Blog Post: Managing Work and Personal Life

Regardless of what your personal life entails, you need to know how to balance your work and life demands. Everyone who works is subject to pressure from the workplace that can impinge on personal time. In an always-on world, people can easily become more attentive to their jobs than the other aspects of their lives; after all, work affords us the opportunity to provide for ourselves and others.

Work demands are somewhat easier to manage if there aren't a lot of people in your life who are affected by them, but even then, you're still entitled to a life outside of work. If you have a family or live with a partner, managing your household responsibilities requires as much focus as managing your responsibilities on the job. There are a lot of decisions to be made when it comes to chores, care giving, and budgeting.

Ask yourself, "Is my life in balance?" If not, plan ahead. Set aside some time with your partner and/or close friends. The first thing you need to do is establish a specific time that you will spend on yourself and those you care about. Consider what work-life balance will look like to you, given your particular circumstances. Though it is possible to be flexible, as in many areas of life, be sure you do not sacrifice the idea of carving out some time for a social life.

Make a list of pros and cons of your current job. Be sure to consider factors such as:

-pay

- friendships

- having a valued role at work

- making good progress in a career

- developing important skills and keeping them sharpened

Clearly, raising children requires you to think very differently about work-life balance. If you are a single parent, the challenge is even more demanding; perhaps it is the most demanding situation possible. Rather than trying to manage a stressful job and family, consider delaying your career while you raise your child by taking a job with less stress and fewer demands, maybe one that allows more flexibility or includes more family-oriented benefits. If this includes, you, then you're in the right place to find that less stressful next job!