Jika Anda seorang ibu yang bekerja, Anda mungkin kerap dipusingkan di antara 2

pilihan: karir atau keluarga.  Jika sudah terdesak dan tidak bisa lagi menghindar untuk
membuat pilihan, kebanyakan dari kita mungkin akan lebih memilih keluarga daripada
harus mempertahankan karir tapi urusan rumah tangga berantakan. (Ffiuh!)

Sebenarnya, keseimbangan antara karir dan keluarga bisa diusahakan. Meski memang
tetap harus ada beberapa aspek yang dikorbankan, tapi menjalankan kedua pilihan
tersebut bukan merupakan hal yang mustahil kok untuk diwujudkan, Ladies. Jika Anda
ingin kehidupan karir dan keluarga Anda berjalan dengan seimbang dan bahagia,
berikut kutipan tips dari laman www.bbc.com, yang bisa Anda praktikkan.

Fokus Pada Yang Lebih Penting

Pertama buanglah jauh-jauh anggapan bahwa Anda bisa mengurus segalanya

secara sempurna. Anda hanya manusia biasa dengan segala kekurangan dan
kekhilafan. Jadi, jika belum memiliki rencana pengaturan yang matang, ujung-
ujungnya Anda pasti tidak akan bisa maksimal dalam menjalankan fungsi Anda,
baik sebagai wanita karir maupun sebagai ibu rumah tangga.

Coba ambil pekerjaan yang benar-benar sesuai dengan porsi Anda saja. Jangan
melebihkan, jika Anda memang tidak mampu melakukannya. Hanya dengan
begini, masalah rumah tangga bisa terurus dengan baik.

Buat Batasan

Sebagai seorang istri dan ibu, tak jarang keluarga Anda harus merasa
tersisihkan ketika Anda harus mengurus masalah pekerjaan di tengah
menghabiskan waktu dengan mereka. Sebaiknya, buat batasan antara pekerjaan
dan urusan rumah. Hal ini termasuk juga kapan dan di mana Anda bisa
menerima telpon atau email dari kantor, sehingga waktu bersama keluarga juga
bisa lebih dinikmati.

Cari Tempat Kerja Yang Lebih Fleksibel

Kantor tidak bisa membantu Anda seimbangkan kerja dan keluarga? Mungkin
jalan terbaiknya adalah resign dan mencari karir baru yang lebih fleksibel. Bila
Anda tertarik dalam berwirausaha, hal tersebut juga bisa dipertimbangkan.

Pekerjakan Asisten

Jika Anda termasuk wanita sibuk dengan jabatan karir yang tinggi, tak ada
salahnya untuk mempekerjakan seorang asisten pribadi. Asisten tersebut akan
membantu Anda dalam mengatur jadwal pekerjaan dan keluarga secara lebih
profesional.
Whether you're still answering work-related emails at 10 P.M. each night or, like 29-
year-old Sharice, you turned down a job opportunity because it "required too much
travel" for your bustling social schedule, finding work-life balance can be difficult—
especially when you want to move up the corporate ladder. "I think the hardest thing as
a woman is we all juggle so much mentally with so many 'tabs open' all the time,"
explains Kayleigh, 27. "How can I move forward when I am already drowning?" For
some women, like 31-year-old Danielle, their open tabs include a "need to focus my
energy on my children." For others, romantic—and platonic—relationships take
precedence over late nights spent at the office. "My fiancé won't like that I'm dedicating
more time to living out my dream," explains Hope, 27. "Plus, I get crap from my friends
when I put more energy toward work." But career experts agree you can have both a
life and a thriving career—with a little bit of work, of course. "Balance is different for
everyone," explains Karen Elizaga, executive coach and author of Find Your Sweet
Spot: A Guide to Personal and Professional Excellence. "So the key question to ask
yourself is, What

Whether you're still answering work-related emails at 10 P.M. each night or,
like 29-year-old Sharice, you turned down a job opportunity because it
"required too much travel" for your bustling social schedule, finding work-life
balance can be difficult—especially when you want to move up the corporate
ladder.

