Work-Life Balance for Leaders

The detriments of work-life imbalance

The demands for healthy work-life balance have been rapidly increasing. People are looking for career autonomy, especially in these post-pandemic times. Many leaders, including myself, want to enjoy their time with family and friends instead of always having work on the brain, even when they are home. Some of us give it all for the company’s success and are miserable in other areas of our lives, but that can change. It starts by achieving a balance. It’s great to be ambitious and want to excel in your job, but do you pour those same efforts into attaining a healthier lifestyle for you and your family? 

I have worked around the clock at numerous companies, including great companies that gave back, but I still felt I lost a lot of years from subconsciously placing my work as a higher priority than my personal life. After the pandemic and the great pain of losing my younger brother to cancer, I was left with a hole in my heart and a hunger for life—wanting to make up for the endless years I spent in the office. I don’t want you to be hit with calamity before you start to prioritize a proper work-life balance. We never know what might happen tomorrow or who we might lose. As much as you give at work, give yourself time with your family. Enjoy and be grateful today.

Inject gratitude into your job for putting food on the table and sheltering you, but don’t forget to look at who in that shelter might need your attention. For me, it was my young son. Whenever I came home from work, he asked me, “Mama did you buy me anything?” or “Can you take me to Chuck E. Cheese?” Exhausted, I couldn’t say Yes as I had to prepare for an important meeting the next morning. I remember that and so many other No’s I told my kid.

Key strategies for crafting a balanced life

Life is precious. Time is what we can’t get back—the hours and hours spent strategizing and the sleepless nights thinking about how things will go. Finally, I said enough is enough and decided to take control of my life. I started basing my hours around my son and spent valuable time building his future. My question to overwhelmed leaders is: Are you living your best life, filled with happy and healthy moments in your professional and personal lives? In other words, do you honestly believe you’ve obtained a healthy work-life balance?

If the answer is No, here are some strategies you can use:

• Use your calendars effectively and schedule family time as non-negotiable appointments. Block off time for family meals, outings, and activities. Set reminders for important family events or activities.
• Minimize work-related stress by knowing when to stop working. Have boundaries and honour them. Ensure you don’t bring your job home when you finish your work. Make a complete stop. If you work from home, don’t open your computer after working hours. 
• Preplan activities and schedule personal time for your well-being. This can include morning routines, such as repeating daily affirmations, exercising, praying, meditating, etc. A routine will help you stay on track.
  • Preplanning takes time and effort. Know that you and your family are more important than your job. A company can replace you, but your family cannot. Involve family in planning and research as a bonding time, especially if you have children. They are a great resource and can help you with their imagination. 

Time with family

Emphasize the “life” aspect of work-life balance. Schedule activities with your family in advance, whether daily, monthly, or yearly (the latter is where you would add your vacations). Your family will have something to look forward to, talk about, and plan. I plan our vacations for a whole year in advance or even two. I already know where I am going next year, and I get my tickets early to save money. My family and I look forward to our time together and are well-prepared for our vacation.

• Daily trips: Join local groups of interest or cooking classes, visit the museum, enjoy town activities, go to the zoo, or sign your kid up for scouts. Local libraries offer so much, especially during the summer. I was astonished when I looked for books for my son to read and discovered they hosted fun contests, movie nights, and many other free activities. My son spent two hours playing and enjoying his time at the library. 
• Weekend getaways: Planning a trip, even a weekend to escape the routine, is important. They don’t have to be often. I usually do one per month or once every two months; it depends on your budget. I love taking trips with my family to the Jersey Shore, where we swim, walk around at night, stumble upon activities, and enjoy great dinners. 
• Vacation time: It’s very healthy for leaders to take their families to enjoy time in the sun and soak in salty waters—or wherever your interests or preferences may lie. 

Personal time

It’s so important to schedule personal time for yourself alone. It could be as little as an hour or two, but it is a time to take care of yourself and reflect. Personal time is different from family time. Leaders with families must remember that personal time is just as important and will keep them healthy and sane as parents and spouses. Schedule self-care, like a massage for an hour to relieve stress, a class you want to take that’s not career-related, gardening, ballroom dancing, weight training, an early run at the park, etc. 

Making time for kids

Making time for your kids and being present in their lives is important. My son is an only child, and I will always make time for him. I love watching him grow and knowing what he is up to throughout the day until he goes to bed. I take the time to look up recipes and cook healthy meals with him, follow up on his daily homework and projects, and help him get ready for bed. We limit screen time and read a good book before bed. In addition, I teach him how to pray at night so he gains spiritual power. No matter their age, making time for our kids is crucial to them becoming the best humans possible, as we are their guides in life.

I love the sayings “You reap what you sow” and “The fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

Quality time can strengthen your relationship, and you will contribute to their overall well-being. Schedule family activities with your kids and incorporate them into your schedule, whether dinner out or cooking together—making tacos on Tuesdays, turning family movies into Friday fun movie night with popcorn and healthy snacks, etc. Put in the same time and effort as you do in the office by strategizing and planning for your family events and well-being. 

