Is your life balanced? What does that even mean?
The balance our lives comes in many different shapes. For one parent, finding balance might mean increasing the ability to let others help out, delegating tasks to others or perhaps finding services that can ease day-to-day responsibilities, such as a pick-up and drop-off laundry service.
For another, family balance might mean identifying ways to coordinate the challenges of work with the demands of finding quality family time.
What about you … when are you at balance?
As parents, it's very easy to become so busy that you forget to home in and consider what is most important.
Here are seven strategies for balancing your life:
1. Delegate
Create a weekly meeting with your family to discuss household responsibilities. During this time, review household responsibilities and delegate age-appropriate chores. Hold the meeting during the same time each week, and review what is working and what is not. For children under the age of 10, provide a goal chart so they can check off each task for accountability.
MORE: How Working Moms Make It Work
2. Consider Outsourcing
If you can spare the cash, then outsource you laundry, grocery shopping (there are many grocery stores that deliver) or basic yard work to create more opportunities for quality time. You never know—neighborhood kids and teens might be looking for extra spending money.
3. Plan Your Life
If you want to have days filled with less anxiety, you are going to need to plan in advance the activities of the family, as well as work and other significant tasks. Planning allows us the necessary time to adjust and be proactive about the choices in our lives. This reduces stress and anxiety.
4. Eliminate What's Not Working
Look at ways you can add time to your days. What can you live without? Do the children have to go to gymnastics this semester if you have a particularly heavy workload? Be reasonable.
5. Seek Quality, Not Quantity
Identify five activities that you enjoy and which take very little effort. Incorporate a movie night on Fridays. Have the movie delivered to your door, and add some popcorn and a pizza. This is a wonderful way to have both a quality family event while keeping from adding additional stress to your days.
6. Give Yourself a Break
Be reasonable. Are you trying to work all day, come home to make dinner, clean the dishes, get baths going, read nighttime stories, clean the house and pay the bills in the evening? Ask yourself, is it possible to accomplish any of these items another day?
7. Exercise
It's a great way to reduce stress. Take a walk with your family three times a week for 20 minutes.
(Mia Redrick is the author of Time for Mom-Me: 5 Essential Strategies for a Mother’s Self-Care)
