Many business owners struggle to achieve that elusive but all-important work-life balance. If this is you, then read on for our top tips on how to balance what your business needs with quality time with your family.
Why is family time important for business owners?
When you’re busy taking care of your business it can be hard to take time out to spend with your family but family time is vital both for your own wellbeing and your family’s too.
Family time helps strengthen the bonds between you and your partner and children. It enables you to share conversations, activities and experiences and encourages communication.
Business owners who work round-the-clock are at risk of work-related stress and burnout but spending quality time with your family can counteract this. Family time is also crucial if you’re a business owner with children. Research shows that children who spend more time with their parents have better self-esteem and higher educational aspirations.
Tips for Achieving Work-Life Balance
Here are some of the ways you can achieve that all-important work-life balance as a business owner.
Smart scheduling
One of the advantages of running your own business is that you’re your own boss, so take advantage of this and schedule work when your family is busy. Working when your partner is or when your children are at school or taking part in other activities outside of the home, means you’re not missing out on spending quality time with them.
Share the Load
Share household tasks like cooking and cleaning with your partner in a way that’s fair and equal so that you’re not spending all your free time on chores rather than having fun with your family.
Prioritise Family Events
Unless your job involves saving lives, then when it comes to family events, work can wait. Big family events like weddings and birthdays should always take precedence over work and even smaller events like your children’s sports competitions are worth prioritising over work-related activities. After all, work will still be there when your children are grown up but you can’t turn back time and spend more time with them when they’re young.
Put Away Your Phone
Many parents set limits on their children’s screen time but what about us adults? When you’re at home, make a point of setting limits on your phone time. If you find it difficult not to respond to every message or email, then put your phone on silent or in another room where it can’t easily be reached. Take the time to communicate with your family without the constant distraction of your phone at hand.
Make Mealtimes a Priority
Family meals are very important. They’re an opportunity for everyone to come together and share what’s happened during their day. Even if you’re not a natural cook, it’s never too late to learn – you can even get your kids involved too and try out a new skill together. Get those frying pans and herbs and spices out and experiment!
If you already enjoy cooking, then family mealtimes are the perfect opportunity for you to show how much you care by preparing delicious, home-cooked food for your family and taking the time to sit down and chat with them over a lovely meal.
Establish a Routine
Establishing a daily or weekly routine is a great way to eliminate wasted time when you’re between tasks or not sure what you need to do next. Having set routines at home or during working hours means you can be more efficient, but remember to leave yourself some flexibility to deal with unexpected things that crop up.
Accept Help
Many business owners feel that they have to do everything and as result can end up burned out and frustrated. It’s important to recognise that there will be times in your career and your home life when you’ll need to ask for and accept help from others. Delegating tasks in your business and accepting help from friends and family members outside of work makes you more efficient and frees up time to spend with your family.
