With economies around the world sagging, your company may be moving to a six day work week, how can you balance work and chores?
While the occasional working Saturday was never really a problem, most employees prefer a 5-day working week. Research shows that along with hampering productivity in the long-run, it also takes a toll on your mind and health. However, if in the worst-case scenario you cannot avoid the same, here are some ways for you to strike the work-home balance ratio:
Try talking to the management
The first step here would be talking to the management. You can go together as a group of colleagues or simply alone, especially if most of your co-workers are living alone or don’t have to worry about family responsibilities. Instead of working a complete Saturday, you can ask about doing a half-day. You can discuss the issue of having family priorities too to help you strike a work-home balance. Some companies have provision for day-care or similar activities, so you can bring your kids to work on some days.
One also has the option of working from home 1-2 days a week if your management permits. This gives you time and flexibility so you can start off your day earlier and then get your chores sorted. This would help you get more family time.
Set your priorities
Sure you have to put in an extra day at work, but you have to set your priorities. You cannot ignore your kids and family. In such cases, it is best to schedule your working hours. While you were willing to give an extra hour to work every day, you may want to stick to your 8-hour schedule now. Doing so will provide you with some time to spend with family, run your errands and finish off chores. Do remember that while work is important, not giving your family quality time could result in issues later on.
Do take out some me-time
In the middle of the chaos of balancing your work and home, me-time is often forgotten. This means your personal health probably takes a setback, and you are only focussed on balancing family and career. Doing so would mean that eventually you are making yourself prone to depression, risks of heart diseases, obesity, etc. It is imperative that you also find some time out for yourself. You can use the office lunch-hour to help strive this balance.
Plan ahead
If your company is moving to a six day work week, apart from these aspects, you should also try and plan ahead. You can try making a menu of things that you would prepare during the entire week and then buy your groceries accordingly. You can also order them online to save time instead of running to the store.
Also, try to take a car-pool to the office. Instead of taking public transport, going by a shared cab can help you save time. You can also try bicycling to work to get some exercise while making the most of the commute time.
If you have kids, try to put them in a school/ classes closer to work. This way you can get some added time with them. Though you may not want to, the 6-day week might be your only choice right now. So embrace it in a smart way.
Jappreet Sethi
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