All of us must allocate 24 hours each day to the activities of life. How well we balance responsibilities with doing things we truly enjoy directly affects our quality of life. It also helps manage stress. Are you satisfied with your balance of time between work, personal and family?

If you answered “no,” you are not alone. Achieving balance with work and family is an ongoing process of juggling responsibilities at work and your personal needs as well as the needs of family members. These needs change over time. The key to success is stepping back and periodically analyzing how things are going. You can then decide if changes are needed. The outcome is the ability to enjoy your life more and exist in harmony with the things you value most.

Take the following quiz to see if you could use some re-evaluation of work and family balance. If you answer “no” to any question, you may benefit from some of the steps that follow.

Work and Family Balance Quiz

• Do you successfully allocate time in your day to the things you want to do personally and with your family?
• Can you participate in meaningful activities with family without feeling anxious or talking about work?
• Do you participate in family activities without the gnawing feeling of so much work being left undone?

10 Steps Toward Work & Family Balance

Work & Family Balance Is A Concious Decision

Work and family don’t “balance” automatically. Achieving balance is an ongoing process. Understanding  this can reduce frustration and help you regain control.

Write Down Family Goals

Family needs change over time. Opportunities to build a tree house for the kids or participate in a new family pastime don’t last forever. Decide what is important and write it down. Assign a date, and make these goals “absolutely-will-happens.”

Stick To Your Values

Sometimes it can be tough to make a choice between a family and a work activity. Knowing where you stand on your values can make tough choices easier.

Recognize That Imbalance Is Sometimes Inevitable

It is important to recognize that jobs and responsibilities are important and that they sometimes take priority.

Revisit Your Schedule

When your work schedule changes, new opportunities may become available to participate in family activities. Claim the high ground!

Recognize Benefits Of Your Balance

Balancing work and family has pay-offs for children, home relationships, and your future happiness. Recognizing this can help you keep balance in mind.

Manage Distraction & Procrastination

Working long hours causes stress that sometimes finds relief naturally through workplace distractions and procrastination. If you are at the office for 10 hours, how many of those hours are truly productive? If you are searching for more family time, it might be found here.

Discuss Expectations & Responsibilities

When one family member is taking on too many responsibilities at home, resentments can build. Periodically discussing the perceptions of others can provide the awareness you need to consider opportunities and choices for work and family balance.

Organize Your Work Better

Improving your delegation and time-management skills can buy you time needed for family life. Learning how to put work down, say “no,” and let go of workplace worries are skills that are learned through practice.

What the EAP Can Do

Despite these suggestions, improving balance of work and family may be easier said than done. The EAP can help you identify values and priorities, acquire assertiveness skills, make tough decisions, and even identify family goals that you want to pursue so you can look back and say, “I did it.”