A Sunshiney Balancing Act: Work VS. Life During Summer
Work-life balance is crucial for maintaining good mental and emotional health. We all know this, but reality? Not so simple.
As summer arrives, working parents often find themselves facing a unique set of challenges when it comes to maintaining a healthy work-life balance. With children out of school, the need for quality family time clashes with the demands of the professional sphere. Summer is a notoriously difficult time for parents who have to balance camps and other forms of childcare with those logistical and financial impacts! In this blog post, we will explore the importance of work-life balance for working parents during the chaotic summer to offer practical tips to help navigate this juggling act.
The summer season brings incentive to unwind, recharge, and create lasting memories with family under the sunshine! Neglecting personal needs can lead to burnout and reduced productivity in the workplace. Spending quality time with children during summer fosters a stronger bond between working moms and their families. But how?! Research shows that a positive family environment positively impacts children's social, emotional, and cognitive development. A survey by the American Psychological Association revealed that 41% of employed parents experience significant stress due to the conflict between work and family responsibilities. What can we do?
Tips for Achieving Work-Life Balance during Summer:
Plan and Communicate: Plan ahead by syncing work and family schedules. (Our own family uses a labyrinth of Google Calendars to share info and stay in the loop!). Communicate with your employer/manager and colleagues about your availability and establish realistic expectations during the summer months. It is also a great idea to understand their plans and time off, and when it is helpful and possible, to align.
Delegate and Outsource: Share household responsibilities with your partner, involve children in age-appropriate chores (our 6-year-old now rolls out the trash bins on Mondays!), and consider outsourcing or reducing tasks like cleaning or meal preparation to lighten the load if that is possible. Get creative: Some weeks we rely on meal kits and other weeks we are eating easy-to-prep meals or leftovers. We even found a middle schooler in our neighborhood to help with watering plants when we aren’t around to help with that lag and burden.
Create a Summer Routine: Establish a daily routine that blends work and family time. Set aside specific blocks for focused work while allocating dedicated periods for family activities, ensuring everyone's needs are met. Try putting your phone in “airplane mode” to be present in the moments you truly can be!
Take Advantage of Flexibility: Explore flexible work arrangements, such as remote work or flexible hours during summer, to better align with your family's needs during summer. If there is flexibility in getting projects done in the evenings or early mornings, to balance out time in the day with your family, try to take advantage of that option. This allows for greater participation in family activities and reduces commuting time.
Embrace Self-Care: Prioritize self-care to maintain personal well-being. Engage in activities that recharge you, such as exercising (even just a walk!), reading, or pursuing hobbies. Even something as simple as putting down your phone at night to get some much-needed rest, instead of spending those extra moments scrolling or replying. Sit by a lake, pool, or nature reserve to take some deep breaths! Taking care of yourself empowers you to better manage both work and family responsibilities.
Nurture Social Connections: Connect with other working parents to share experiences, advice, and support. Joining community groups or online forums provides a platform for networking and exchanging valuable insights.
As a working parent, achieving a work-life balance during summer may seem like an uphill battle, but with intention, planning, and adaptability, it is indeed possible. Remember, the key is to set realistic expectations, communicate effectively, and prioritize quality time with your family. Try your best to plan so that you can create a harmonious and fulfilling summer that allows you to thrive both personally and professionally.