The Balancing Act
Do you feel like you’re spiraling out of control, with too many tasks to get done and not enough time in the day? What are the different balls you are juggling? House? Career? Relationship? Kids? Community involvements? School? What is the secret to balancing our various roles and commitments?
You must recognize that you are juggling many balls and they will not be in perfect balance on any given day. Yet if there is balance throughout the week and month, this is healthy.
Breaking it Down
I put my work hours into my daily plan and look at the remaining hours in the week. What is a realistic amount of time to spend with my family and friends? It’s important to recognize that quality time takes precedence over quantity. The age of your children matters too. As they get older, our children will be around us less. We need to ensure that our interactions are meaningful.
Quality over Quantity – Family Time
We need to evaluate the time we spend with our families. Since we live in the same house, we may think that we are interacting with our partners and children enough. Giving rides and tackling chores together may just be co-existing. Spend time talking to and doing something with your family members a few times a week. This could be sitting sharing a drink, going on a walk, playing a board game, or watching a show together.
House
Plan out what you need to do each week in terms of chores. Incorporate house rules and routines. These should make it easier to maintain a basic standard of cleanliness. This could be as simple as no shoes in the house, changing school clothes, only eating at the kitchen table (no food in bedrooms or on couches), and assigning kids chores to help keep items in their place. This frees up more of your time for more valuable things.
Friends
Nurturing friendships is difficult in the parenting phase. Don’t let too much time go by without scheduling visits with your friends who fill you up with joy, or group activities to keep the group intact. Don’t hesitate to stop reaching out if the friendship no longer serves you or brings you joy. This effort will take away from the time you could be spending with people who make you feel good about yourself.
We can use time with friends and family as the means to do the activities that we desire. We can go hiking, camping, or kayaking. Take in a theatre performance, go out to dinner, or attend a community event. This planning allows us to spend time with people whose company we enjoy while also fitting in activities that fulfill us.
Health/Fitness/Self-Care
These should be daily aspects of your life. See where and how you can make it fit. It should never be on the back burner, as it is the cornerstone to success in all other areas. It is what allows you to keep the balls in the air. All it might take is 30 minutes. Find that time for your physical and health goals.
Balance every day is an illusion. Balance throughout your month and week is possible. Write it all out to see what areas are lacking, and which are controlling your calendar to visually see the lack of balance (using a calendar with large squares is great for this!) It is important to continue to tweak your month and week’s activities until the balance feels right.
