How to Find Time for Your Family

Solutions for Creating a Work-Life Balance

Would you like to have work-life balance? If you’re feeling overworked and finding it more challenging than ever to juggle the demands of your job and the rest of your life, you’re not alone.

Well, we have a solution for you. Here are some of our suggestions to help you prioritize between “work” (career and ambition) on the one hand and “life” (health, pleasure, leisure, family and spiritual development) on the other hand.

1. Build downtime into your schedule.
   • When you plan your week, make it a point to schedule time with your family and friends to help you recharge. Plan an activity with your family like going to a movie or the park every Sunday afternoon. Often if there is nothing on the schedule, time tends to get frittered away and the weekend may end without spending quality time together as a family.
2. Drop activities that sap your time or energy.
   • Many people waste their time on activities or people that add no value; for example, spending too much time at work with a colleague who is constantly venting and gossiping. Ask yourself what you are getting from that person or activity. Is it an equitable exchange? If not, stop spending your time that way, and get home earlier to engage your children and other family members in the solution for a work-life balance.
3. Rethink your errands.
   • Consider whether you can outsource any of your time-consuming household chores or errands. Could you order your groceries online and have them delivered; hire a kid down the street to mow your lawn; order your stamps online so you don’t have to go to the post office? Even if you’re on a tight budget, you may discover that the time you’ll save will make it worth it. You could exchange gardening services for babysitting services. If you like to cook, you could prepare meals with the help of your children, and freeze a couple of meals and give them to a friend, in exchange for wrapping your holiday or birthday gifts.
4. Get moving.
   • A great way to encourage your children to lead an active lifestyle is to lead one yourself. Incorporate exercise into your family’s everyday routine. Start going for a walk every night before or after dinner. Pick a family swim night at the local pool. Activities like dancing, biking, tennis and playing Frisbee together are especially beneficial as they are activities your children can participate in later in life. Most importantly, though, if you want a fitness routine to last, be sure to make it fun and vary the activities regularly.

Don’t get overwhelmed by assuming that you need to make big changes to bring more balance to your life. We recommend setting realistic goals, like trying to leave the office earlier one night per week. Slowly build more activities into your schedule that are important to you. Take 10 or 15 minutes to do something that will recharge your batteries like taking a bath, reading a fun novel, going for a walk, or listening to music. Just remember each day to make a little time for the things and people that ignite your joy.