Finding Your Work Life Balance
I have been a mom for 26 years, most of my adult life. I was a mom before I became a physician assistant. But as much as I love being a mom to my two sons, who are now 26 and 15, I have always loved to work. I started working when I was 15 years old selling popcorn and candy to my friends at the only one-cinema movie theater in New Smyrna Beach, Florida for all of $3.35/hour. That was minimum wage back then. Work gave me a sense of freedom, independence, and control over my life. I loved the challenges, the objectives and goals, and the potential for continued growth through learning, networking, and pushing myself to limits unknown to even me.
As much as I loved work and learning, I also loved being a mother and a wife to my second husband not my first. It was tough when I was young trying to balance it all and getting divorced only a year after Austin was born. And being a single mother going through PA school was not easy to say the least. But women are strong, resilient, and we find our way no matter what. And I found mine. So how do we balance it all, make it all seem easy, and continue to do what we do as women with a smile and without downing a bottle of wine every night. Well here are some tips from several working PA and NP moms that might help.
Teach clean up and delegate chores (this applies to husbands too)
- Teaching your children responsibilities when they reach certain age milestones is important not only for them but for you as well.
- Making chores fun can help younger children and utilizing incentives and allowances can assist in motivating older children.
- Check out the Greenlight Card for building responsibility and assigning chores: greenlightcard.com
Time Management is the Key to Success
- Plan your mornings, lay out clothes the night before, and have book bags packed and ready to go.
- Make a meal plan for the week.
- Consider wall charts and project lists to keep track of deadlines and timelines.
Keep a to-do list
Use a notes app on your phone -using a widget on your home screen
Sync Calendars
Share a calendar with your partner to keep track of events, appointments, etc.
Stay Organized
Have a place for everything, making it easy to find papers & files
Ensure Work Contracts Allow for Work Life Balance
- Keep your office close if possible.
- Don’t travel to too many different offices.
- Non-competes should be no more than 5-10 miles and no more than 6 months to 2 years (the longest).
- Try to work a 4-day work week so you can have a work week-day to get things done or just have a day to yourself.
Plan Family Time
- Game Night
- Movie Night
- A Day at the Park
Schedule quiet time
Go out with friends
Plan regular dates
Get Additional Support
- Consider a life coach, career coach, or professional therapist
- Hire a housekeeper, someone to help prepare weekly meals, or a professional organizer to get your going in the right direction.
- Get a babysitter or a relative to watch your kids while you have time for yourself, friends, or a significant other.
Take a day off to relax, to self-reflect, meditate, exercise, and center yourself. This is probably the most important tip. If we do not take care of ourselves, it will be difficult for us to be the best moms, wives, and work colleagues. Balance in all we do will create a life of happiness, calm, and love.
Let’s continue to support and empower each other.
From one mom to many moms,
Risha Bellomo, MPAS, PA-C
DID Organization Chair, Entrepreneur, Mom, and Wife
Working Moms Series
This post is part of a two-part series on balancing life and career. View the second post in this series. >