Find Your Balance

By: Om Singh

Women today are becoming freer than ever, in thoughts, in emotions, in actions. There was a time when women were denied education; today, so many women are the sole provider for the family.

Women are excelling in all fields, in business, in sports, in television and of course women are also excellent homemakers.

Many modern women who have successful careers and beautiful families often face a dilemma, and that is how to balance between work and family?

We all seek for balance, so life can have meaning and is enjoyable.

Here are 13 ways on how to balance between work and family:

BE GENTLE WITH YOURSELF

This is the single most important thing when trying to create a balance between work and family. Often, there is so much expected from women from the family and the workplace that the burden of this expectation can burn us out.

So, when you feel that you are overwhelmed and that you have a lot to do, remember to pause and then breathe. Remember to look at yourself and see that you are too just a person, a human being trying your best.

When the pressure of expectations gets too much, remember to be gentle with yourself. Gently tell the voice in your head that is saying that you are not doing enough that, ‘it is not true’.

When you are gentle with yourself and patient with yourself, you can truly be gentle with your family.

LET GO OF THE IDEA OF PERFECTION

We strive for perfectionism because we want to give our best input and generate the best output from everything that we do. We strive for perfectionism because we want to give our best to those we love or a purpose we love.

Sometimes, perfectionism can become a trap and can feel like a heavy burden we are carrying, and when this happens, we can start to resent the very thing we wanted to give our all to, like our family and our work.

Accepting that everything is not always going to perfect and things are going to be messy sometimes can go a long way in helping you balance between work and family. Accepting that you, too, are a human and can sometimes make mistakes is a healthy way to maintain a balance within yourself and in your external life at home and work.

So, if once in a while, you find yourself forgetting to pick up your child’s laundry, don’t be too hard on yourself.

TAKE OUT TIME FOR YOURSELF

Taking out time for yourself means going out with your friends, going out alone, taking yourself out a date, maybe to the movies or the ice cream shop, taking relaxing hot water baths, reading a book you enjoy, finding a hobby like gardening or learning an instrument.

Anything that makes you feel more connected to yourself and where you are your only priority for at least those few hours is worth the time.

Taking out time for yourself will help you regenerate and refresh your mind, which in turn will help you be more present at work and with family.

REST

You go to work at 9 am, and before that, you have to take care of your family’s breakfast. After you come back from work after 8/9 hours, you have to cook dinner for your family and then clean up and go to bed.

When do you have time to rest in the middle of all this? Rest is so crucial in our day to day activities.

Take out sometime during the day even if it is 10 mins where you rest your eyes and your body. Just taking a time out after every few hours will do your body and mind wonders.

Sitting with your eyes closed and breathing deeply for 10 minutes and sitting in silence is a great way to get some rest.

On weekends, you can wake up a little, sleep a little. When we sleep well, we are rested well and can function well.

EXERCISE

Get some quality exercise at least three times a week to keep your body moving and healthy. Join a gym, buy some home gym equipment, go out for a walk or a run, join a Yoga class, go swimming, play a sport you enjoy and get some body movement.

Moderate exercise is vital for our health.  When we exercise our body, it helps with refreshing the mind as well.

Movement is essential for the body to maintain good health. Without movement, we can put on weight and have a dull body. Movement regulates energy in the body, which in turn helps with a healthy mind.

BUILD YOUR SPIRITUAL CONNECTION

Once we have a strong spiritual connection, we can withstand any storm that comes our way. This is because we are connected to the divine spirit that moves through all things.

To build your spiritual connection, practice spiritual practices like yoga and meditation. Practices like yoga and meditation help us get more in touch with our bodies, our minds, our souls, and the divine spirit that is present everywhere.

There are so many beautiful yoga retreats in India held all over the country. Attend these yoga retreats, where you can take some time off and connect to your spiritual self.

EMOTIONAL REGULATION

Having a job that asks a lot of you and having a family that requires your full devotion can feel overwhelming. A lot of emotions can come up during the effort to maintain a healthy balance between work and family.

Emotion regulation sometimes means when you are too overwhelmed, allow yourself to cry or feel the emotions that arise within you and do not suppress them.

Suppressing emotions can lead to diseases. Feeling all your feelings and emotions helps you in feeling lighter, showing up in a healthier way at work and with family.

SPEND YOUR TIME WISELY

Don’t waste your time on people and things that drain your energy or who don’t want the best for you and your family.

Choose people who genuinely have your best interests as your friends and choose to invest your time into things and activities that truly bring you and your family the greatest joy.

DON’T TAKE ON ALL THE BURDEN

You don’t have to do it all alone. Ask your partner for help and divide the responsibly equally so both of you can grow as people, and all of you can grow as a family.

Have honest communication with your partner regarding your struggles and what help you might need from him and listen to what he has to share as well.

When you and your partner can work as a team, you can create real magic.

FIND A GOOD BABYSITTER

When your children are still young, and you have to go to work or go on a date with your partner, having a good and trustworthy babysitter can help.

Make sure the babysitter you hire is a good person and will take the utmost care of your baby.

HAVE A CALENDAR

Have a calendar where all your schedules can be noted down, and all your children’s essential schedules and details can be noted down, so there are fewer chances of you missing out on crucial things that matter to your family and your work life.

For example, simple things like when your child’s piano lesson is or what time do you have to go for a meeting can all be noted down in this calendar, so you don’t miss a thing and can stay at the top of your game.

SPEND QUALITY TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY

Spending quality time with your family where you all can bond, share stories, share struggles, and truly connect with each other’s hearts and minds can genuinely help with maintaining a work-life balance.

You can watch a movie together or go on holiday together.

When you spend time with your family, they know you love them and care about them, so once in a while, when you fall back or make a mistake, they understand you and love you for who you are.

HAVE SUPPORT

Have a strong support system of people who have similar struggles as yours, and women are also trying to find a healthy work-life balance.

When you have a reliable support system, you can share your struggles and get ideas, tips, and learn from each other.

When we have a sound support system, we know that we are not alone in what we are experiencing, and know we are not alone in our struggles gives us immense strength to live our lives.

Author Bio:

Om Singh is a blogger at Retreat Kula, a website that offers yoga and Ayurveda Retreats around the world. He is always on the lookout for interesting places to visit. It took him 25 years of his life to realize where his true calling lies, but once that was done, there’s been no looking back.