When you’re a workaholic (like me) and have a family, it’s sometimes very difficult to balance the two.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, my typical day consisted of leaving for work before my kids woke up and getting home just after they slept. This went on for a number of years and because I was so tired on the weekends, quality time I spent with my family wasn’t very much.
Since Covid though, my mindset changed and working from home allowed me to make some changes in my life.
Below are some strategies you might want to adopt to allow you to spend time with family and still be able to be productive at work.
Set Your Boundaries for Work Hours
You should define clear boundaries for your working hours. For example, if you’re supposed to work between 9am and 5pm, start at 8:45am and finish no later than 5:30pm. This is what I generally try to follow. Communicate these timeframes with your family and colleagues to manage expectations. Most importantly, stick to these as closely as possible.
If you’ve planned your workload effectively, then these times should be manageable.
Establish a Consistent Family Routine
Create a predictable schedule that includes dedicated family time. This allows the family to know when they can expect quality time from you ensuring it becomes a regular thing. From experience, this will also help you focus on getting your tasks done within your planned working hours..
For example, if Tuesday evenings are dedicated to a sporting activity or eating out, stick to it.This way, everybody knows what to expect. When you have a busy household and a few kids, last minute planning is extremely difficult to implement.
Plan Your Family Activities in Advance
Just as you’d schedule an important work meeting, plan your family activities in advance. This ensures you prioritise family and also avoid any last minute work items coming up. This will help keep you organized without any last minute planning. Your family will really appreciate this.
I find that when I add this to my calendar, I can see a complete view of my schedule. Also, when I KNOW I have something planned in the evening, I have to get my tasks done for that day rather than just working late.
Use Technology Wisely
We have so many tools at our disposal so use them as best as you can. I am a huge fan of Microsoft Outlook for planning my schedule. However, there are many tools like Teams, Zoom and Slack just to name a few to get you started. Depending on what you need, Alexa or Google assistant can support you with automating home taks as well.
Turn Chores into Family Activities
What might be boring chores on your own can be turned into fun for the whole family. Cooking, especially cupcakes or any type of dessert has gone down well with the kids as it gives them a chance to get creative and have fun. Even things like cleaning the kitchen and garden have been fun for everyone. We found it a great opportunity for us to bond as a family and also teaching life skills.
Delegate and Outsource
Work tasks that take up important family time can be outsourced. For example, you may want to hire a cleaner or someone to help support you with grocery shopping and maybe even cleaning. This doesn’t have to be expensive and definitely worth it. I know many friends and family members who have even hired help with cooking too. Whilst not overly common in the West as it is in Asia and the Middle East, this is starting to become popular, especially here in London with people having such busy lives.
Combine Work and Family When Possible
If there are opportunities where you can overlap your work and family time then do take this up. For example, if you can take short breaks between work to engage with your family then do this. Even though my eldest kids are teenagers and can go to school themselves, I make it a routine to drop them off every morning to school and my daughter to primary school, which is on the way back. If my afternoons are free, I will also try and pick her up from school. This allows me a short break from work and creates memories with the kids.
Prioritise Quality of Quantity
Time is an important commodity. For this reason, it’s better to spend as much quality time with your family as opposed to quantity. For example, I’ve found that one to one time with each child away from home letting them be themselves works like a charm.
Other ideas I’ve found helpful too are, family game nights with shared hobbies being especially useful. For example, if your children have a particular interest, then maybe get involved there. They’ll be grateful for it.
Other ideas can include; storytime with the younger kids, cooking with all the kids and outdoor activities such as sports in the yard or at your local park.
It also means everyone can put their smartphones away for a while and live like it’s the 1980’s.
Adopt a Work from Home Schedule
Since Covid-19, the corporate landscape has changed forever. If you have the ability to work from home then try and utilise the option as much as possible. Not only is there a benefit from saving time on commuting and the costs, it also allows you to spend more time with your loved ones. Ensure you have a working space and you can separate your work and personal time.
Covid-19, however stressful it was, allowed me to realise that working 12 hours per day and not seeing your kids until the weekend was NOT the way forward. It was a great wake up call and I believe was a blessing to help me with achieving a better work-life balance.
Do you have any tips that you’ve found useful to maximise time with your family? We’d love to hear from you.