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Modern women often wear many hats. At work, women take advantage of new “glass-ceiling shattering” initiatives to climb the corporate ladder or achieve success in a leadership position. Women outside of work look to expand their social horizons and spend leisure time with friends and companions. Many women also have families and obligations to their homes, partners, spouses, and/or children. Lastly, self care is a vital component of mental health and women need to find the time to take care of their own needs and put themselves first.
How can women balance all these different roles they hold and hats that they wear without compromising on their career development? Here are five ways that women can achieve a better work-life balance.
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Focus, focus, focus
Busy women have a lot to juggle on their plates. That means efficiency and focus are key to getting everything done in a timely manner. To achieve this, Healthshots suggests turning off phone and computer notifications while working on a specific task. Additionally, keeping the desk free of clutter can also help women focus on their work and not get distracted by their physical space or long to-do list. A little more concentration allows for a lot more efficiency and time saved.
Look for a job with flexibility
If a woman is trying to balance career and family, a workplace that allows for shifting hours, working from home, or last-minute schedule changes can help women be there for their jobs and for their children, Forbes reports. Raising a family means being there for emergency dentist appointments, 4:00 pm soccer matches, and last-minute sick days. Women can look for a position at a company that is flexible and understanding and will allow them to go home early on Tuesday to attend their three-year olds ballet recital and make up the time by working late on Wednesday.
Keep work life and home life separate
Healthshots reports about the recent trend of working from home and suggests that whether women work from home or from the office, it’s important to have set work spaces and work times. Setting clear space and time boundaries can prevent work life bleeding into personal life. Family and friends should be aware of when it’s “work time” so they know to limit interruptions during this time, and employers should know what boundaries women have set for personal or family time, so they don’t interrupt this blocked-out time with work emergencies.
Just do it right away
Procrastination is a common time-management failing that can cause work time to eat into personal time. Women who wear many hats know they need to stay efficient and on schedule. That means that if they put off certain crucial tasks, they will have no choice but to complete them outside of working hours. Although it’s not easy to kick the procrastination habit, Women can incentivize themselves to stay focused and avoid procrastination by giving themselves small rewards for getting things done on time.
Getting back to work after having children
According to Forbes, women’s careers tend to see a greater impact from them becoming parents than men’s careers do. If a woman chooses to raise a family, she should first create a re-entry plan that highlights how she plans to come back to work after parental leave, and discuss this plan with her employer and colleagues. That way, she is empowered to pick up where she left off, when she’s ready to return to the workforce after becoming a parent.
It’s not easy for women to balance everything they value in life, but it’s also not impossible. Looking for a workplace that allows for understanding and flexibility and ensuring that one’s work habits are diligent and efficient, is the best way to plan for career and personal success.
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