They should incorporate both your job and family. Make sure that these goals are achievable. These are your objectives now; all other things can probably wait.

Create Calendar

Time management is the key here. Create a calendar that incorporates not only your work deadlines and meetings but also significant family events you don’t want to miss. It is also a good idea to establish a family calendar that all of you can use. It helps to be more transparent and not forget anything essential.

Stay Organized

Create an organizational system that ensures everything is running smoothly. It might be a time-tracking program that helps to stay productive, or a specific way to communicate with children while they are in school. Automate what can be automated, for example, subscriptions, reports, or calendar updates. Be ready that such a system might not be perfect from day one. Review it once a month and adjust to the new needs.

Work Enough

Enough means just the right amount. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always mean a precise amount of hours a day. You need to work so that you can grow professionally, perform great, and support the family as well. However, it is also vital to not take too much on oneself. When you are remotely employed, it is easy to get swept and be available 24/7. Do not make this mistake.

Try to make the most of the time you can devote to your job. Cut all unnecessary things and distractions.

Accept Help

To make sure that everything is taken care of even if you are busy, allow others to help you. For example, relatives can help with kids while you are on a business trip. Or colleagues can host a meeting when you need to be home.

There is nothing wrong with it and you need to have such a support system in place. So if anything comes up rapidly, you know exactly who to ask.

Learn to Say “No”

This might be the hardest thing for many people. Saying “no” to things is incredibly hard, especially if someone can be disappointed. But when it comes to the balance, there will be sacrifices.

There might be a moment when you have to reject a business trip opportunity or an additional project. Be transparent with your supervisor about your priorities. Before you take on any additional responsibilities, evaluate critically whether you have time for it.

The same applies to some family events. If you have to prepare a quarterly report, you won’t be able to go for a vacation weekend that specific week. It might be even harder to explain it to children, but being honest will help to build healthy communication.

In Summary

Finding the right balance between work and family might be one of the hardest things in daily life. It needs strong prioritization, clear goals, and the ability to adjust in case something new happens. And in all of that, one needs to remember to take care of themselves.