The juggle over summer is real. It doesn’t matter what your work status is: self-employed, employed, work from home, career break or stay-at-home parent (or any combination of the above), when you have school-age children, your whole day looks different. All of a sudden, you have the pressure to continue your work and your day-to-day commitments alongside making memories. So today, I want to talk about how to have a balanced summer.
This isn’t a new topic for this blog. It comes up regularly in my 1:1 coaching and therefore, I want to share my thoughts with you here. From avoiding parental burnout, relaxing podcasts to the holiday survival guide, every year brings new challenges, and opportunities to have new experiences. This blog won’t be a list of childcare options or productivity tips (however you can find some of that here), but instead some tips to help YOU.
Five ways to have a balanced summer.
Mark your successes every day
It’s very easy to get to the end of your day and mentally list off everything you think you HAVEN’T done. Instead, consider everything you have achieved; this helps you notice the things that slip into your day, that you hadn’t expected or planned. I love the concept of a Ta-Da list; celebrating every achievement during your day. By taking this approach, I am sure you will realise just how much you get through.
“Comparison is the thief of joy”
STEP AWAY FROM THE SOCIALS. Whilst online channels can be a great chance to gain ideas about activities, places to visit, and to connect with others, there can be a chance that you can feel like you aren’t doing enough. From work to your free time, don’t be drawn into negative comparison.
The great quote from Theodore Roosevelt really helped me in these moments “Comparison is the thief of joy”. By all means, get inspiration, but remember you are seeing their highlight reel!
Choose when you say Yes!
It’s easy to find reasons to say no, to ourselves and our kids. That often is led by saying “Yes” to work and “No” to everything else! Think about the reasons why you are saying Yes or No to the requests and queries that come up over the summer break. A way to consider the urgency and pressure of your summer responsibilities is to work through this technique for your “to-do” list.
Don’t take things personally
Very often we have expectations of the events and activities we create for our kids; we have images of what will happen, and for reasons outside of our control it doesn’t go as envisioned. From older kids that have better offers to younger kids overwhelmed by a full day. If we layer work pressure on top, it’s easy to take things personally. Instead, reflect on the moment from another perspective, it may just change your mind!
Set your boundaries
Maybe this should have been the very beginning! One way to make sure you have a balanced summer is to know and stick to your boundaries. Ideally, you want to be able to give time and attention where you want. So, use your out-of-office and office signature, to make people know when you are working. This can help you step away, and truly focus on having fun!
So, which one of these will you implement for you and your family this summer? I’d love to know if there is a tip that is tried and tested for you? Pop over to Creating Careers to Enjoy and share with over 500 people that happen to be parents, working on a balanced summer!
Clara Wilcox is a straight talking, practical and experienced coach helping clients navigate the tricky waters of returning to work, career changes and professional development. The Balance Collective is a social enterprise focused on improving the lives of parents, by working together to build inner confidence and promote a healthy work/life balance.
