Furthermore,37% of Middle Eastern professionals stated their employers provide them with “good” to “complete” support in order for them to achieve work- life balance. Working Women in the Middle East are no exception to the norm; achieving optimal work-life balance remains one of their life’s greatest challenges as they are primarily responsible for the welfare of the family unit and childcare responsibilities. While they have made strides in achieving more flexible treatment at the workplace in terms of more flexible working hours, children care units at work, job-sharing arrangements, they are still faced with the societal pressures of living up to the standards of being a “perfect” mother and a “perfect” employee on a daily basis.
Bayt.com’s career experts below present their6 top Tips to make the process of achieving work-life balance more achievable and realistic:
1- Manage your time effectively no matter what: A working woman cannot possibly hope to achieve work-life balance if she spends two thirds of every day working in the office. Make it a point to commit to your working schedule (occasional overtimes are tolerable but working late on a daily basis is an absolute Don’t!). Put your best efforts into your job “during working hours” so that you can “leave work at work” and make your way out knowing you still have enough time (and energy) to invest in your daily routine responsibilities at home and cater to your family and personal needs. Learn to work ''smart'' as opposed to ''long'' and focus on making your precious hours at work that much more condensed and productive so you can leave the office on time as many days as possible.
2- Say NO when you have to: Do not let feelings of guilt or bogus responsibility find their way to your heart. You are a working professional, a wife and a mother, and therefore you should be focusing on primarily your “own” job responsibilities and your ''own'' personal and family activities which make you and your children happy. Do not be hoodwinked into taking on the responsibilities of a work colleague who has booked for a spa appointment at lunchtime and needs you to compile her sales figures report, or your neighbor who would like you to pick up her children from their pottery class at the other side of town at the cost of your precious time with your own children.
3- Check your options: Telecommuting is now widely popular across Middle Eastern workplaces. In fact47% of professionals surveyed by Bayt.com in a recent poll survey stated that working from home is an option that is allowed in their organizations for some roles. Telecommuting has proved to be useful and conducive to productivity and profitability all around the world. Can your job be done from home at least partially? Does it necessitate your presence in the office at all times? Is job sharing an option in your job? Check your options! Job flexibility can undoubtedly be a key factor in achieving a more optimal work-life balance.
4- Maintain open communication channels with your boss: If anyone can make your life easier (or much harder) at work, it is mainly your direct manager. Make sure you maintain a very transparent yet professional relationship with your boss. Seek to be expert in all “reasonable” job responsibilities you are expected to undertake during working hours and do not feel bound to freeze all family communication channels while at work or to take on a heavier work burden than is really possible given your personal circumstances. Discuss the matter frankly with your boss; as long as you are doing your job to the fullest, a certain amount of flexibility with personal matters should not really be an issue.
5- Keep fit: Eat well, sleep well and grab every opportunity you get to exercise. Sleep deprivation not only results in you being overly and easily exhausted, it also affects your personal and professional productivity levels. Maintain a healthy lifestyle which combines a fair chunk of fitness-boosting foods (vegetables, fruits and proteins), at least8 hours of sound sleep and30 minutes to an hour of walking, jogging, home aerobics, pilates, etc… on a daily basis.
6- Celebrate your weekend: The weekend is yours and your family’s. Just as you set a daily planner at work, make sure you do the same for your weekend and time off work. Schedule activities with family and friends, take the kids on a weekend trip, go fishing, rafting, camping, ballet watching; just make sure you do allot a couple of hours solely for your personal well being. Indulge in a spa session, a soul feeding mini-retreat, super long walk or any other activity that makes you relax and unwind. You’ve worked hard all week to make ends meet and you absolutely deserve it! Remember you are working to live, not living to work!
