Mums returning to work – How to achieve your desired career

June 23, 2017June 23, 2017 tessaarmstrong.co.uk Career Change, job search, Returning to Work, work-life balance Career Change, job search, new job, Returning to Work, work-life balance

Portfolio Career

Prior to starting a family, you had control of your career. You could work long hours if required. You could apply for the perfect job that suited you. You could go out after work without a thought. You could even go home and flop on the sofa after a bad day at work!

You then became a Mum….

A new bundle of joy entered your life and, as you settled into maternity leave, work became a distant thought as you used the time instead to start adapting to your new life.

However, as the end of maternity leave approaches, the reality starts to sink in as you begin to think about returning to work. Things are different now. Priorities have changed and there is a little person now controlling your time.

How will you be able to control your career when you have your family to think about as well? Who will be doing childcare drop off and pick up? Who will be available if your child is unwell? Who is going to do the cooking, cleaning, shopping and feeding?

It can all be quite daunting for many Mums who also want to continue working and achieve the career they always wished for.

So, how can you achieve your desired career and dedicate time to your family?

My advice is to sit down with a cup of tea (and a large slice of cake), and start preparing your 10-year career plan.

10 year goal – What do you want to be doing in 10 years? Your child will be starting secondary school so you will have much more time to dedicate to your career.

4 to 5 year goal – What can you do that helps you work towards your 10-year goal? Your child will be starting primary school so you will have more time available.

1 to 2 year goal – What can you realistically achieve around your childcare options? Perhaps you can start building a portfolio career to help you progress towards your 10 year plan? (see my portfolio career factsheet)

Now – What can you do to start preparing the way for your career path? Networking? Voluntary work? Self-employment? Do you want to start/continue part or full time work?

It is possible to create the career you desire around your family commitments. It just may take a little more time and planning than you expected so make sure you always keep your end goal in sight.

www.tessaarmstrong.co.uk

How to spend less time working

June 23, 2017 tessaarmstrong.co.uk work-life balance work-life balance

career-coaching

We would all like to work less, wouldn’t we? No one approaches me for help because they would like to work more. Most people are wanting to work less because they are feeling tired and stressed and are not enjoying life. They are often working more than their contracted hours simply to ‘get the job done’.

The question is, how many hours should we be working each week?

Recent research in Australia has suggested that those who work about 25 hours per week had the best cognitive function and for those working more than 40 hours per week there is a rapid decline. The research was only carried out on over-40s but perhaps there is a possibility it could apply to all workers?

However, even if you had the option to work less, would you take a pay cut for it? That is a tricky one. Not many people are in a position to take a pay cut so how about focusing instead on making the hours you do work more productive so you can spend less time working overtime and more time enjoying life.

It is all about achieving the best work-life balance for you and the best place to start is by taking small steps to help shorten your working day. Can you delegate or ask for help more often? Can you turn off your work phone outside of work? How often do you ask for help? Can you manage your day in a more productive way? These are just a few things to think about to help you achieve the work-life balance you desire. I know it can be difficult but some small alterations to your working day may make all the difference and enable you to leave work on time.

For more ways to achieve a work-life balance, have a read of my factsheet here.

www.tessaarmstrong.co.uk

Are you tired of being available 24/7?

May 20, 2017June 23, 2017 tessaarmstrong.co.uk work-life balance Stress, work-life balance

Is it time to turn off your work emails, log out of Facebook and allow yourself some peace and quiet?

A recent article titled, The busier you are, the more you need quiet time, prompted me to think about the impact of instant communication on our everyday lives and how it is becoming increasingly difficult to find quiet time to think, relax and rejuvenate.

Instant communication dominates our lives, allowing us to be in continuous communication with others. We are bombarded with communication through mediums such as Facebook, Twitter, email, WhatsApp and text messaging. Tablets and mobile phones have become an important part of our day as we cling on to them in anticipation, waiting for them to buzz, beep or ring.

According to research carried out last year, the average person swipes, taps and pinches their display about 2,617 times a day and spends about 2.42 hours a day touching the smartphone display. Furthermore, 87% will check their phone at least once between midnight and 5am.

The acceptance of instant communication being available 24/7 has weakened the boundaries of time defining when it is acceptable and not acceptable to contact someone and this has resulted in the incompatible overlap of work and play. If your boss emails you at 10pm, does he or she expect a response that evening? Is it right to answer a work email whilst giving the kids tea? Should we be checking Facebook whilst at a friend’s house? Is it right to be responding to personal messages whilst at work? The boundaries are becoming blurred making it harder to understand when it is acceptable to switch off without undermining our friendships or work ethic.

This bombardment of instant communication makes us feel overloaded, tired and stressed. We are starting to see people becoming disillusioned with the continuous flow of Facebook communication or increasingly stressed by the constant access to work email. The return of the iconic Nokia 3310 has even caused excitement as we reminisce about the days of being unable to check emails and Facebook on our phones (although, I have recently read that these may have 4G!).

Is it now time to switch off?

Have a think about how you can temporarily switch off from the instant communication in your life and restore the boundaries of your work-life balance. Can you turn off your work emails at appropriate times of the day? Can you limit yourself to checking Facebook once a day? Can you allocate a day, or part of a day, each week for quiet relaxation? Perhaps you can go for a long gadget-free walk, read a book or listen to some music. Just think how refreshed, fulfilled and happier you will feel when you allow yourself some peace and quiet each week.

Ensure you take time out of our busy world to give yourself time to think and relax.