The gals at Move are firm believers in keeping a steady work-life balance; most of us are full-time working moms who want to spend just as much time with our families as we do at work. In most cases we have to work to earn a living, but more importantly we have to spend time with the ones we love. Here are a few things that can help create a better work-life balance in your life.
Work Close to Home
Since we are all living in the Durham Region it makes sense for our office to be based in Pickering, this makes it easy for when our kids forget their project at home, or falls in the mud at reccess and needs a change of clothes. Being accessible during the workday makes a big difference, and eases a bit of stress knowing that if something were to happen at home or with the kids we are right around the corner to respond quickly. Working close to home also saves you time and money not having to travel far to get to the office, just the stress relief of that alone makes this a huge bonus. This might not be possible for everyone, but if you can make it happen you wont regret it.
Keep Organized
Staying organized is a great way to help with your work-life balance. It might help to do a big meal prep on a Sunday and make all lunches and dinners for the week so once you’re home from the office you can throw your pre-made dinner in the oven and spend a bit of extra time with your family. The last thing anyone wants to do after a long day at the office is having to come home and cook a big dinner for the family and make lunches for the next day.
Exercise in the Morning/Lunch
If you love to get some form of exercise in during the week, try getting up a bit earlier and going for a nice jog, or hit the gym on your lunch if you can. This will ensure that you get your workout in and give you the opportunity to get home at a decent time. I am the queen of coming up with excuses when I plan an after work work-out, getting up and making it the first thing I do makes my day that much better plus it gives me a nice boost of energy throughout the day.
Disconnect
This is probably one that a lot of people find more difficult to do. With todays technology it is so easy to be connected to our emails, social media and other work related commitments. It might seem difficult but choose a time each night where you disconnect until a chosen time the next morning; this means turning your computer, phone, ipad, and any other devises off for the night! If you are worried about missing an important email, you can set up an automatic reply saying you will be away from your emails until 8:00 the following morning.
Plan a “Staycation”
Weekends are a great opportunity to reconnect with your loved ones after a long work week. You don’t have to hit up Great Wolf Lodge every weekend, but you can plan a sleepover at the Grandparents or even camp out as a family in your backyard. Not only will you be spending time with your kids, but you will be creating memories with them that they’ll never forget!
Everyone can make small changes in their lives to help create a better work-life balance, even if its something as little as planning a games night once a week with your family to catch up. It might seem difficult at first, but it will be worth it in the end!
