Juggling the many demands of your life can get overwhelming. In this fast paced society, it can seem like your list of things to do is never ending. Between work, family and friends, managing health, your relationship, and so much more, there’s always something that needs to be attended to. If you’ve got an extremely taxing, busy, or demanding career, you’re probably all-too familiar with these feelings.
Finding time to nurture your relationship can be difficult, given that most people spend most their waking hours at work. However, with some tips and adjustments, managing both a successful career and a healthy relationship is doable.
So, what should you do to find a healthy work-life balance? Give some thought to the following categories to help make managing a healthy relationship and a great career possible.
Shift your Mindset
Before you can even get into the practical ways to implement a work-life balance, you’ve got to shift your mindset. Do you find yourself frequently complaining that you’re too busy or you have no time? While it may be true that your time is quite limited, changing your mindset is needed to make strides. If you believe you are too busy or have no time, you’re not going to do what you need to do to make time.
Not only does saying you’re too busy cause you to increase your stress, but it also wastes your time in itself. Think of all the time you can gain back instead of wasting time complaining that you’re too busy! Making things happen in your life starts with a major change of mindset. Practicing mindfulness is a great place to start!
Make Use of Technology
As you work to manage a busy work schedule and your relationship, anything that makes your life easier and faster is a priority. After all, there’s only so many hours in a day. Cutting back on sleeping hours in an effort to get more done can end up backfiring, as you feel exhausted and unable to function. Instead, consider the various aspects of your life you can make easier.
For example, if food shopping, preparing, and cooking healthy meals takes up a large amount of your daily time, consider ways to get around this. For example, ordering your groceries online for delivery may help you save time, as you can skip walking around the store. Many grocery stores today offer great convenience through delivery services. Another popular option are meal-kit delivery services, such as HelloFresh, which give you everything you need to create a quality meal from start to finish.
Other ways to make your life easier include cleaning services and laundry services. Sometimes doing a Wash & Fold service can even be cheaper! While these services to make your life easier, they come at a cost. However, if your budget allows, it can make balancing your work and relationship lives easier. Don’t be afraid to treat yourself! Any ways you can make your life easier and faster means more time you will have to spend with your partner.
Keep Open Communication with Your Partner
When you’re feeling overwhelmed with managing your career and your relationship, it can be helpful to be honest with your partner. Your partner is sure to pick up on that you’re stressed, however, they can’t be expected to know your every thought and feeling. If you don’t express your feelings to your partner, they may feel ignored or get the wrong message about how you feel about them. Being honest is a great place to start.
During open and honest conversations with your partner, you may also find they’re quite receptive. They may have ideas on how to restructure your schedule or theirs to find more time to spend with one another. Plus, they will appreciate your honesty and that you care enough about the relationship to acknowledge that there is a problem. Making excuses, lying, or being dishonest always ends up making the situation worse in the long run.
As always, being vulnerable with your feelings and emotions can be nerve wracking but with some self reflection and intention setting – you’ll really be able to communicate better with your partner. Of course, we wouldn’t leave you hanging to deal with this on your own, so check out some ways to better communicate with your partner.
Establish Work Boundaries
For some people with demanding jobs, setting work boundaries is especially important. While you want to do everything you can to advance your career, setting a limit is needed. If you don’t set a limit, you can find yourself working late every day and spending virtually no time at home with your partner or family. This may mean having a conversation with your boss or saying no to every after-work event that comes up. Especially if you’re an entrepreneur, establishing a work/life balance is crucial! Some of life’s precious moments can sometimes be overshadowed by the responsibnilties of having a business, but to decrease the chance of burnout – pace yourself.
It’s also important to note that if you’re a business owner in any capacity and looking to get married, to consider a prenup which can alleviate any financial stresses in your life/relationship in the future.
With the recent rise of people working from home after the COVID-19 pandemic, establishing work boundaries is more important than ever. When you work and live in the same place, it can be difficult to really separate the two. That’s why it can be helpful to set strict time limits when you’ll start and stop work. Or else, it can feel like you’re always “on call”.
Believe in Yourself! (We Do)
As daunting as it may seem, maintaining a healthy relationship and a successful career is possible for anyone. Consider these tips to help make managing the two a bit easier. Staying positive can be helpful as you work to find a routine and a rhythm that works for you.
Julia Rodgers is HelloPrenup’s CEO and Co-Founder. She is a Massachusetts family law attorney and true believer in the value of prenuptial agreements. HelloPrenup was created with the goal of automating the prenup process, making it more collaborative, time efficient and cost effective. Julia believes that a healthy marriage is one in which couples can openly communicate about finances and life goals. You can read more about us here Questions? Reach out to Julia directly at [email protected].
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