Being a working woman is not easy, especially if you have kids and a full-fledged household to care for. It is not easy to juggle professional commitments and household responsibilities. However, with a few lifehacks you can manage both and have your 'me' time as well. Monica Oswal, Executive Director, Monte Carlo shares few tips for every working woman.
1.You don't need to be a superwoman
First things first! Do not try to become a superwoman, and take an entire load of work on your head. You neither need to do everything by yourself, nor do you need to finish everything 'now'. Learn to tackle your tasks one by one, keeping in mind the ability of your body and mind, and how much you can fill in a 24 hour day. It is no harm to say no occasionally or ask for extra time at work. Similarly, there is no harm in postponing a cleaning routine at home for the next Sunday, if you want to relax this week. It is absolutely fine to do things at your own pace.
2.Communicate and share responsibilities with spouse
Social norms dictate that most of the household responsibilities are handled by women. Well, this was a fine arrangement for a time when women used to stay at home, and only men ventured out for work. But not anymore! Your spouse needs to share responsibilities of household chores, and you must communicate this effectively and clearly. Divide work, and maintain a balance.
3.Make a to-do list every morning
This is more important an exercise than it sounds. While juggling between multiple tasks, you can often forget important things that need to be done. Start every morning by making a list of things to be done both at home and at work. This will ensure that you do not forget to send the report the client asked last week; or to bring home a supply of bread, milk and eggs.
4.Learn to prioritize
At any given point of time you will most certainly have 10 things to finish. Realistically speaking you cannot finish them in a day; therefore it is very important to take the most important one first and pick up each task on the designated list of priority - both at home and at work.
5.Ask for flexi timings at work
Many organizations today have started the practice of offering flexible timings for their employees. Rather than having a rigid 9-5 or 10-6 work schedule, you can finish your designated 8 hours in a more flexible way, depending on your suitability. So, if you have a PTM to attend in the morning, you can start your work time log at 11.30 am and finish at 7.30 PM. Even if your organization is not currently practicing this, you must raise this with the management and request them to start the practice.
6.Schedule meetings in the first half of the day
Meetings often tend to stretch way beyond their designated time. So, if you slot your meetings in the evenings, there are chances they may stretch well beyond office hours, putting your other plans in jeopardy. Whenever possible, schedule meetings in the first half of the day.
7.Always keep a bowl full of marinated chicken in your refrigerator
Coming to the kitchen part, it helps if you know some hacks. For instance, keep a bowl of marinated chicken in your refrigerator always, so that if you have an unexpected visitor at home, you can prepare a quick dish to serve.
8.Follow a 'cook some and order some' recipe for guests
Even if the guests are expected, don't take upon yourself the task of preparing everything from scratch. Cook a couple of quick dishes and order the rest from a nearby restaurant.
9.Seek help
Most working women end up working from morning to night - first at work then to finish the household chores. Result: they find no quality time to spend with their kids and family, and are perpetually in stress. It is a good idea to hire a full time help who can stay at home and take care of the chores, so that you can spend time with the kids, help them finish their home work, and put them to sleep.
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