Many women who work full time outside of the home find it hard to take care of themselves and stay connected to their families. So, what can we do to better balance life and work?
Writing and photography by our new Say Yes editor Rebecca Frick
Everyone knows that maintaining a healthy balance staves off chronic stress, which can lead to a whole pile of physical, and mental health issues. The problem is, between looming deadlines, non-stop meetings and the demands of business travel, it’s hard to find the time to make balance a priority.
I spent the day with a very dear friend of mine to get her take on the matter. Shannon is a busy mom of 2 kids- Sadie, and Isaac. Both she and her husband Milton work outside the home, and like most working parents they juggle the daily demands of policing homework, grocery runs and tuck-in routines. As the Brand and Communications Manager of a large company, Shannon also has a pretty demanding travel schedule, so when she’s lucky enough to be in town with her family she makes the choice to split her work days between the office and home. Her work/life balance is really inspiring. Here are some of her tips for other working moms who might be seeking more balance between work and home.
Be realistic about what you can get done on work-from-home days. “On the weeks where I’m not traveling for work, I spend 3 days in the office and two days working here at home (thankfully Milton is and amazing dad and husband and totally picks up my slack when I’m away!!). Splitting my time between work and home makes it easier for me to take part in face-to-face meetings and maintain a connection to my team, but it also lets me escape the office to zero in on things that require more focus. Now that my kids are older, I get a lot of time to myself when I’m working at home, so I’m really productive… except for when they are on summer holidays, and they are always around! When they were younger, I had to do a lot more juggling. So- I’d just recommend that if you’re thinking about a work-from-home arrangement, consider what you can actually accomplish with kids underfoot. I think starting with one home day per week and working your way up as your kids become more independent is a good approach”.
Ditch the pajamas – “Although it feels good to stay in my pajamas all day, getting ready for a work-from-home day kind of fools me into being more productive. I definitely don’t do my full workday-morning routine but I also don’t want to be caught answering an impromptu video call with bed head. Even if I don’t plan to go anywhere, I always get dressed in something that I’d be ok wearing to leave the house. It keeps me from falling into the weekend mind-set where mornings blend into afternoons and being productive isn’t a priority”.
Eat like a Boss Babe – Eating well on a workday has been shown to fuel your brain and help with focus. “The rush of the morning routine on my office days really throws my eating off. I’m usually trying to get a cup of coffee down while Milton and I feed the kids, pack lunches and generally rush around like chickens. I try my best to pack a good lunch for the office (truth be told, Milt often packs it for me while I’m rushing to get ready), but often I’ll end up in a lunch meeting or grabbing food to go. On my work-from-home days I am a lot more mindful about what I eat. I can help get the kids out the door and then I can cook a proper breakfast for myself. Everything just slows down a bit when I’ve got more time”.
Change your workday scenery – “I thrive on routine, so I always start my work-day out in my home office. In fact, because I work across time zones I’m on my first call by 6am, before Milt and the kids are even out of bed. Later in the day however, whether it’s moving from my desk to my bed or working on the patio outside, mixing up the scenery helps me keep things fresh throughout the day.
Take work breaks for your kids sake – “One of the main reasons I chose to work from home twice a week was to have more time at home with my family. So, when the kids come home from school I put my work down, chat with them a bit about their day, have a cuddle, get them a snack and help get them started with homework. I really value the fact that being home lets me be flexible to do that kind of thing. I love that I get to spend time with them, and I know they feel a sense of security having me home.
Comments are closed.
Great tips here! So wonderful to have the opportunity to connect with the kids when they come home from school! The ups and downs of their day is still fresh and it is so important that they can share and work through their day with a loved one.
I love the eating well tip! That’s something I’ve never really thought about before… especially since it seems like I eat way less on days when I’m working a ton!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
These are great tips! I agree with all of them, especially with getting outside. Changing the environment always gets me out of a rut. 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com