January can be a bit of a struggle but it's also a great time to really focus on what matters most to you and what you want to achieve this year!
We caught up with our amazing Rebecca Buggs, who is not only a Senior Recruitment Consultant, Parent Returner Ambassador but also an incredible mum! In Becky's latest blog below, she shares what helps her to juggle work and family life.
Anyone that has read my previous blogs will know by now that I am a massive advocate of hybrid working and I truly believe finding a role that supports hybrid and flexible working is a big help when trying to juggle work and family life.
The reality is, if my employer didn't support hybrid working, I would have to drop down my days or find a different role to achieve the balance I have so having a supportive employer is a huge bonus. There are some key aspects you can focus on to ensure you are doing what's in your control to achieve a healthy work / family balance.
Personal Goals
Think about what your main drivers are and what you want to achieve, without knowing this then surely work will feel like a slog and just a job rather than a career.
For me, work is something for me! I want to be successful, I want to progress, I want to be respected and valued by senior leadership and peers.
But I also want to make my family proud and provide a stable and supportive environment for my own child. I want to be able to offer my son the same things that I was lucky enough to experience and enjoy growing up, thanks to the hard work and devotion of my own parents. Things like sports clubs, nice family holidays, Christmas, music concerts, going to sports events, activities, days out, things that provide memories for years to come. However, all these things cost money and as the belt tightens and day to day things (like shopping, bills, childcare) become more expensive, I don't want my son to miss out on things I know he will look back at and be grateful for when he's older.
So, how do I juggle being present when I am with him and getting the most out of my time at work especially now I work less hours?
It definitely helps to remind yourself what your drivers are but you also need to be organised. Luckily for me I have always been organised but even more so now that I am juggling work and a tornado two year old! Little things like making sure I get tomorrow's clothes ready at lunch time and doing any laundry / cleaning over lunch (thanks to working from home), means I can spend my evenings and weekends fully in the moment with my son and not thinking about day to day chores. Preparing lunches, the night before and thinking about what we can do at the weekend whatever the weather so the time I have with him is quality.
Organisation at work is just as important, looking at what needs doing and prioritising my day, week, month to make sure I deliver what our clients need and hit my targets. If your brain is a mess and you have no idea what you need to achieve in the morning, afternoon, week then how can you expect to be able to tick off and achieve?
Positive mindset
Positive mindset is important, there will always be certain situations out of your control but allowing yourself to move on from things that you can't change rather than dwelling, will allow you to remain positive and in turn productive. This is something I've really had to work on, in the past things would get me down and potentially put me in a negative state for the rest of the day or sometimes week! I simply don't have time for this attitude if I want to achieve and progress and it's also spreads to those around you and can affect how they perform.
There will be situations however, where you could have done something differently, so taking time to reflect, look at lessons learnt and think about what could be done differently next time will allow you to take a positive from a negative and help you to stay productive.
Don't be afraid to ask for help, delegating tasks and saying no, are really important qualities. If you're too busy and a yes person, ultimately this will end up having a negative impact on the quality of your work and will contribute towards any stress you feel, which isn’t going to achieve a healthy balance for you.
Asking for help can even build relationships as it demonstrates to others that we can trust and rely on them. This is just as important in work life as it is at home.
Since I returned from Maternity Leave in March 2022, I have achieved a promotion and 2 consecutive Outsource UK Lunch Clubs, as well as attended our annual company wide trip - last year was to Center Parcs. My aims for 2023 are to try to make it to 3 consecutive Lunch Clubs and reach my next promotion!
Thinking about joining Outsource?
Outsource UK are looking for Experienced Recruiters across our offices in Manchester, Birmingham and Swindon so if you are looking to join an organisation that is supportive and understands work life balance, please feel free to reach out to me (Rebecca Buggs) to find out more or contact our Internal Talent Recruiter, Jack Marsden on LinkedIn, emailing JMarsden@outsource-uk.co.uk or call him on 0161 527 2564, for how to apply.
