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Diet & Nutrition

2008-09-01 15:06:00

Work and home

Question: How does one balance work and home?

Answer: It’s easy to put yourself on the “get to me later” shelf. The problem is that “later” rarely comes. Work, kids, social obligations all tend to take precedence. At day’s end you probably find yourself exhausted. Taking care of you is just as important as taking care of others. Think about the possibilities if you continue running yourself out of gas, you may become ill emotionally and/ or physically leaving no one taking care of the important things. You can get out of this cycle by learning to say no, delegating what you can, and organizing your time wisely. Learning to say “no” seems difficult for some people. Perhaps you are the person who is asked to be on every committee, bake cookies for every bake sale, or work late constantly because they know you’ll say “yes”. Perhaps you feel guilty for saying no, assuming others will feel insulted or think you’re a bum. As a result, you probably feel stressed out, tired out, and burnt out. Finding ways to say no is healthy selfish. Develop a ready answer when you are asked to do something you don’t want to do. For example, “I just don’t have any room on my calendar right now.” “No room” can mean your calendar is filled as much as you are willing to let it be filled and you’re not taking anything else on right now. You could say, “ I would rather decline than end up doing a mediocre job”. Knowing you aren’t able to do your very best for whatever reason is adequate reason to turn down a project. Saying, “I hate to split my attention among too many projects “or “I’m not taking on any new projects right now” are honest, straightforward answers as well. Choose one you like best or come up with your own, then practice it until you feel comfortable using it. Delegating some responsibilities to others is another skill that will help you take care of yourself. Turning lose of some control instead of doing everything yourself can be learned. Figure out what things someone else could do to free up time for you. What things don’t have to be done perfectly and exactly like you would do it? Can someone else be taught to do the laundry, wash the dishes, even cook? Can someone else lead the committee, gather the door prizes, or do the decorations for the project or club? Decide what things will not matter in the big scheme of things, then let go of them, even if it means things won’t be done as perfectly as you would do them. Organizing your time allows you to set priorities and accomplish what you set out to do in a timely manner, leaving precious time for the things most important to you. List your daily tasks on paper then number them in highest priority order. Once you have your list, determine to focus on one task at a time until each is complete. Save distractions like emails, phone calls, mail etc., and dealing with them at an allotted time. Drop unnecessary tasks like watching TV in favor of spending time on your top priorities. Constantly ask yourself, “Is this the best use of my time?” Prioritizing allows you to accomplish what must be accomplished in a timely manner leaving time for relaxation and rejuvenation. Stay calm, anything that doesn’t get done today will still be there for tomorrow, just move it over to a new list. Make your well-being a new priority. Saying “no “ to some things so that you can say “yes” to more important things, delegating tasks to others who can accomplish them, and organizing your time, focusing on top priority tasks first allow you to not only get more done but also allow you to get to yourself sooner rather than later.