Work and family life, a delicate balance
Hi, this is Evelyn from Job Links. This month’s article is on balancing work life and family life.
Over the last 18 months or so, the COVID 19 hurricane has challenged family life the world over. Everyone everywhere has had to balance work responsibilities and family needs. As captain(s) of your family ship, you’ve had to make tough calls, lay down the law, and keep the crew motivated. Now that the storm is (slowly) passing, pause a minute to give yourself a pat on the back. You and your crew have weathered some very rough seas. Congratulations!
How to get back to normal? How to keep the ship afloat and the crew safe and happy?
Really, there’s no easy or painless way to balance work and family responsibilities. Anybody who’s working and caring for family knows they really have two jobs. One begins when the other ends. Which one is more important? One pays the bills, the other makes life worth living. The reality is, both are important.
Maintaining balance between work life and family life will look different in each family, but one thing is true for all: If the “captain(s)” are overworked, overtired and carrying too much responsibility, everyone on board will feel the strain. Captains need to be in tip top shape to keep the boat afloat.
Here are some rules of thumb for smoother sailing in the family cruiser:
1. Decide what’s important to you as a family. Try to live by what’s important
2. Get enough sleep (7-8 hrs/night). Regularly. Everything’s better with enough sleep.
3. Leave something undone if you have to. The dishes will always be there. Your kids won’t.
4. Try to find a few minutes to recharge every day. Take a bubble bath on your own. Take a 10-minute walk in the woods. It doesn’t have to be much to be helpful.
5. Keep in mind: it won’t last forever. Kids grow up fast.
If you’d like to figure out how to balance your work and family life, Job Links can help. Our counsellors will be happy to meet with you. Here’s to smooth sailing!
Please note our summer schedule below:
July 1st – Closed Holiday
July 2nd – 16th – Open regular hours 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
July 19th – 30th. - Closed
August 2nd – 13th – Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m.
Back to regular hours (8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.) on August 16th
For more information about Job Links:
Phone: 819-566-2422 ext. 0
E-mail: joblinks@etsb.qc.ca
Website:http://joblinks.etsb.qc.ca Facebook: facebook.com/joblin
We look forward to helping you!