Maintain a well-balanced,
nutritious
diet, and know that you can count on
BOOST
to help provide you with the proper nutritional balance. Get regular exercise, and
try relaxation or meditation. Spend time enjoying your friends, hobbies and downtime,
and match your tasks with your current energy level.
Identify the skills you use at home and work, such as setting goals, making decisions,
nurturing, motivating, scheduling, being assertive, communicating well or budgeting.
Explore how you might use these skills in other settings. For example, are you using
the excellent communication skills that serve you in the office to express your
needs and ideas at home? It may also be helpful to hone your stress-management skills.
Learn to share and delegate responsibilities, communicate your needs clearly and
say “no,” as necessary. Both at home and on the job, be prepared to control interruptions
and shift priorities in response to crises.
At work, make sure your goals are concrete, realistic and agreed upon by everyone
involved. At home, make a list and rank the things that matter most to you about
your family. Then make an action plan for nurturing or achieving those items. For
example, you may want to have some uninterrupted time with your children each day.
Discuss work demands to help your family understand the pressures you’re facing.
You may want to schedule time to debrief with your partner or family every day.
If you must work late or reschedule a family activity, give your family as much
notice as possible. Likewise, share your top family priorities, such as attending
your teenager’s basketball game, with your supervisor.
On the job, create goals that are specific, measurable, realistic and agreed-upon
by others as appropriate. For example, the number of weekends you’ll work so that
you can have other weekends free for your family. Document your goals in writing
with a step-by-step action plan and appropriate deadlines.
Set aside time for planning and assigning priorities. Pursue your priorities with
persistence, but be ready to shift gears if necessary. Remind family members and
colleagues of your priorities. Every day, match the tasks before you with your current
energy level. Control and plan for interruptions by delegating appropriate tasks,
concentrating on the task at hand, and saying “no” when necessary.
At home, set priorities by making a list of the things that matter most to you.
Consider personal relationships and, if you’re a parent, your children’s development.
You may want to set goals for family relationships, such as setting aside time with
your spouse or partner every evening. Make an action plan for achieving these goals
just as you would for work-related goals.
When work and family demands conflict, examine your priorities. If the work demand
is a higher priority, attempt to reschedule (but not indefinitely postpone) whatever
you had planned to do with your family. Be proactive in communicating with your
partner about your time demands at work.
