Balancing Work and Home

Balancing Work and Home

By Sig Nordal, Jr.

You want to ensure that you are financially secure for your family, you work hard in order to be successful and you desire the rewards attained by promotion. And yet, work seems to encompass your life – the main reason you are working is for your family but you seem to spend very little time with them and minimal quality time. How on earth can you reach the balance between the two? Both seem equally important and you are on the horns of a dilemma as to how to create harmony between the two. It is very easy to put work first and foremost but, without the strong family foundations, what would happen if you suddenly did not have that job? 

It is very important to not go for the 'all or nothing' approach but to instead go somewhere in between. You will never get everything in both worlds and you need to set work boundaries which will in fact result in improving your time management and productivity. It is important to speak to your 'significant other' about the work/home balance whether you are both working or not. You may assume that you know what the other person is thinking and then, in arguments involving the 'I hardly ever see you!' nature, you reply 'but I am doing this for you. I thought that was what you wanted!' Communication with your spouse is crucial in order to ascertain where changes need to be made so that your work does not become your 'significant other' and your spouse merely your mistress.

Such balance does not have to happen overnight but jointly start setting boundaries for both of you. Your time management skills at work are just as important as your time management skills at home. Set the hours together where you spend quality time with each other. Of course, you will both talk about work to a degree but include trivia within your conversations! All too often people are both guilty of returning home and then not only cataloging their day at work but also following it with all the areas in each part of the rest of their life that they are dissatisfied with. The conversations often end up in a mental sigh as though, unless you win the Lotto, you are both doomed. Most of the problems we all face rarely get solved per se but, by making adjustments, they can be managed.

More often than not the alert sound of a text message, the obsessive 'refresh the page' for new emails, the 'ping' of a contact on other social media continues all day whether at work or at home. Technology is fun and a great way of communicating with others but how irritating is it when someone is having a conversation with you and simultaneously looking at their cell phone? The overwhelming beeps, pings and ding-dongs become a constant white noise in your life. As a result of technology many jobs now make employees feel they are 'on call' twenty four hours a day as managers have increased expectations by outsourcing some jobs and overworking those who remain. In turn, those who remain feel obliged to work harder to ensure their own job is safe leading to greater work stress.

When attempting to create your home and work balance do not think you need to squeeze in more to your days. What you need to be doing is less and regaining control of your own piece of the world. To attempt to get everything done will never happen as there will always be more – so, set manageable prioritized things to do for both work and home. Do however try to involve exercise in your week – the benefits of exercising for an hour last far longer than the hour itself. Exercise reduces stress and increases self efficacy (or in plain speak the ability to produce the desired or intended result). Quality time with your partner could include an hour at the gym or even a half hour walk together. Out of the house, out of the office, leave the cell phones at home and just walk and talk. It is possible to achieve a work and home balance but it will take both of you to make it succeed!