Tips on how to seamlessly manage work and family commitments

Work-life balance is a way of making sure that both your work and personal commitments are being met. It's not a fixed system where both work and personal life take exactly the same amount of hours. Sometimes it could mean more work, and other times it could mean less, and it's all about finding the right balance. 
For new parents, work-life balance is something they crave, as spending time with their little one is very important to them. Today, schedules are getting busier than ever before, which often causes either work or personal lives to suffer. Sometimes the tiniest changes to your routine can end up making the biggest difference to both you and your child. 
Mirza Baig, Manager - Finance, Zulekha Hospital, works 10 hours, five days a week, and gets about 40 minutes of lunch time.
He says, "I spend an hour or two daily by talking to my children and playing with them. It is a must and I look forward to planning exciting activities for them every weekend. They need a family weekend as much as we do."
Baig says that as parenting is a lifelong commitment, there are no set rules one can follow. "Being a parent is an important aspect of my life," he says. "Parents need to be loving, joyous and peaceful, as we are what we demonstrate to our children. If we are incapable of transforming ourselves as parents, how can we bring up a child effectively?"
Work-life balance involves juggling workplace stress with the daily pressures of family, friends, and self. Baig adds, "I recently started taking care of my health. So I also manage to take some time out to work out and play the sports I like." 
People who manage to crack the code of work-life balance tend to feel more motivated and less stressed out at work, which increases productivity.
"The entire world is juggling with child-rearing demands and responsibilities, which takes a toll on many parents on a personal and professional front," says Baig. "It is important to have a clear communication and appreciation with your partner in maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Mothers are backbone of the family as they work 24/7 and play a superior role in a child's life. But both the mother and father, irrespective of their professional lives, are equally responsible for the upbringing of children."
A good work-life balance means you have harmony between different aspects of your life, where benefits can be gained from each area.
"The most effective stress buster for me is playing with my kids, which is equally important to me as well as for the little ones. It is funny, while we try to teach our children all about life, they teach us what life is all about in their own way, which is truly magical," he adds. 
Tips for busy parents
- Manage your time, make a to-do list everyday
- Learn to say no, do not take office work home
- Try to minimise interruptions
- Eat a healthy diet, get enough sleep
- Make time for fun and relaxation
deepa@khaleejtimes.com