I feel like I should start a support group with this
introduction, but…
Hi, my name is Tiffany and I suffer from horrible work/life
balance. I work full time, am taking
classes online, and I am raising two kids.
Throw into the mix household chores, two dogs, Girl Scouts, viola
lessons, marching band, and a plethora of other projects going on at any given
time, and you have a snapshot of my life.
Just writing this down is making
me nervous. What am I forgetting that
needs to be taken care of or done tonight?!
Crazy thing about my little chaotic snapshot above is I know
I am not alone. Life is crazy
anymore. Looking around my office, each
one of us has a handful or two of other activities and responsibilities. Chances are your office is the same way. Life happens regardless of your title or
position.
So, how do you balance it all? Initially, I started looking for sites with
tips, but I decided it was better to get real life answers so I took my
question to my colleagues and Facebook followers. Some answers were almost universal; some were
a little more unique. Here are some
highlights….
Ten things you can do to create a better work life balance
- Limit the amounts of time that you do work stuff at
home or vice versa.
- Use a calendar!
Scheduling events makes it easier to know what is coming up and
plan accordingly. Google Calendar
is a favorite for many of those that responded.
- Create
lists. Do what must be done
first. Do what you do not want to
do and get it out of the way. Once
something is completed, check it off and move on to the next.
- Turn off your alerts; do not be a slave to your
phone. Check your emails on your
own terms; not with every beep, buzz, or blinking light.
- Take some time for what makes you happy: read a book,
watch a movie, go for a run, exercise, or go out for a drink with a friend.
- Find some peace.
Pray. Meditate. Get a massage.
- Get help! This
was a tough one for me, but there is no reason that my kids couldn’t
straighten up the house while they are waiting for me to get home or wash
the dishes from breakfast. They
even like starting dinner once in a while.
- Don’t be afraid to let go. One of my Facebook friends said it best,
“When I was working full time, was a full time graduate student and a
single mom I achieved balance by letting go of things that do NOT
last-dishes, dust and laundry.
Instead, I chose football practice, school activities and a kid
flick.”
- Say no. I
struggle with this one, but it is okay to not do everything all of the
time. If something is not important
to you, let it go and focus on what needs your attention.
- Find what works for you. Take advantage of the time you have; I
study on my lunch breaks and can knock out a good bit of my reading
without interruptions which helps me immensely. A colleague wrote, “Having the
opportunity to work remotely is a huge thing for me. It helps me not to feel guilty about
going to my kids’ activities (games, etc.) and I make up my time in the
evenings when they are engrossed with homework. Sometimes they will come and hang out in
my office as they do their homework and we’ll all be ‘working’
together.”
"Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don't, and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.
-Harvey Mackay
Tiffany Worstell is a nationwide Recruiter
for Dental Staff at ETS Dental. She can be reached at tworstell@etsdental.com or 540-491-9112. ETS Dental is a Dental Recruiting firm
specializing in finding and placing General Dentists, Dental Specialists, and
Dental Staff throughout the United States. www.etsdental.com
