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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

How do you keep a work / life balance ? What’s your daily routine?

40 replies

Rainydays55 · 26/02/2021 21:32

Just that really, during times when you are going out to work and work takes up so much of your time how do you keep a work / life balance?
What’s your normal daily routine?
What’s your typical healthy foods / drinks?

OP posts:
MrDarcysMa · 27/02/2021 10:43

I find I'm not as productive in the morning at work (just sit staring at the screen) but also have no energy for exercise after work.
Luckily my work offers flexitime with a 10am start So I'm up early, exercise, leisurely breakfast, stick a wash on or whatever before getting ready for work. Then I don't feel bad for not doing it on the evening.

Also meal planning helps things run smoothly- pre packing soups and salads to take to work x

SimonJT · 27/02/2021 12:02

I’ll do my covid and non covid routine

Non covid times (week day)

5:45 wake up and check glucose levels and eat something to get me through a work out
6:00 weights/body weight work out/run
6:45 shower, blow dry, dress etc
7:15 breakfast
7:30 wake my son up and get his teeth brushed, dressed etc
8:00 sons breakfast
8:20 walk to school
8:35 arrive at school
8:55 arrive at work
4:00 leave work
4:30 pick up from after school club
4:40 arrive at park and play
5:10 leave park
5:30 arrive home and start cooking dinner
5:45-6:00 start eating
6:45 story and bath for my son
7:15 his bedtime

If its a Tuesday we skip the park and have an early dinner as he has dance and I have rugby training.

Covid week day is the same but I work from home and I can tag my lunch break on to the end of the day so I can be at school for 3:30 if I run/cycle.

BusyLizzie61 · 27/02/2021 15:39

A lot depends on the job, whether professional or not, as generally the more professional, the greater the expectation of work outside of hours.
Likewise commutes make a difference.
For me what's made biggest impact is:
Working pt
Working from home - permanently and precovid —means no commute, less daily stress, more money, more able to attend any school events (never missed one yet!)
Having a role that you can claim flexi time
An employer who actively seeks to improve staff wellbeing - we have additional leave for home life balance and dedicated weekly wellbeing time.
Leave for carers
Planning annual leave early to ensure that our family's needs are met and not reliant on fitting in around colleagues.
Meal planning - so that on my longer working days we have leftovers or jackets etc.
Routines for laundry and ironing - other tasks are as and when based on need and time, school uniforms are non negotiable!

Hth

CandyLeBonBon · 28/02/2021 00:15

@Awalkintime - You cannot do this sngle handed. I'm sorry you feel you have to. I'm sorry you're going through that. Thanks

Elsielouise13 · 28/02/2021 08:10

Up 6.30 ish then leave 7.15 ish. Manage coffee on way or occasionally during early activity. Arrive 8ish. Luckily my wfh husband sorts out children.

Work til 12, sometimes have chance to make another coffee. At 12 eat sandwich and bag of crisps at desk. Sometimes take literally five minutes to check news for industry specific events.

Work till about 4.30 when most of my team are leaving. Have coffee and biscuit whilst working and then push on for another few hours til about 7.30/8.30pm

Drive home. Usually home by 9 pm at latest. Husband has usually prepared dinner and sorted children/pets / house ( and worked ft) else i do whatever needed, if no dinner prepped I might have another sandwich. Read a bit then sleep.

Weekend I do whatever I like. But usually some activity with my daughter/son. House is in shocking state, diet poor but family relationships strong and health just about OK.

clipcloptrop · 28/02/2021 10:41

@Elsielouise13 why do you not leave with everyone else?? Are you incredibly senior to be doing those hours? Anyone more snipe at my workplace leaves at 4.30 and would send emails/ do other tasks at home.

clipcloptrop · 28/02/2021 10:46

Senior not snipe

satishoused · 28/02/2021 10:47

@Awalkintime this is absolutely ridiculous. I am a Ft secondary HoD, I have been a teacher for 14 years and I have NEVER had a working day anything like what you have described. It is unsustainable and completely unnecessary.

therocinante · 28/02/2021 11:11

On a bad day I roll out of bed at 7:55 for work at 8, don't take a proper lunch hour and find myself exhausted by 3pm so I have a nap.

On a good day I get up at 7, have a couple of brews and wake up a bit, maybe tidy round a bit to get myself moving.

Work (with Pomodoro method, so 25 min on/5 min break - doing little house jobs, a 5 min Youtube video, a quick stretch, a stand in the back garden staring blankly at the sky trying to soak some vitamin D in) from 8 - 12.30.

12.30 - 1.30 I turn my laptop off, and eat lunch, watch an episode of something, read, put some washing in, talk nonsense with DH, whatever.

1.30 - 4 I work, again with Pomodoro timer. And at 4pm, I step away. No ifs or buts.

I manage a team of people and I ensure they also take a full hour for lunch, and finish exactly at 4pm. If something isn't going to be finished that day, we either help each other get it done, or it waits til tomorrow. Nothing we do is so crucial to the world that it requires people to work outside of their paid hours and we expect people to work and live with that in mind - they're much happier for it.

The problem is I can do this because I'm the boss, and my employees can because I tell them to, and because we have a business which doesn't assign more to a particular person's workload than can be done within their working week. If you're working in a business where your workload is too high or your managers expect overtime, you're going to get work creeping into your home life unless you set very firm boundaries and stick to them, sadly.

clipcloptrop · 28/02/2021 11:40

Good lord I am so glad I work for a company that promotes break times. Breakfast and lunch break are a standard at my place of work. Even for those more senior...

I'm genuinely saddened by the fact that ppl justify not taking a well deserved lunch break AT LEAST!!

lljkk · 28/02/2021 11:43

Buckets of gin. I take baths in it, even.

Oblomov21 · 28/02/2021 11:49

Get up at 7. Ds's sort themselves. Walk to work for 9. Eat lunch. Home for 4. Sit down for an hour or so. Normally have meals prepared, so a spag Bol mince or a lasagne already made. Easy.

dreamsarefree · 28/02/2021 11:55

Both WFH in senior professional jobs, up at about 6:45, one walks dogs and other sorts 3 DC. We both work a 9-5 plus extras in busy times but manage to fit in 45-60 minutes exercise each day each. Have a meals, laundry and other jobs rota. Also share diary and lists etc. Sounds really sad but have got lots of time and energy for DC when they're not at school so worth the planning time, as all happy and never gets to the point anyone is under too much stress. If DH is busier with work I take more home duties and vice versa so that we both still get our 'own time'.

dreamsarefree · 28/02/2021 11:57

Also forgot to add I'm really disciplined with not working outside normal hours (and instil in my team too) unless it is vital and don't check emails in evenings and weekends. If I need to, I always respond with a delay send for the next working day.

Elsielouise13 · 28/02/2021 14:59

[quote clipcloptrop]@Elsielouise13 why do you not leave with everyone else?? Are you incredibly senior to be doing those hours? Anyone more snipe at my workplace leaves at 4.30 and would send emails/ do other tasks at home.[/quote]
I am the most senior yes. And the only time I can really have a closed office door and be undisturbed is once colleagues have left.

If I come home I won’t get started again until after 8pm and I’m definitely not at my best to start another two or three hour stint then.

Earlier mornings don’t work as children, pets etc

Education.

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