The juggle is real. Learn from other women entrepreneurs about how they manage work-life balance. Set boundaries and learn stress management techniques to lead a well-balanced life now!
Women-owned firms have increased by 114% in the U.S. alone from the past 20 years. You can consider these developments revealed by the ‘Seventh Annual Report on the State of Women-Owned Business in the United States’ as a sign that the world of entrepreneurship is finally welcoming more women. But, at the same time, these statistics can be more troubling for the women themselves.
Most of these women face challenges while trying to balance their career with domestic responsibilities at home. Despite all the discussions about equality, women still do far more work than men at home. It puts enormous pressure on female entrepreneurs and can impact their performance at the workplace. To fix these patterns in any woman’s life, they must completely restructure their day-to-day tasks.
Although achieving work-life harmony may feel impossible at times, one can attain it with the right attitude, and flexibility. To help you in this aspect, we listed ten tried-and-tested tips that can help every women entrepreneur in achieving a balanced life.
#1. Have Realistic Expectations
It’s not easy for a woman to create a well-balanced life always. There are times where her family needs attention, and at times, business wants her entire focus on the projects. It makes it difficult for her to prioritize the tasks especially if it’s essential for her growth. If you ever see yourself in this state, try to make your expectations flexible. Stop assuming that women can manage everything all the time. This thought will reduce a lot of stress and helps you to achieve balance in your life.
#2. Follow Healthy Habits
It’s necessary to keep your mental, physical, and financial health in a good state. If you skip meals or eat at an inappropriate time, or do not sleep enough because of the hectic work schedule, your job as an entrepreneur will inevitably become more difficult. Most of the time, entrepreneurs manage many works and face countless setbacks. As they can’t talk about it to others, they struggle silently. So it should not come as a surprise when you read that entrepreneurs experience more anxiety than other members of the team.
So, we always recommend you to be open about your feelings, even at the office and start investing in your health. It will not only help you in getting rid of long-term medical issues but also improves your business life. A healthy lifestyle will benefit the quality of life overall.
#3. Set Boundaries
Many women entrepreneurs assume that working around the clock will help them grow and their business quickly. But in reality, it can lead to general exhaustion, and sleep deprivation. So, set boundaries for yourself if you don’t want to feel overwhelmed with the everyday tasks. Be clear about where you need your focus, and do it unapologetically. Once your priorities are clear, you can work solely on it without worrying about other’s responsibilities.
#4. Give Time for Yourself
If you are unable to spend some “me” time, it hampers your creativity and thereby effects your business in the long run. So, learn to take some time for yourself even in the busy schedule. You can spend a day at the spa, go for a health checkup, or plan outing with your kids. This particular time set aside to take care of yourself will have a positive impact on your lifestyle.
#5. Evaluate Your Schedule
Always set some time to assess your schedule to identify what’s working and what’s not. As life keeps changing constantly, the tips applied a year ago might not work today. So, you must continually evaluate your plan at least once in every quarter. It helps you to achieve work-life balance easily and thereby makes you highly productive.
#6. Reduce Distractions
It’s always a good practice to stay away from certain things that distract your work or lessens its quality. Be it social media, or your phone calls, try to keep them away while you are at work. This method helps you in getting your job done in less time so that you can spend the remaining hours with friends and family. Also, don’t work outside of those scheduled hours. Especially, if you work at home, it’s high time to turn off your laptops after the working hour.
Besides, you can pick at least one day in a week as “un-bookable” where you do not participate in any interviews or take phone calls. This approach increases productivity and gives you a chance to complete essential tasks without any interruptions.
#7. Take External Help
Sometimes it’s highly challenging for a woman to work full-time as they have to take care of their social life too. It can include cooking meals for kids, cleaning the house, making kids study, and attending unavoidable family gatherings. In such cases, you can outsource some of your tasks whenever required. For instance, you can hire a housekeeper to do house chores, or you can delegate specific tasks at work to a responsible employee.
Also, don’t be afraid to turn to a friend or business partner for any help while running your business. In personal life, you can ask for advice from your family when needed. Sometimes, it’s difficult to handle everything all alone, so never hesitate to take help from your near and dear ones.
#8. Stop Comparing
Any kind of comparison is self-destructive. You might find yourself comparing your attributes such as strengths, and weaknesses to other women leaders. It will hamper your growth eventually if you practice this often. According to social comparison theory, this emotional drive is part of the underlying desire to know ourselves better in the world. But dwelling too much on this area will kill the confidence within you. So, focus on your goals instead of comparing yourself to other business women. It will help you to achieve more.
#9. Learn to Say NO
Say “Yes” to the tasks that benefit you and “No” to the ones that don’t. As a woman entrepreneur, you may easily fall into the trap of doing everything by yourself. It will not only make you exhausted but puts your priorities way aside. So, you must learn to say “no” gracefully to the tasks that others throw on your way. Also, explain the reason for rejecting the request honestly.
Although it is one of the hardest things to learn, you must master this skill if you don’t wish to waste your limited time doing other’s chores. Therefore, draw a boundary around you and stick to it elegantly! Otherwise, your business may consume you entirely one day leaving no space to breathe.
#10. Stick to Your Plan
As a business owner, you are more likely tempted to skip the rule or push yourself to work for long to attain the annual goals. In such cases, you must tell yourself to follow a reasonable schedule. After the completion of the work timing, you should unplug from it to give yourself some time or to your family. Besides, try sticking to the holiday schedule as well. Treat your entrepreneurial life like a 9-to-5 job with regular holidays. This method will recharge your energy level and makes you feel refreshed while you come back to work. Overall, be consistent and set limits in your career life if you don’t want to feel overworked.
Make the most out of it!
An entrepreneurial journey is never easy. Especially, as a woman, you may feel forced to handle everything. But, the truth is, no person can do it all. To lead a healthy life, you must learn to balance your career and personal life wisely. So, stop treating everything as your responsibility and follow the proven tips described here to create a work-life balance. It will give you a healthier and happier life in return.