Work-Life Balance Tips Be Creative and Set an Alarm

Work-Life Balance Tips Be Creative and Set an Alarm No one ever said this would be easy pursuing a career while raising children. But Im doing it. And you can, too. Since starting with Robert Half mora than two decades ago, Ive worked my way up the ladder, and now I have three kids. Im in an executive position, and while I certainly dont claim to have it all figured out, I have developed some work-life balance tips to share with others.Then, after the kids are done with homework or in bed, I can get a bit more work done in the evening if I need to, or I can sit on the couch and watch TV with my husband.Two more work-life balance tips? Aim to work when it works best for you, and know that its never a 50/50 split between career and family. Sometimes work will demand more of your time, and sometimes your household will need more of you. Dont keep score. Just keep putting your best foot forward.Confronting work-life balance issues early onDuring childhood, I had to grow up quickly. At a young age, it was often my job to take care of my younger siblings, feed them dinner, help them with homework and take care of our apartement. I also had to think about my own school assignments, activities and, eventually, a part-time job.Later, when I was working for Robert Half, I decided to go back to school to earn my bachelors degree. It was an overwhelming endeavor combined with family and work. Two of my children were in diapers by then, and I had moments when I thought, I cant do this But the company was flexible with my class and homework schedule, and my manager was excited to see me go back to schoolI learned to dig deep, to ask for help when I needed it and to keep moving forward. It paid off, and when I walked across the stage at graduation, I knew Id accomplished something for myself, my family and my company. (Employers, check out these tips onmaking work-life balance a part of your employee retention efforts.)Finding the right role modelsEven today, I know that wit hout Robert Halfs accommodatingorganizational culture, openness to flexible schedules and tools to work remotely, along with the encouragement of my fellowworking parents, I would not be able to do what I do. What also makes this possible is my husband and kids, who are very supportive and proud of my career and my professional growth.Im fortunate to work for a company that has many other women in leadership roles who successfully blend work and family. I also have a boss as a role model who is supportive of working parents and sets a great example for them. He always reminds me and everyone in his department that our families come first. It starts from the top, and working for someone who truly believes in the importance of family life makes me feel more comfortable.For those who dont have the good fortune of an understanding manager, Id suggest looking for others to emulate, whether its someone in another department or outside of work.You might also want to take the aktion to be a trailblazer. At one point, I shared a work-life balance model with our senior leaders, advocating for flexible scheduling that would foster an engaged workforce with fewer sick days and reduced employee turnover. Now we know that were able to tap a much larger talent pool by supporting a less-rigid work environment.Other work-life balance tipsI do my best to pay it forward and to set a good example for the people I manage. I disconnect when Im on vacation so I can return refreshed and I avoid emailing my team members when they are on vacation. I encourage them to be there for their families, attend parent-teacher conferences and make sure theyre at the soccer games.When Im notmentoring someone at work, Im involved with my daughters sports programs. I volunteer my time to offer strength training to the girls during practice. I feel like its a way to give back to the community.A healthy lifestyle is essential to my sense of balance, so I pack a lunch daily. I also work hard to stay in shape so I can ansturm marathons. I attend lunchtime boot camp sessions at least once a week hosted by Robert Half employees who volunteer their time. This helps me get to know people from every department in a more casual environment. Ive found that by attending these sessions, Ive made a lot of connections outside of my department and have been able to use my experience and role within the company to offer advice on a variety of topics.Letting go of guiltGo easy on yourself I used to feel guilty about leaving the office early to make it to the train station. On the flip side, I would feel even more uncomfortable when I compared myself to stay-at-home parents or working parents who lived much closer to work.Life is about doing the best you can with what you have. When youre at work, do the best you can to make a difference. When youre at home, do the best you can to make a difference. It wont always be a perfect balance, and thats OK.As I often say, never get so busy making a li ving that you forget to make a lifeNikole Castrostarted working at Robert Half in 1998 and is Vice President, Interactive Media Operational Support/Business Technology. Shes married to a former assekuranzbrief officer, and when he was working weekends and she was working weekdays, their time together required some serious juggling. They enjoy camping, boating and wakesurfing with their two soccer-playing daughters, ages 15 and 16, and son, 22, a recent college graduate (and amazing snowboarder). They have three dogs and a rescue kitten. The dogs are featured onNikoles Instagram account, which has nearly 70,000followers. Two of the dogs helped Nikole train for the Boston Marathon, which she ran in 2016.--Fairygodboss is proud to partner with Robert Half. Find a job there today