Working parents - The balancing act between career and family
- Monika Kapoor
- 24. Dez. 2024
- 3 Min. Lesezeit
Aktualisiert: 24. Dez. 2024
Working parents know the challenges all too well: a marathon of meetings during the day, homework supervision in the evening and a futile attempt to finally find some time for themselves at the weekend. The balancing act between career and family often feels like walking a tightrope - and your own well-being often falls by the wayside. But how do we manage not just to function, but to really live our everyday lives?
Why the stress-success cycle is so stressful
Working parents often fall into the so-called stress-success-cycle. This occurs when we are under a lot of pressure, want to achieve more and more in our professional and private lives and measure ourselves against unrealistic ideals. Success becomes an end in itself and the joy of life falls by the wayside. We ‘sprint’ through our lives without pausing to feel whether our path still suits us at all.
But why is this the case? On the one hand, it is due to social expectations: Working parents are expected to perform at work while at the same time leading a loving family life. On the other hand, we ourselves tend to ignore our own needs and want to get everything done ‘quickly’. The result: constant stress, exhaustion and a vague feeling of never being enough.
How to overcome inner resistance
To break out of this vicious circle, we must first recognise our inner resistance. These resistances are often unconscious beliefs such as:
‘I have to do everything perfectly.’
‘I mustn't show any weakness.’
‘I am only valuable if I achieve a lot.’
The first step is to scrutinise these thoughts: what would happen if I were more forgiving of myself? Would everything really fall apart if I said no? The fear of losing control is often unfounded - and it's worth taking small steps towards letting go.
Practical tips for more balance
Set priorities: Not everything is equally important. Write down three things every day that really matter - both professionally and privately. Everything else can wait.
Create quality features: Define the fundamental pillars of your family life and your job. Nobody can give 100% all the time and everywhere. Pick the 20% activities that have an 80% impact and focus on them.
Take rest breaks: Parents urgently need breaks! If we want to stay healthy in the long term and model self-care for our children, then we should actively take breaks during work and family time.
Time to look inwards: Most of the time we focus on the outside and forget to scan our inner self. Our attitude to life is formed internally, our thoughts follow the impulses of our subconscious, but unfortunately we often forget to communicate with our inner voice.
Let your emotions flow: Take time for your emotional expression, either through physical activity (sports, dancing, yoga), breathing exercises (belly breathing, fire breathing) or creative mental activities (writing, making music, singing). You can also learn techniques to activate your vagus nerve (relaxation nerve) to reduce your inner pressure. You can learn specific techniques in my social media posts.
Conclusion
Working parents face major challenges, but by consciously utilising your own resources and resolving inner resistance, it is possible to take a more relaxed approach to everyday life. You don't have to be perfect to be enough - because your family and your well-being are more valuable than any stress-success-cycle.
