Recently I had the chance to be at a debate on ‘Should women work after marriage?’ The debate largely revolved around working woman or should I say, ‘women working after becoming mommies’. One interesting point put forth in most arguments was about the mismanagement of the child at home while the mother is away. It is true that the first few years of childhood are very important and critical. If catered to properly, it can lead to the best overall development of the child.
This got me thinking of the stress that a woman has to deal with in order to work. A working woman’s would want to work simply due to her happiness related to her work or it could be due to her strained finances. That is not really the question. The question is, when an Indian working woman handles her children, manages her home and social life. It surely isn’t easy. Hence, we see most working woman ending up having major health issues or extreme stress and tension leading to physical issues. The emotional stress that a women goes through while leaving her baby at home is also bitter.
But if a working woman follows these few essential tips, they can help her have a complete balance between her work and family. It is important to note that:
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Choose one: You need to be smart and need to choose. You cannot give your best at work and family and that is something, one must accept. It is necessary that you choose one- work or family- especially when the child is young and is still dependent on you for his basic needs.
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Decide well: If you are worrying about your baby while at work and stressing about your work while at home, you are just stressing yourself which may just be draining you, leaving you exhausted and emotionally traumatized. Hence it is better to decide to opt for work only when you are well prepared.
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Flexible work hours: If you must work, it is important that you make sure to have flexible time at work with enough leaves and breaks, work from home, altered schedule, etc. Or you may choose part-time work.
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Choose a mother friendly job: There are job available now a days that are mother friendly and have criteria such as maternity leave, onsite daycare services at the workplace, work from home, etc.
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Time management: Your work will be simpler if you plan out your schedule and goals. Simplest things like being on time at work and leaving on time will help you balance better. You may want to give lesser time to other unproductive work every day which may save more of your time and hence you could pay more attention to your child.
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Take turns: Something that will keep you successfully going with the balance and the juggle is the support of your spouse. There will be times when you may have to take a trip away from home for work or work overtime. At such times, the parents should have the co-ordination and understanding between them to keep the balance of the happy family.
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Back up friends: Ensure that your children gel well with parents/elders in the family because in case of any emergency, you can atleast leave the kids with them. They can help you. Good relationship with your neighbours and friends can also help you in any kind of mishap say when you are stuck in traffic and don’t reach home on time or your child’s caretaker decides to take a day off, etc.
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Just relax: More things don’t work out especially when you are stressed. Hence you need to worry less. Things always manage to happen, may be not the way you want it though. Something somewhere is always going wrong and you cannot control that.
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Time for yourself: Without taking out any time for yourself, you will just end up being lethargic and stressed, bogged down with excessive emotional and physical complains that won’t let you go far. Hence, getting some time for yourself on weekly basis is important.
Remember, not everyone is efficient enough to keep juggling. Hence choosing one as your priority for the time pertaining to your situation would be the best option. Today’s working woman is more capable, compatible, hard-working and zestful to deal with various situations provided she can keep herself calm and stress free. These tips will only help her deal with her life even more smoothly.