Balancing Work and Home Expectations Without Losing Yourself
Today’s world offers an interesting landscape for women. We are tasked with a unique set of challenges, oftentimes having to juggle both professional and domestic responsibilities. If we have higher aspirations in either area, there are additional challenges to navigate.
There have been major strides in gender equality over recent decades, yet women still carry an unbalanced burden. If we want to climb the ladder of our careers, we’re made to feel guilty on the home front. If we opt to focus on growing a family, we’re deemed replaceable on the job.
It can be an emotional roller coaster trying to decide which path is the correct one to choose. In the process, it’s not uncommon to start losing pieces of yourself. The pressure can further compound your shift in identity.
Here, we’ll explore strategies you can use to help manage the stress, balance your expectations, and regain your sense of identity.
Understanding Your Burdens
Part of our struggle as women involves a few key expectations that consume our mental and emotional energy, as well as time.
The Invisible Load: We’re typically the gatekeepers for managing the unwritten household aspects, including remembering birthdays, making and attending appointments, managing family dynamics, and any other maintenance activities.
The Double Burden: We have our career responsibilities to attend to while still carrying a majority of the home burden.
Additionally, there is a heavy expectation to be good at everything we do.
Define What Success Means
Being authentically you means determining what success means to you, on your terms. Anything that doesn’t align with that, you should disregard. This holds especially true for what society deems normal or acceptable.
Self-reflection will help you set your priorities in both work and home, offering a guiding light for your day-to-day operations.
Progress Over Perfection
This inner drive to be perfect and create the perfect environment can be rather damaging. Unfortunately, it’s more commonly occurring among women.
Rather than focus your efforts on perfection, embrace your imperfections. Mistakes are our way of achieving personal growth. Less effort toward perfection gives you more mental space for the things that can bring you success, joy, and peace.
Embrace the Seasons of Life
By the time we reach adulthood, many of our days start to look the same. We fall into routines and end up in this rigid cycle. This rigidity can make the balancing act that much harder to manage.
Acknowledge that life happens in seasons. As you enter new chapters, the seasons will also change. Sometimes you will need to devote more energy to your work demands. Other times, your home life will need to take priority.
Having a plan for these periods can help you navigate them while still being true to yourself. Perform periodic check-ins with yourself to note any modifications that need to be made to your plan. Reevaluate how you balance your demands and various roles. Ask for help when needed.
Set Boundaries and Enforce Them
Setting boundaries is something many people struggle with. If you’re attempting to manage both home and career responsibilities, establish a clearly defined line between them. Set specific hours for work and be mindful not to run over. Avoid bringing home into your workplace. Figure out a way to transition between the two environments to help this process.
One of the most important things you can do for yourself is learning that “no” is a complete sentence. It’s also an acceptable one at that. Learn how to say no and be comfortable doing so. Save your energy for things that are a true priority for you.
Maintain Your Sense of Self
Prioritize your self-care activities and those that allow you to connect to your identity. These should be things beyond home and work.
Ask for Help
If you’re struggling to establish your identity or balance your responsibilities, I can offer support and an outside perspective. Contact me today to schedule your first appointment.
