The percentage of women in the workforce in India is one of the lowest in the world which may make accessing information and advice about managing these conflicting and important priorities even more difficult than it is elsewhere. There is no better time than now to put some tools and plans in place, particularly with the ease of technology making it even more difficult to distinguish between work and family time. While technology has provided distinct benefits, one of the greatest being our ability to work remotely, it has also provided some difficult challenges as well by making us always accessible and feeling like we are constantly working.

Integrating work and family isn’t easy and will have its ups and downs. Our careers are essential in our everyday lives, and there are ways to balance working with your family. Here are the top 5 tips to help you be successful:

--First and foremost, establish boundaries between work and family time. Even if you have a job with lots of responsibility, this is a very important precedent to set.

--Determine when your family time is and put your work devices away. Constantly accessing your emails does not allow you to be fully present when you are with your family or friends. After all, there is nothing more meaningful and rewarding than developing strong human connections!

--If you haven’t done so already, discuss workplace flexibility with your employer. One of the few positive outcomes of the recent pandemic was that most places are now fully enabled to support remote work. If you have flexible work hours, it can make it much easier to make family commitments more manageable and, ultimately, lead to a much better work and life balance.

--Establish a routine for the whole family and stick to it. For example, creating a standard morning routine can help alleviate a lot of stress for everyone. By determining when allocated family time is, you can create a family calendar as a guideline for everyone to follow.

--It’s really important to prioritize and delegate. After all, there are only 24 hours in a day….! Determine what things absolutely must be done and re-prioritize those that can be postponed. Try not to overbook yourself or your children, for example, and make sure that you delegate. There is no reason why everyone in the family shouldn’t have tasks to do around the house.

--It’s imperative that you stay present in your family’s lives, whether it be your children, parents, best friends, etc. Bonding time is important for both the heart and soul and can’t be overlooked. Try to make the most out of your precious time with your family by staying mindful and present.

Of course, another one of the most important areas to look after is yourself. It’s so important to look after your own self-care, despite how busy your life may be. Simple things like getting enough sleep, knowing how to say “no”, and leaving time for yourself must be a priority. No matter how tired you are, if you force yourself to get some exercise or make that long overdue phone call to a family member or friend, it will almost always make you feel better and stronger again. The better you take care of yourself, the better you can deal with the many things that come at you every day.

Unfortunately, even in dual-career families, working mothers still seem to shoulder most of the responsibilities. Yet having an equal partnership and sharing responsibilities is so important to living a balanced and happy life. If you don’t do so already, it’s important to make plans to share the household, financial and caregiving responsibilities. The sooner you delegate and share, the healthier your relationships and lives will be.

In summary, the key to successfully managing your career, family and finances largely comes down to planning. If you take the time upfront to do the necessary planning, you can successfully organize your family’s activities, finances and well-being. Of course, you need to constantly revisit, tweak, and communicate the plan with your spouse, family and children, to ensure that you all stay on the same page.

Just remember that priorities will change, and the only constant in life is that there will always be change, so it’s important for everyone to remember that you need to be flexible. It is always a good time to sit down with your family and make decisions that positively impact your financial and mental health and wellness.

At the end of the day, we can all reduce stress by taking control, developing and adhering to financial, household, work and family plans, and being flexible. After all, we all need to focus on living life to its fullest, not on worrying about the day-to-day nitty gritty!

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