"I think the hardest thing as a woman is we all juggle so much mentally with
so many 'tabs open' all the time," explains Kayleigh, 27. "How can I move
forward when I am already drowning?"

For some women, like 31-year-old Danielle, their open tabs include a "need to
focus my energy on my children." For others, romantic—and platonic—
relationships take precedence over late nights spent at the office. "My fiancé
won't like that I'm dedicating more time to living out my dream," explains
Hope, 27. "Plus, I get crap from my friends when I put more energy toward
work."

But career experts agree you can have both a life and a thriving career—with a
little bit of work, of course. "Balance is different for everyone," explains Karen
Elizaga, executive coach and author of Find Your Sweet Spot: A Guide to
Personal and Professional Excellence. "So the key question to ask yourself is,
What do I need in my daily life to ensure that I can be positive and
productive?' Once you have that answer, you take a step back and determine
how you can fit that thing into your daily routine." Here's how.

Make Monday your "make it happen day."

Spend the beginning of your work week "really focusing and digging into
your work," says Stacia Pierce, award-winning life coach. "Use Tuesday and
Wednesday to flush out ideas, take action, and work through the bulk of your
to-do list. Thursday and Friday should be wrap-up days. This way you
aren't playing catch-up and the end of the week feverishly trying to finish
everything that has piled up all week." Your boss will notice how deftly you
meet deadlines—and your friends and family will love the time you get to
spend with them on the weekends.Manage your priorities.

Moving up the corporate ladder while maintaining a work-life balance often

means wading through a multitude of options and making tough decisions.
"To maximize each day, ask yourself in the morning, What are the most
important choices today that are going to move me toward reaching my goals?
Where do I want to be right now in life? What do I want to achieve?'" suggests
Pierce. "Your choices should line up with your core values and your personal
life mission."

Embrace hyper-efficiency.

"Bottom line, being a super-star at work in the context of a balanced life calls
for hyper-efficiency," says Elizaga. "When at work, you focus on the task at
hand, leaving social media and texts aside, giving those around you your full
attention, and producing the best possible work you can." Then, when you
leave the office, "you make sure you've scheduled the key activities that make
you feel balanced into your calendar. That way, those things don't slip."

Create a plan.

You can't meet a goal—in your career or your life—without knowing the steps
it will take to achieve it. "Creating a plan can be life changing," says Pierce.
"Writing out a strategy to get your work done or even just creating a simple to-
do list gives you a feeling of focus." You should plan your next girlfriend
getaway and how you'll snag a promotion, she says. "Plans bring balance
because you have a road map to accomplishing all that you want to get done.
You're more likely to do what is written. And reviewing your plans keeps you
on track and reminds you of other commitments that you should give
attention to."

Understand your personal and work lives will mix.

"Most people struggle with balance because they have the expectation that
work and personal life shouldn't mix," explains Pierce. But putting a wall
between your personal and work life could stunt your growth in both arenas.
It's OK if you "have to cut out early to retrieve your kids from school, [or] you
have a big meeting on Monday that requires you to work a few extra hours on
the weekend to ensure preparedness. This has happened to us all."

10 Helpful Tips to Achieve Work

Life Balance
Jacob was only 35 when he was diagnosed with acute depression. He was
promoted a year back and was leading a team of developers. His career was
on the rise. He had more reasons to cheer at home – he had a lovely wife and
two beautiful kids. Things had never been better!

Life took an ugly turn when Jacob started doing longer hours at work. As
manager of his team, he had to ensure they completed tasks on time
while meeting stringent deadlines.

Jacob soon started dealing with a lot of stress. He found it difficult to focus at
work and got angry for the silliest reasons at home. Life had begun to spiral
downwards beyond his control.

Jacob isn’t the first person dealing with stress. And he won’t be the last! But
life can be made a lot easier if you strive to achieve work life balance.

An Ernst & Young study revealed that more than 67% American
employees found it difficult to manage their work life balance. There is a need
for urgent remedial steps to be taken, otherwise this will blow out of
proportion.

