Being parents in this day and age is not what it used to be.
There is significantly more pressure to hustle, to grind and to climb that infamous corporate ladder. Work-life balance is all but absent.
We sacrifice so much for our family and oftentimes we don’t even get to enjoy the fruits of our labour.
Our children may wait all night for us to come back home from work; or clock out, if you work from home. And that’s not even the worse case scenario.
Many companies and offices can be toxic workplaces. Unfair wages, overbearing bosses, opportunistic colleagues, and unreasonable workloads are just the tip of the iceberg.
You may end up bringing work home with you. One way or another.
If not in physical paperwork, then in stress and depression.
Circumstances that may bleed into your family life. Potentially causing marital problems, poor parenting, neglected children and broken families.
Here’s how to promote better professional wellness in your career as a working parent for better work-life balance.
Set Clear Boundaries
If you’ve worked in the corporate world for any length of time, you’re probably all familiar with the lingo companies may use to guilt employees into working beyond their pay—”We’re all family here”.
While the sentiment is noble, the intention is insidious.
Staying back won’t earn you more money and even if it did, is it really worth it?
Clock in and clock out as per your contract states.
This is how you set boundaries to avoid any of your managers or colleagues taking advantage of you.
Prioritise Your Mental and Physical Health
Most of us spend 40 hours a week or more at work. Either typing away at a desk, or standing for hours catering to the needs of fussy and demanding customers.
This translates as either being extremely sedentary or extremely overexerted.
For the former, it’s important to get plenty of exercise after work or at the weekends.
For the latter, it’s important to get plenty of rest, and not just the typical kind too where you sleep an entire afternoon away.
There are 7 types of rest: physical, mental, emotional, social, sensory, creative and spiritual rest. Ask yourself which one are you most deprived of.
Have An Identity Outside of Work
You are not your job.
And as much as we’d like to think our companies love and appreciate us, the unfortunate truth is all workers are replaceable.
A question you should start asking yourself often is “Who am I?”.
If your first thought is “I’m an accountant” or “I’m a doctor” or “I’m a teacher”, then it’s time to reassess your identity.
Because those are answers we tell to other adults.
If that’s the same answer you give yourself, it means you’re letting your work consume your life.
Instead of those cliché answers, why not “I’m an adventurer” or “I’m a creative soul” or “I’m a nurturer”?
Infuse some dignity and authenticity into your self-image. These answers will lead you to a better career path that best resonates and aligns with your gifts and passions.
Don’t Abandon Your Dreams
We all had aspirations and goals before settling into a 9 to 5. Things we said we’d do but never found the opportunity to prioritise.
Whether that’s starting your own business or starting a family, don’t let work dictate your timeline.
Do what you love because life is short.
Yes, work puts food on the table and a roof over your head.
But don’t we all have something greater we want to achieve? Make time for those abandoned dreams.
Just like us, they have an expiry date, too.
Adjust Your Career
One thing that some employers may fear is the rise of remote and freelance work.
This means that work practices are significantly shifting in favour of employees.
After all, why would you waste on average 2 hours (or more, for some) of your life everyday commuting to and from work just to sit in an office? Unless your job calls for it, this is just needlessly added stress.
But many roles can in fact be done remotely—this is just one other thing the pandemic thought us.
If you think your current job is draining too much out of your life, don’t be afraid to take the plunge. It’s time to give toxic workplaces their due.
Remember, you and your health always come first.
Building a Healthy Career
It’s sad that some employers may think overworking their employees is a good use of resources.
Employees are humans too, with their own dreams and duties outside of what they do to make money.
For parents, raising children is probably one of the most important responsibilities they have.
But at the end of the day, it shouldn’t just be the employees’ responsibility to establish better work-life balance. Employers should play their part too in fostering a healthy working situation as well.
With the growing popularity of the 4-day work week and/or remote work, more and more employees can look forward to better employment practices.
Happy, well-rested employees end up having higher productivity at work. Probably because they’re not burnt out and overly stressed all the time. They are able to maintain their fitness and diet, and have fewer sick days.
Employees always come first.
After all, even a queen is helpless without her worker bees. And that’s something some companies would do well to remember.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice from Motherhood. For any health-related concerns, it is advisable to consult with a qualified healthcare professional or medical practitioner.
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