The struggle to create a work life balance that works is a common topic among my friends. It’s no secret that women are busy. We have full plates. We manage our household budgets, are entrepreneurs, carpool kids here and there, entertain friends, do laundry, and cook family meals. These are just the BIG things. We also walk the dog, feed the fish, find missing mittens, locate ballet shoes, lace up hockey skates, and replenish the toilet paper rolls.
There is a fine line between balancing a demanding work schedule and our lives outside of work. If you’re like me and you work from home, you may have a handle on your laundry or have an easier time meeting the cable repairman. Working from home has it’s downfalls to. It’s harder to shut things down for the day and clock out for the day.
Let’s be clear on one thing: Work Life Balance is different for everyone. It’s important that you prioritize your work and life in a way that is going to fulfill you. Today, I’m sharing tips for creating a work life balance that works for me.
1| Schedule Everything.
I schedule everthing that needs to get done. This includes taking The Boy to school, remembering which night is Trash Night, my personal appointments as well as assignments and meetings for work. I work best having my schedule easily accessible. For that reason, I use a combination of Google Calendar and a paper Erin Condren Life Planner. To ensure I don’t schedule any family activities that might conflict with The Texan’s busy schedule, I have access to his Google Calendar as well.
2| Say No.
When you’re self-employed, it can be difficult to say no to new projects. But, saying YES! to everything leaves us feeling depleted. Keep your schedule updated and only accept new projects that align with your brand. Don’t reserve the Say No! mantra for work only, say no to friends and family if the activity isn’t important to you.
Since practicing the art of saying no, I feel less rushed and more relaxed. Remember friends, the more you say no, the easier it becomes.
3| Own Your Priorities.
This is where things can get a little tricky. Deciding what IS a priority can be tricky. For some of you, it is being home every night to tuck your child into bed. For others, it is building your client base for your business. It’s okay if binge watching a hit show with your husband takes priority over baking for the PTA bake sale, too. OWN IT.
It’s no secret that women often feel that we have to do everything, right? You can’t have balance and peace in your life if you are taking care of your priorities. Your priorities CAN CHANGE over time, and that is OKAY. Be honest with yourself and know what is important to you.
4| Unplug.
Unplugging can be hard, especially when everything is accessible 24-hours a day. There are times when it is okay to put the phone away. Don’t text your friends while you’re sitting in the stands at your son’s hockey game. Don’t answer a work email while standing in the kitchen making baked donuts with your kids.
Make your quality time count. Remove notifications from your phone. You don’t need a beep and vibration everytime your best friend posts to Facebook, a client emails, or your favorite sports team makes a trade. Slip the phone into your bag, leave it in another room. Don’t be tethered to it. Once we stop comparing everyone’s Social Media curated lives to our reality, it’s easier to find our balance.
5| Utilize Peapod grocery delivery service.
This one is a no-brainer. Peapod grocery delivery service saves me, at minimum, 90 minutes each week. Remember when I talked about scheduling everything? One thing I hated to do was block a chunk of my Tuesday to hit the grocery store. Sometimes I wouldn’t go, and you know what happens if you don’t have groceries? Your wallet shrinks because you’re spending too much on carry out meals and your waistline grows!
Peapod has all of the grocery store staples you’d find at your local supermarket in a range of categories: produce; meat and seafood; deli items; prepared foods; natural and organic foods; Kosher foods; floral; office and school supplies; seasonal items; and video products; pet items; health and beauty aids; wine, beer and spirits (in specific markets) and value-priced private labels from Stop & Shop. Peapod offers pre-cut veggies like zoodles (no spiralizer needed) to cut down on prep time, too.
With Peapod, you can order through the online platform or by downloading the free mobile app for delivery your home or buisness. If grocery drop off doesn’t work for you, you can opt to pick up your groceries at the store.
Since implementing these easy tips into my life, I feel less stressed. I went from stretching myself to thin to finding a peaceful work life balance.
Which tips are you most excited to implement? What does work life balance look like for you?