Most people are not aware of the significance of work life balance or the
consequences of ignoring it! Anyone who has a hectic life have a lot to gain by
finding the perfect work life balance in their lives.
What is Work Life Balance?
Wikipedia describes it as a concept that properly
prioritizes between work (career) and lifestyle (family, health, pleasure and
spiritual pursuits). People who successfully follow this concept are able to lead
satisfactory lives at home and the workplace.

Ignoring this concept may result in disastrous consequences – from burnouts

and ailments to sleepless nights and broken relationships!

10 Tips to Find the Perfect Work Life Balance

Now that you know what it is and the consequences of not achieving it lets
have a look at some things you can do to get to a balanced state.

1. Analyze your work and personal life in detail

Failing to plan is planning to fail. It is important to analyze daily routines and
plan your work if you want to get things done in time.

In a survey by Workfront, 60% of employees believed that bad and

demanding bosses are the leading cause of weak work-life balance. But if you
can plan in advance and stick to your deadlines your boss might not look so
bad.

How many hours do you spend at the office? How much time do you get to
pursue personal activities? Jot down your findings on a piece of paper. Use
this paper to answer the following questions:

Q. Are you overwhelmed at work? Are you satisfied with your performance?

Q. Are you able to devote quality time to your family and personal pursuits?

The answers you provide will give you a better standing of where you stand as
far as work-life Balance is concerned.

If you feel you’re overwhelmed talk to your boss and try to arrange a more
flexible work schedule. Most companies nowadays allow some flexibility for
their employees. If your company is not open to the idea you can always find
another.

Also analyze if you can improve your working methods. The trick is to work
smarter, not harder.

2. Find a way to rejuvenate yourself

A poll of over 2300 employees revealed that only 25% put all their paid
holidays to good use. Out of these, 61% said they continued to work even
while on vacation! Its no wonder people will stressed and burnt out.

Organizations often ask their star performers to stay away from work to keep
them rejuvenated for an upcoming project. This concept of taking a mini-break
from work will do your world a lot of good as well.

How hectic is your work? Do you think you need a break? Spend a couple of
days or weeks away from work to reclaim your life. Get time to think for
yourself – get your priorities in order. And make sure you don’t answer calls
from office during the break!

3. Prepare a to-do list for the home and office

The most successful people are those that are disciplined and
organized. Most of them have a to-do list so they know exactly what they want
to do and when they want to do it.

Most people have a to-do list or task management software at their offices but
very few maintain one for their personal life/family commitments. Which
makes it easy to forget/ignore your personal commitments.

It’s about time you kept a to-do list for the personal life as well. And it doesn’t
have to consist only of boring choirs. What do you like doing in your free time?
Do you enjoy golf or bowling? Add your favorite hobbies to the to-do list and
make sure you enjoy them!

4. Set boundaries at work

89% of employees say it’s critical that employers don’t contact them after
working hours!
One mistake most people make is they don’t set any boundaries between
work and home. For example if you’re available on phone for your team
members even after you go home it will be hard to find time for yourself.

Emergencies happen from time to time so their can be critical moments that
other might urgently need your input. But it shouldn’t be happening every 2-3
days. The free time you achieve by doing this will help you lead your life in a
better manner.

5. Master the art of delegation

Mastering delegation is extremely important, especially so when you’re
moving up the ladder.

It can be tempting and sometimes easier to take care of the needs of each
and every member of your team. You have experience, know how it should be
done so directly helping him might seem the obvious choice.

Although it might look hard in the beginning things would have been easier if
he delegated some of his tasks to competent employees.

It’s important to groom other members and entrust them with responsibilities.
This will give you some breathing space at work. Not only that but by
delegating important tasks, you will be able to instill in them a sense of
responsibility.

6. Get rid of unnecessary tasks

The first pointer talks about analyzing your daily/weekly tasks. Did you notice
any unnecessary tasks in the list? It could be simple process that doesn’t
need any involvement from you, a meeting that you don’t need to attend or
anything of that nature.

