Balancing Home & Work Today's busy lives don't leave much time for much, other than work, home, and what has to get done. Is it possible to create a perfect balance of home and work? Expert organizers say yes. Organize at Home If you take your next two off days and organize things at home, you will end up with much more time on workdays, it is worth it if you always feel the day ends with your to do list undone.
Start with your closet. Organize scrub tops with matching pants and pair together. Put similar colors together so they are easy to locate. If you wear shirts under scrub tops, place them with the scrubs, it will save time when you are getting ready. Organize kids closets and drawers as well. For children that are dressing themselves, use a color code system. Using fabric markers of various colors, do green on the pants and green on the matching shirt. Just place the small green dot inside of the garment, and teach kids to match the dots. Some children's clothing lines use this same concept using animals, etc. to match outfits. By letting kids dress themselves, you can avoid arguments over what they want to wear, and with the match system they won't hop in the car wearing an orange shirt and red pants. If possible have a shoe section near your door and have regularly worn shoes kept there. Not only will this help keep floors clean, no one will be looking for shoes when it's time to leave. Meal planning- by taking a few hours each week to spend on meal planning, you will save time, and have healthier meals in the long run. Cooking foods ahead of time, or making larger quantities and freezing leftovers can serve as a great lunch or two, maybe even another dinner. Cooking Chicken and freezing it works great, it can easily be chopped into a salad or used in casseroles. Make sure you take advantage of bank bill pay services, this saves a huge amount of time, and no stamps involved.
Related: Premature Births Balancing Do you ever feel like you juggle 20 balls at once, and if you look away for one second, everything falls? That pretty much describes today's lifestyles. Learning to let some things go is easier said than done, but necessary. It’s hard to release control of your everyday life and happenings, but if it gives you more free time it's worth it. Many grocery stores now offer online grocery shopping, you just pay and pick up, time saved- 1 hour. Make some
time for children if applicable, a spouse or partner, and yourself. If you have to, schedule it in; just be sure not to overlook loved ones and yourself. Many nurses now have the opportunity to work 3 twelve hour shifts per week, leaving you with 4 off days. This works well for some, however, you need to delegate some tasks on the days you work, 12 hour workdays do not leave a lot of time to get things done and sleep. Schedule at least one day a month that you do something enjoyable just for yourself, and no cancellation once scheduled. Related: Vitamins: Yes or no? Trainings at Work Every employer would love to have efficient employees, and many hospitals now offer trainings on organization and setting priorities. It may seem unrelated to nursing at first glance, however, any tips or advice you may receive could help in the work, and in your personal life, so sign up and attend. If you work with a co-worker that always seems to be well organized and never stressed, observe them, or even ask what their secret is, you may be surprised at tips you can receive and how well they work. Balancing home and work may seem impossible, but it can be done. Keep your calendar app up to date, keep a to do list and practice delegating. The more often you allow someone to assist, the easier it will become. It is a known fact that the more organized you are, the more productive you are, and the calmer your mood. It is a lot easier to return home from work and not enter a world of chaos. Prepare, make to do lists, and schedule. Following these guidelines will help you balance work and home, while making you feel more productive and accomplished. Related: International Nurses Association - What's Your Superpower? T-shirt Please follow us on Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest and Twitter