10 tips for a better work-life balance
9 June 2011
Read by 1638 persons
Title: 10 tips for a better work-life balance. Do you ever wonder if you spend enough time with your family? Many people struggle to find a balance between work and private life. And once there are children, the task becomes even more complicated. What to do if your work-life balance is disrupted?
1. Talk to your boss
Try to find ways to better combine your private life and your work. Discuss the possibilities with your manager. Maybe you could work one day a week from home or adjust your schedule? To be able to pick up your children from school every day, for example.
2. Define your priorities
What matters most to you? Having a lot of time for your family and friends, or making a career? If you can't choose, determine for yourself the events or activities in your private life that you absolutely don't want to miss, and arrange to combine them with your work.
3. Set a deadline
Maybe you won't be able to change your schedule or your way of working overnight. So, set a limit. Decide when you want to have achieved a specific goal, and do everything you can to achieve it. For example, you can try, within a month, to exercise at least twice a week or pick up your children from school at least once a week.
4. Choosing means giving up
If you try to do too many things, you will never find a balance. Determine what is important to you, and cross out your other activities. Things that are not really essential, or those that you can entrust to someone else, must be irrevocably crossed off your list!
5. Don't do everything yourself
There are surely some things that you currently do yourself but that you could delegate. For example, consider having someone else do some household chores. Ask your neighbor if she can pick up the children from school, or see with your partner if he or she can take something off your hands.
6. Clearly define the boundary between work and private life
Do you often receive professional phone calls in the evening? Then ask your colleagues not to call you outside working hours, or simply turn off your phone if you don't want to be disturbed. Also, don't read your emails in the evening.
7. Ask for advice
Ask some other colleagues how they manage to combine their work and private life. Some obviously have no problem in this area; maybe they can help you with some simple tips.
8. Don't waste time
When you are at work, try to be as efficient as possible. Avoid endless meetings where your presence is not really essential. Always ask yourself if what you are doing is absolutely necessary and if you cannot entrust this task to someone who has less work. You will see that you will gain considerable time.
9. Do you work in a 'family-friendly' company?
Many companies offer measures to help you improve your work-life balance. See if there is a way to organize an ironing or childcare service at work. Do you intend to change jobs? Then look for a 'family-friendly' company.
10. Work less
You really can't find a balance between your work and your private life? Then see if you can't work part-time. This will allow you to have enough free time for your family. You will earn less, but workers with children will be able to save on evening childcare, etc. It's worth thinking about in any case!
Posted on June 9, 2011
stepstone.be
1. Talk to your boss
Try to find ways to better combine your private life and your work. Discuss the possibilities with your manager. Maybe you could work one day a week from home or adjust your schedule? To be able to pick up your children from school every day, for example.
2. Define your priorities
What matters most to you? Having a lot of time for your family and friends, or making a career? If you can't choose, determine for yourself the events or activities in your private life that you absolutely don't want to miss, and arrange to combine them with your work.
3. Set a deadline
Maybe you won't be able to change your schedule or your way of working overnight. So, set a limit. Decide when you want to have achieved a specific goal, and do everything you can to achieve it. For example, you can try, within a month, to exercise at least twice a week or pick up your children from school at least once a week.
4. Choosing means giving up
If you try to do too many things, you will never find a balance. Determine what is important to you, and cross out your other activities. Things that are not really essential, or those that you can entrust to someone else, must be irrevocably crossed off your list!
5. Don't do everything yourself
There are surely some things that you currently do yourself but that you could delegate. For example, consider having someone else do some household chores. Ask your neighbor if she can pick up the children from school, or see with your partner if he or she can take something off your hands.
6. Clearly define the boundary between work and private life
Do you often receive professional phone calls in the evening? Then ask your colleagues not to call you outside working hours, or simply turn off your phone if you don't want to be disturbed. Also, don't read your emails in the evening.
7. Ask for advice
Ask some other colleagues how they manage to combine their work and private life. Some obviously have no problem in this area; maybe they can help you with some simple tips.
8. Don't waste time
When you are at work, try to be as efficient as possible. Avoid endless meetings where your presence is not really essential. Always ask yourself if what you are doing is absolutely necessary and if you cannot entrust this task to someone who has less work. You will see that you will gain considerable time.
9. Do you work in a 'family-friendly' company?
Many companies offer measures to help you improve your work-life balance. See if there is a way to organize an ironing or childcare service at work. Do you intend to change jobs? Then look for a 'family-friendly' company.
10. Work less
You really can't find a balance between your work and your private life? Then see if you can't work part-time. This will allow you to have enough free time for your family. You will earn less, but workers with children will be able to save on evening childcare, etc. It's worth thinking about in any case!
Posted on June 9, 2011
stepstone.be
