Balancing work and family life

The key to balancing work and family lies in your ability to manage your fatigue, stress and family life.

Manage your stress

You experience more stress when you become parents.  Mastering this phase of life requires you to deal with stress effectively.  You need to improve your skills as both an individual and as a couple.

Improve the way you cope as an individual

• Take care of yourself by eating a balanced diet and having enough rest and exercise.
• Maintain friendships with other adults and share your worries with those whom you trust
• Constantly give yourself positive messages and do not make comparisons

Improve the way you cope as a couple

• Support each other’s individual as well as joint parenting efforts
• Be aware of your spouse’s signs of stress and find ways to help him or her to relieve them

Manage your family life

Make your family as priority
• Make the most of family time.  Plan special family events.  Do not waste your weekends on housework.  Head to the park, beach or visit places of interest, instead.
• Trade at least one individual activity for a family activity.  For instance replace gold with family walks in the park
• Bring work home instead of working overtime at the office.  You are at least accessible to your baby when you work from home.  Try to avoid working late at the office.
Avoid the “superparent” syndrome
• There’s no such thing as a perfect parent.  Trying to be a “superman” or “superwoman” by pushing yourself on all fronts will affect your health
Re-examine your standards for housekeeping
• Make lists and prioritise the tasks to be accomplished
• Simplify tasks whenever possible
• Combine the errands into one trip

Click to find out "Balance act: how to be an effective mum" and "Why personal work-life effectiveness pay?".