It’s tough for a family when work goes beyond the normally scheduled hours. Plans often need to change when a family member is working late or working extra shifts. But what happens when the family member is physically home, but their mind is still on work. It can affect everyone in the family, and often in different ways. Both scenarios are equally important to consider for achieving a balanced work and family life.
In this article we are going to concentrate on how to improve work and family balance when you are taking work home with you mentally. Often this is hard for people to see in themselves, so looking for clues from family members is key to determining if this is an issue with your family.
Here are some clues to watch for:
Questions being repeated due to non-response
Using the family members name louder each time
Comments like “where are you?” or “are you listening to me?”
Getting distracted in family activities
Too much time on electronic devices to keep in touch with work
Reading industry publications instead of joining in on family activities
To curb this behavior, create a Switching Point on your commute. Approximately halfway through your commute find a landmark that you can use as a visual and mental cue to change your mind-set. Make it something that is easy to locate and pleasant to look at such as: a garden, artwork, a unique sign etc. so that it will be sure to catch your attention on your commute. Now on your way home from work today look for that switching point and once you pass that point, your attention is going to turn toward your family. During your next commute on the way to work, once you hit at switching point it’s time to shift gears and start prioritizing your work day.
This physical cue for you to change your perspective is a powerful reminder that you are in control of what your reactions are to situations. It will position you to take back the power and make choices to balance your time and live in the moment. This isn’t an overnight solution. Give this a try for 21 days, which research as determined is the time we need to complete an action to turn it into a habit.
To brainstorm more ways that you can assist employees in gaining balance in work and family life take a look at our online resources or contact us directly.
