All full-time workers understand the challenge of balancing their home life with work. It’s hard to maintain the delicate balance between making your boss mad or suffering another fight with your family. Luckily, you aren’t alone. Here are some tips to follow that will help you create a healthy work-life balance.
Living with Children and a Spouse
If you live with children and a spouse, you probably already feel guilty sometimes for not spending enough time with them.
Examine areas of your work life that can be reduced or eliminated without losing your job. For example, if you constantly stay late at work on Friday nights, you could try to do the hardest, most necessary and most time-consuming tasks first on Friday mornings and then work your way down the list.
When it's time to go, you may just find that the most important things are done and everything else can be put off until Monday. Also, remember to step back and honestly evaluate what is important and what isn't so important.
Living with Parents
There are many cases in which you could be living with your parents. If this the case, you should decide how much time you want or need to spend around them and ensure that work does not override this need. If your parents have been hinting that they'd like to see you more and you're agreeable to this, find ways to separate yourself from work, make yourself unavailable for overtime shifts, or do whatever else it takes to spend more time with them.
Living with a Partner
Perhaps you are living away from most of your family, but share your place with a sweetheart. In this case, you should be sensitive to how much time he or she feels entitled to spend with you. Some people are very clingy, while others are very independent, but most fall somewhere in between. If necessary, sit down and have a conversation with your partner addressing how they feel about your work hours and even asking for help to change them if possible. Set aside time on a regular basis to go on a date with them, even if you are already married. You might be amazed at what this can do for your relationship!
Living by Yourself/With Pets
If you live on your own, you are lucky to be a little freer than many full-time workers. You can spend as much time at work as you would like, except if you have pets. Remember to keep a consistent routine as much as possible so they get fed, walked or cared for at the same time each day. This will help keep them reassured that you are returning home for them.
If you have no pets, you should figure out how much time you want to spend at home, relaxing with yourself for company! There's no use in burning yourself out just because you don't have anyone to go home to.
Balancing your full-time job with your home life is a tricky task, but with time and practice it becomes easier to master. Consider your individual situation and remember to take time off when you need to preserve your own mental health.
What do you do to balance your work life with your social life? Leave your tips below!
