What is work-life balance?
Work-life balance is the relationship between your work and
the other important things in your life, like your family, sport
and social life, household chores, volunteer commitments and
so on. If you feel like you have enough time for all of these
things in your life, you probably have a good work-life
balance.
Your work-life balance will probably change as your work,
family and other responsibilities change. With realistic
expectations, and some trial and error, you’re likely to find an
approach that helps you and your family achieve work-life
balance in the long term.
Work-life balance: why it’s good
Good for children
To develop, learn and thrive, children need warm, loving
attention and quality time with you.
If you have a work-life balance, you’re more likely to have
the mental and emotional energy to give your children the
attention they need. You’ll also have more opportunities
for quality time with your children – that is, time when
you’re really focused on your child.
Part of looking after yourself is making time for the things that
are important to you, like work, hobbies, volunteer activities
and family. When you find a good balance of all these things,
you’re likely to feel:
less stressed and tired
more in control of your time
better able to make decisions and meet commitments
physically healthier.
A well-balanced family life can actually help prevent burnout
at work too.
Good for your relationships
Quality time spent together is the building block of all
relationships, so a good work-life balance gives you the time
and energy to develop better relationships with your children
and your partner, if you have one.
Your children need regular quality time with you. Quality time
can be short, focused and loving interactions as well as longer
activities. This means that you can fit quality time with your
children around your work schedule. Sometimes quality time
might happen in small, unplanned moments each day, and
sometimes it might be a dedicated time each week.
Looking at work arrangements to achieve better work-family
balance.
Family-friendly work arrangements might help you achieve a
better balance between work and family time. You can find out
about your employer’s family-friendly policies by looking at
your workplace agreement or talking to your workmates.
Changing work habits to achieve a better work-life balance
If you’re wondering how to get your work done and enjoy time
with your children, it might help to look at your work habits.
This is about approaching work differently, rather than
spending less time on or at work – which isn’t always possible.
Review the workday in your mind before you leave or finish
work. This can help you shift gradually to thinking about home
and family.
Try to arrange your work so you take on the most challenging
tasks at the beginning of the day, instead of at the end.
Take a moment in your workday to think about your children.
This could be just looking at a photo or thinking about a special
thing you’ve done together recently. This can help you
remember the reason you’re trying to achieve a work-life
balance.
Try to set boundaries around how much work you do at home,
including limits on checking and responding to emails or phone
calls.
Try to set boundaries about when you work at home. For
example, you could try blocking out parts of the day for work,
rather than constantly checking in with work.
If you work from home, try to keep your work area separate
from family areas. Put boundaries in place about start and
finish times, and be clear with coworkers and clients about
your work hours.
Switching from work mode to family focus
When you get home from work – or finish work if you work
from home – it can be worth trying to put work to rest in your
mind. This can help you feel more ready to give your children
loving attention and quality time. It can also help you relax and
make the most of time with your family.
Here are some ideas to help you switch from work mode to a
family focus:
Turn off your work phone and tune out of work on your way
home by reading, or listening to music, the radio or a podcast.
Try walking or riding a bike home if you can. Or if you work
from home, walk around the block when you finish work or do
a five-minute workout.
Think about ways to make travel time more relaxing. For
example, join a car pool or use public transport instead of
battling traffic.
Do a simple mindfulness exercise, perhaps before you finish or
leave work or in your parked car.
Call your partner, your child’s carer or your child on the way
home. This can take your mind off work and give you
a chance to catch up on your family’s day. It can also help
you work out who or what needs your attention when you get
home.
Have a ritual or routine to mark the physical, mental and
emotional move from work to home, from worker to parent. It
can be as simple as changing out of your work clothes.
Talk with your family, including older children, about the
challenges of making the transition from work to family mode,
especially during stressful times at work. Help them see things
from your perspective and try to see things from theirs.
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