As a career-oriented mother, wife, sister and colleague, it can be hard to balance the different hats we wear every day. So, how do we stay encouraged? Personally, I love finding joy in the little things each day. That is my personal key to a sustainable and enjoyable work-life balance. We all strive to be the best in everything that we do, but that requires balance. If you’re trying to find ways how to re-charge during Work & Family Month, here are a few tips that have helped me bring my whole self to work and to my family every day:

• Meal prepping with my kids! This allows me to have meals ready for the week and teach them how to pack their lunches. It’s a wonderful bonding experience that allows me to be productive while spending valuable time with my 2-year-old and 3-year old.

• Hitting the gym or going to the park! I love these adventures because it allows us as parents time to take a breath and a break from the day (or week…or month…or year!) and spend time doing physical activities and out in nature with family.

• Resetting – with my kids! Resting together while watching a movie, or simply observing and interacting with kids during playtime in a relaxed manner, can be so meaningful to the children, while allowing time for some adult rest. Let them play with their toys and then offer them praise when they have built their latest marvelous invention.

• Making time for myself. It’s imperative (especially for those of us who work from home) to get up, walk away from the computer (or workstation) to stretch and breathe—take this time to rest your eyes and clear your mind during your workday. Sometimes walking away from a task or challenge to reset can allow you to come back with a fresh set of eyes and new perspective! 

• ? OPEN ? COMMUNICATION. Open communication is a road that goes both ways.
  • Openly communicate with colleagues and leadership if you have a sick child or that they’re home from school under unexpected circumstances. Let your cohorts know that they may pop into the screen during your meeting! (Does anyone else’s little humans do this? It always seems to be right when we start meetings!)
  • Open communication from organizations is the other lane – on the open communication highway. Make sure you are communicating with your employees that they are human, you KNOW they are human, and that it is okay to have a family as part of your everyday work life.

• Be prepared! Ways to prepare are different and unique to each individual and their working environment. 
  • A WFH colleague of mine doesn’t have little humans in the house but does have dogs that love attention! She keeps a dish of treats on her desk to keep them occupied during her Zoom meetings. 
  • Perhaps you’re back in the office full-time, do you know you’re in for a busy day where you feel trapped at your desk? Have healthy snacks on standby! By staying fueled and staying full you can stay sharp and prevent getting distracted by a rumbly-tummy.
    

I hope these tips can help as you navigate through your work/life balance and our new normal environments. It is great to be a part of an organization that values not only me as an employee, but also as a mother, wife, sister and colleague!

Happy Work & Family Month!