If it is not important, then you should make sure you don’t make it a part of
your daily routine. It’s time to move on.

7. Ignore your smart phone and emails when necessary

In the Workfront survey, 50% felt that technology has ruined their quality
family time because they are expected to be on call anytime. Even if you’re
not supposed to be on call our addiction to smartphones can be a big
problem.

You might be checking emails, replying to Facebook messages, checking out

the latest financial news etc. There is nothing wrong with this. But if you’re
doing this constantly and having an effect on the time your spend with your
family then its becoming a problem.

Give your smart phone some rest, especially if those emails can wait till next
day.

8. Spend your weekends wisely

You get the weekend off in most regular jobs. Its the time to relax, enjoy and
rejuvenate yourself for the hard grind next week.

Sleep an extra hour, take the family out for a movie or a picnic, play golf with
your friends or do whatever that makes you happy. Don’t spend time looking
at your computer and thinking about office work. Your family needs you more
than your employers so give them your maximum time.

In the end keeping them happy will help you lead a content life and be happy
yourself.

9. Learn to say NO when required

Saying no is an art, and if you’re receiving plenty of request and questions
throughout the day during work its and art you should master quickly.

The requests may come from your manager, employees, peers or clients.
Whoever does the asking don’t take up anything that you don’t have the time
to complete.

Put your foot and say NO when you have to but at the same time make sure
to justify it by explaining your workload. If you fail to do so, you may end up
doing a lot of things that aren’t necessarily related to you and spend less time
doing things that are important to you.
10. Avoid multi-tasking often
Lets face it, most of us don’t multitask. We just quickly focus from one job to
another. Studies have shown that once you lose your focus when doing a task
it can take to 15-20 minutes to again fully focus on that task.

Imagine switching focus 10-20 times a day and you’ll understand why its a
disaster waiting to happen. On top of that if you’re sitting in front of a computer
there are hundreds of things that can distract you as well.

Concentration is a hard thing to master, but you can do some simple things to
avoid multitasking often. Going to a separate meeting room when working on
an important task, switching of Skype or your internal messenger, closing the
email tab are few simple things that you can do almost immediately.

What have you done to achieve work life balance ?

Did you find these tips useful? It might seem hard to change your lifestyle and
working habits to find the correct balance but consequences of not doing that
is ever worse. So make sure to follow at least some of the things mentioned
here to get your life back in your control.

Few months ago,there was a question in my mind, how to balance

my work-life? This comes because after marriage there is a
significant change in my life, as now I have the responsibilities of
my family, home, social, friends and work as well.

When I am in a situation thinking to balance my work-life, I start

research and figure it out, which I am sharing with you all.

First, The very first thing I come up with is figure out what are
your expectations from yourself, either way what are your
priorities in life, act according to that. Managing expectations is a
good way to have a stress free life.

Second, Are you also the one who thinks of perfection, I mean do
you also feel like whatever you do should be perfect every time?
Then hold on … Perfection is overrated — this means trying to be
perfect every time results in increased stress levels, in turn
disrupting peace both at home and work. It’s a see-saw, sometimes
you are good at work and the day other good at home. Go easy
on yourself and see how well you do then.

Third, Do not hesitate to ask for assistance whether at

home or work, look at the support around, when in need and if
possible distribute your work. It will help you a lot in completing
your work early.

Fourth, Managing your time vs. energy, means figure how

much time and energy you have with respect to each other to put
in completing respective tasks, try schedule to things and work.

Fifth, Make yourself a priority — Taking care of yourself is a

necessity and is essential to your success as well, regular exercise,
proper nutrition , stress — relief activities, and good sleep are way
to a fulfilled life.

While thinking about this and to make this happen I also

came up with some useful organization tips. These things
helped me a lot. Hope these can work for you as well.
Give it a try for a weak or a month and share your
experience and challenges you meet in balancing your
work-life, maybe we all can help each other to live a
healthy, wealthy and happy life!