Knowing how to manage work-life balance can be a challenge for any successful businesswoman. There are constant demands on time that can disrupt the delicate balance of personal life and work life. Mothers who have full-time jobs have to work hard to balance family responsibilities with their hectic work schedule.
Knowing how to perfect your personal work-life balance can benefit yourself and your closest family members without sacrificing success at work.
In this article, you will find 4 ways to help master work-life balance if you are a working woman.
First of all, it’s important to remember that that success is defined in many different ways by many different people. So, it’s important to decide how you define your own success.
Your success could be being home for 4 nights in the week, having enough energy at home to engage with your kids, or being involved in the lives of your family members. However, to achieve that means making sacrifices.
Any kind of success involves making sacrifices. So, when you have clearly defined goals of what is successful, it will help you make the kind of sacrifices that help to nourish your core values.
Technology can be a double-edged sword when it comes to maintaining work-life balance. For example, the internet and cloud computing have blurred the lines between work life and family life. However, technology also has the power to help you achieve work-life balance when used properly.
Let’s look at a few ways that technology can boost your work-life balance.
Technology should be a good servant and viewed as a bad master when it comes to work-life balance.
So, make sure that your social media network profiles for work and family and friends don’t overlap. It is best to only use professional social media networks like LinkedIn for your work life and keep Instagram and Facebook for your personal life. The exception would be if you have a separate business account for Facebook that is restricted to business contacts only.
Also, avoid the temptation to be connected online 24/7. You should have set periods when business-related notifications are switched off and your employers and fellow co-workers should know this.
Having a strong support network is essential for any woman who wants to maintain balance in their work and personal life.
What does a strong support network entail? This means setting up a network of friends and others who you can rely on for essential tasks. This doesn’t just have to be limited to using people you know (who may already be stressed out).
Dr. Hansa Bhargava on WebMD suggests outsourcing any time-consuming household chores. For example, use online shopping for your groceries or arrange for quality childcare services when you can’t be at home. Even if you are on a tight budget, you might find that the time saved in order to get your life in balance is worth it.
Most importantly, you need to take time out for yourself (without feeling guilty) to help maintain work-life balance. This could be something as simple as reading a book, taking a walk, or going to the gym. Even focusing on things you like doing for 15 minutes a day can have a great impact on your work-life balance.
So, on your busy “to-do” list, schedule in some time for yourself. Because you become more productive and happier when your achieve work-life balance, no one will criticise you for taking some time out for yourself.
In the end, work-life balance isn’t going to happen by itself. At the start, it can be a challenge to change some habits. However, in time it will become easier to achieve and you will thank yourself that you have mastered work-life balance.