Nutrition and healthy eating habits

Healthy eating habits for families are more important than ever and can contribute greatly to work-life balance. Wherever I turn, kids are snacking too much and birthday parties are filled with sugary snacks and pizza. I have yet to go to a kid’s party and find healthy snack options. Teach your children how to eat healthy from a young age, and they’ll carry that with them into adulthood, hopefully teaching their own families the same traditions and values. Make it a lifestyle, not dieting, and have them stay away from sugary treats or drinks. Teach them to drink only water with their meals; occasionally, they can have juice as a treat. 

Leaders, please engage with your children in meal planning and preparation. List their favourite vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean protein. One great chore for children is food shopping with the family. Make it an outing, select healthy items, and let them help you unload your car and put food in the fridge and the cupboard. Look up different healthy recipes and start cooking. I get my recipes from YouTube because I like to see how they are done.

An example of breakfast could be two eggs, a slice of wholegrain bread, two slices of avocado for healthy fat, milk or plain Greek yogurt, and fresh fruit such as berries. For lunch, my son and I make a grilled chicken sandwich on a wholegrain bun. We like Ezekiel bread. We add lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and some hummus with a small side salad and a piece of fruit. Fish is great for dinner. Our favourites are fresh tuna or salmon; we cook it with extra virgin olive oil. We use California olive ranch as it doesn’t have a heavy taste. For side dishes, we cook brown rice or whole wheat pasta. 

Ensure children are eating the right portions for their body weight. My son was eating bigger portions and gained unnecessary weight for his age. His doctor put him on a healthy diet. Still, I pushed for a nutritionist because a general practitioner couldn’t answer my questions on the finer details concerning portion sizes or how certain foods might affect his puberty. I see a nutritionist every three months. When we go food shopping, my son looks at the back of the package for the contents. He also looks up recipes, and he is only nine years old. It’s hard to reverse patterns and behaviours, but we must do right by our children. Making nutritious choices is a must, even with a busy schedule.

In addition to healthy eating, add daily exercise to your routine. My son plays soccer and karate, but I also signed him up for a fun jumping place where he can jump around and play dodgeball with others. I exercise with him because it’s as important for me to stay healthy and be a good role model for him.

Setting boundaries

Work will never stop until retirement, but start by setting boundaries between work and your personal life. Communicate your availability to your teams and ensure that it’s respected. Your family should be a key focus after work, as it’s another set of responsibilities. My dad never talked about work when he came home. He was so grateful to have a job and was proud of the project he was building as a mason. He was very much into food and wanted the best types of food on the table. It was easier back then because my mom was a homemaker and could spend much of her day prepping meals using nutritious foods.

In families with two working parents, both parents should plan and prep meals and arrange outings and exercise for the entire family. Make calendar planning a family project, and unplug from your work during family time. Enjoy the process, and remember that planning is key!

Benefits of work-life balance

Positive impacts of maintaining work-life balance for leaders include:

• Improved mental health and reduced stress. You will have a life outside the office since work is not the only thing that makes you happy. After work, you have family time and other things to grant you fulfillment and look forward to. 
• Enhanced productivity and increased focus during working hours. You are more productive and can concentrate and prioritize better when not overwhelmed. You can strategize and develop clear objectives and become better at solving problems. 
• Stronger family bonds and healthier relationships. You can build your family how you want without being overwhelmed and always thinking about work. You will make time for and develop a bond with your loved ones and have boundaries you won’t break. 
• Career success in the long run. Leaders who live a balanced lifestyle are very successful and truly happy within. They know what it takes to succeed in the office as well as to succeed at home. They prioritize their well-being for the company’s and their family’s success. I ensure that the long-term planning of my company is as well organized as the success of my family. I organize outings, vacations, and fun educational time for my son and me. I take time to pamper myself and have a healthy routine. 
• Having time for yourself. Making time for yourself will give you the freedom to do what you want to do and will alleviate stress. The best way is to calendar where you want to go, what you want to do, and who you want to see. Schedule lunch with friends, pamper yourself and feel better about your appearance, go shopping for things you want to wear, or even take a short trip to a destination you always wanted to visit. Me time will make you feel brand new. Take care of yourself. You do a lot to lead your people in the right direction. Ensure you do that for yourself too and keep smiling. 

Conclusion

I encourage leaders to prioritize their well-being and family time. Achieving work-life balance is essential for effective leadership and overall quality of life. I was running on empty for years, thinking about work around the clock. When I was home, I thought of better ways to do things for the companies I worked for instead of taking care of myself by implementing healthy habits. For meals, I would grab quick, unhealthy foods when I was hungry. I didn’t prep or plan for the balanced foods I needed to eat throughout the day.

When I started my family, I was torn about not spending as much time with them because I didn’t set healthy boundaries or plan effectively. I was the leader who answered my phone at dinnertime and worked half my life away on Saturdays. If I had known how important setting healthy boundaries was, I would not have lived with stress and overwhelm. Realizing it’s never too late propelled me to write this article. I want you to find your balance and live a beautiful, prosperous life filled with activities with your loved ones. Happy planning, and enjoy your balanced lifestyle.