Work-life balance, work-family balance, or whatever label you prefer to use for the act of trying to live a less chaotic life is ever-evolving. There’s always something in your life that seems to suffer or areas you feel could use improvement. I’ve come to realize that even when you think you’ve got everything set up for a balanced lifestyle, life will throw curve balls your way that force you to readjust. Even still, there are things that can be done consistently to help with your sense of balance. Watch the video below from a recent Periscope chat I had on this topic and then read on for more details on the five things I’m working on for better work-life balance. Then share yours in the comments!
5 Things I’m Working On for Better Work-Life Balance
- Meal plan consistently: Meal planning is helpful for me to not only stay on track with our family’s grocery budget, but also for helping me stay on track with our family’s meals. It’s easy to fall back on take-out or dining out, but with a meal plan, I notice that we are better about cooking at home. Additionally, my husband and kids know what is on each night’s dinner menu and are often able to help! I do our dinner menu plan for two weeks at a time and also grocery shop every two weeks. Check out some of the previous menu plans I’ve shared to spark your meal planning!
- Cleaning schedule: Similar to meal planning, a cleaning schedule helps our family stay on track with maintaining the house. Instead of accumulating chores and having to clean for hours on the weekend, a cleaning schedule allows us to do a little bit each day, freeing up our weekends for more fun! Plus, with a cleaning schedule, the kids can help more easily, as some of their chores are included in the week’s schedule.
- Chunking my daily schedule: Baby boy started pre-K last month, which is only 3 hours each day. The rest of the day he spends at home with me, which means I have had to readjust my work schedule to fit in time with him. I’ve been trying time chunking in order to both get work done and dedicate attention to him. That means that I block out certain chunks of the day for work, others for baby boy or family time, and still others for the house or myself.
- Setting aside time for me: With all that we have going on, ensuring that I have time for myself is something I’m always working on, but it’s oh so important. Me-time can be as simple as catching up on TV after the kids go to sleep or taking a break in the evening while the kids hang out with Daddy. The important thing is to get a little time for myself to catch my breath and clear my mind.
- Being flexible: Even with all the schedules and planning in the world, life can be a fickle thing that throws off your balance. Being flexible is important because you want to be able to roll with whatever comes your way and not be overwhelmed. This is something that I need more practice doing, but I am working on it.
More on Work-Life Balance
In addition to the above links, take a little time to explore these additional posts on work-life balance and browse all our work-life balance ideas!
- 7 Tips for Finding Me-Time
- Sample Daily Schedule for WAHM
- 5 Ideas for a Quick Me-Time Break
- Tips from Other Moms on Taking Time for Yourself
- Sample Meal Plans for Dinner
What things are you doing or what areas of your life are you working on to improve your work-life balance?
Video © Melanie Edwards/modernmami™
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