How to Balance Work and Home Life

"There's no such thing as work-life balance," declared Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric. His audience, the Society for Human Resource Management, heard why it's nearly impossible to raise a family and also have a successful, executive-level career [source: Tuna, Lublin].

Welch's speech was in June 2009. Since then, thousands of Americans have lost their jobs or have worried about the possibility of being unemployed [source: Goldman]. Providing in tough times is difficult, but it's no less important to maintain some semblance of personal fulfillment. According to the Mayo Clinic, dual-career couples are increasingly common, which complicates making and keeping commitments outside of work [source: Mayo Clinic]. It also means that in households with children, both working parents feel the pressure of working full time while trying to raise a family [source: University of Chicago News Office].

When women choose to have children, they might be burdened by the perception that they're less dedicated to work. Even though maternity leave is federally protected, taking time off to spend with a new baby can hurt a mother's career [source: FamilyEducation.com]. Depending on the workplace culture, subjective factors like visibility -- how you're seen and perceived around the office -- can be as important as objective performance factors. As Welch said, you're unlikely to be promoted if you're "not there in the clutch" [source: Tuna, Lublin].

University of Chicago researchers found that it hurts both parent and child when they can't spend as much time together as they used to, especially if it creates a feeling of estrangement or neglect from the child's perspective. If parents are stressed out, exhausted or upset when they come home after a long day, children might feel responsible, and the parents' negative emotions cause a trickle-down effect. However, research showed that mothers reduced stress by spending time with their families, and fathers who spent a lot of time with their children were less likely to let work troubles encroach on family time [source: University of Chicago News Office]. Whatever you do, don't allow yourself to feel guilty for being a working parent and having a family.

Keep in mind that, even if your kids are your biggest concern, you still have to take care of No. 1 -- yourself. On the next page, we'll discuss how your work-life balance affects your well-being.

Even if your work doesn't take you away from home excessively, the stress from being overworked can affect how you interact with people. You'll have less time to develop relationships with your friends, partner and, as we've already discussed, kids. With children, you should be available to them and provide guidance. It's also important to understand and acknowledge the effects unhealthy relationships will have on you, though, and you deserve some time to yourself every now and then [source: Weiss].

When you have less time for yourself, it increases the tendency to neglect healthy activities like exercise and sleep. If you have to juggle other commitments in order to schedule time for your hobbies, you'll probably enjoy it less, and it may even cause you additional stress. One way around this is to think of your private time as a relationship and treat it as you would treat your other relationships [source: Rauh].

The Families and Work Institute study reported that people who feel overworked are more likely to resent co-workers and much more likely to resent their companies [source: Families and Work Institute]. If all you can think about is what you'd rather be doing, the work won't seem fulfilling and you'll be less motivated to move up in the company or take on new challenges. These mental burdens will probably show in your attitude, which can hold you back or even lead to unemployment.

Studies show that tired, stressed employees are less productive, have higher health care costs, and jeopardize workplace safety [source: Families and Work Institute]. The good news, however, is that there are companies who recognize the solid investment of treating their employees well. Several magazines and Web sites rank companies based on submissions from human resources departments and nominations from happy workers. We've outlined some of the benefits here, especially those most relevant to working parent families, and you can search online based on your priorities, including industry, location, and specific perks.

Ready to make some changes? On the next page, we'll discuss strategies to begin the balancing act.

To get started, keep track of your schedule for a week. Then, analyze it and cut out unfulfilling, time-consuming activities. This is the time to figure out your obligations and define your other priorities [source: Mayo Clinic]. Be honest with yourself, and figure out what your priorities actually are, not what you think they should be. Shedding baggage is difficult, but experts agree it can be done.

Even if you become a model of efficiency, you've got to cope with disruptions and distractions, especially if you're a working parent. Since you've got all this newfound time, others will think you can organize the school bake sale or run the holiday party committee. Learn to say no, politely but firmly, and don't let yourself get roped into extra projects that you aren't interested in or that aren't necessary. Your time is precious. Don't let others steal it from you.

If you feel like you spend all your time cleaning whenever you're home, consider lowering your expectations a little:

Are you committed to the challenge of finding balance? Take the next steps with the links on the next page.