In a busy world where everything is moving at a fast pace. Work deliverables have to be met, your child’s parents’ evening is around the corner, you have house chores, you haven’t kept in touch with some friends in a while, and your energy levels are dropping. How should we be managing our time to be able to accommodate most if not all of the above? I’ll discuss a few tips that I think can be of help.
Plan the night Before:
I tend to quickly review my to-do list, personal and work the night before. Helps me visualise my day ahead and the variations to how I should approach it. This is something a lot of professional sports people do; it’s a very powerful tool and I sometimes find solutions when sleeping on an idea, the following morning. It goes without saying that planning every detail of the day ahead is impossible.
Wake up early:
They say the early bird catches the worm first. I know, this may be easier said than done for some. However this is the only opportunity I have to get ahead while the kids are still asleep, albeit I think I’m more aligned as a ‘night owl’. Usually around 5:15 am – 5:30am I wake up and jump on my exercise bike for 30 minutes or work out at my local gym while listening to an audiobook on Audible; I feel recharged after the exercise. Studies have shown that regular exercise can:
- Improve mood
- Boost energy
- Promote sleep
Waking up early also allows me to get solitary time to myself and have a good breakfast before the days’ challenge commences. I’ll also message and check up on friends and family to wish them a good day/week ahead.
Nursery run:
If I’m working from home, and subject to how busy I am at work, I will do the nursery runs with my wife and drop my daughter at nursery. It’s something I enjoy doing, it brings me happiness, my daughter happiness. It helps me keep motivated for the day ahead and gives me a constant sense of purpose, that I have responsibilities and have to hustle and provide for my daughter. Especially knowing that nursery costs are quite pricey as she goes everyday!
“9:00 – 5:00”:
The hustle commences! So, I’ve exercised, I’ve had ‘me’ time in the morning, I’ve messaged some close friends, and I’ve dropped my daughter off at nursery. Mentally I am more than ready to take on any challenges the day may bring! I usually block out the first hour of my working day just to start on the most challenging task on my to-do list that may require more attention.
Lunch time:
Again, if I’m working from home, I may utilise my lunch breaks to have a power nap. By this point (12pm or 1pm) I’ve exerted a lot of energy up to this point and I’ll need to recharge for the second part of my day. Alternatively, if I have not exercised in the morning, I may use my lunch break to work out on my exercise bike, ride my bike outside if the weather is nice or drive to my local gym and do a quick workout while listening to an audiobook of my choice. Either option I decide to take gives me a burst of energy and I am ready to face and embrace the challenges of work and the remaining hours in the day.
Nursery Pick up:
Again, subject to whether I’m working from home and how busy I am at work, I may do the nursery pick up for my daughter. In some cases I’m busy at work and so my wife will do it instead. But I enjoy doing the nursery pick ups because:
- It helps me detach from work
- I get to briefly catch up with other fathers who are also doing nursery pickups for their children, which is very encouraging!
- I get to catch up with the nursery staff and see how my daughter is developing
- I get to bond with my daughter in the car and catch up on how her day was, or we can act silly in the car 🙂
Dinner with family and kids’ bedtime:
This is a daily ritual I try not to miss. My wife and I use this opportunity to digress and catch up on our day, the challenges we’ve faced and sharing our perspectives to one another. My daughter is recapping her day at nursery, what she has learned.
After dinner, my wife and I read the kids a bedtime story and tuck them into bed. I’ll tuck our daughter and my wife will tuck our son. The next time they’ll wake up will be around 7am the next day!!! Mind you, it wasn’t always like this.
7:30pm onwards:
This for me is the best part of the day!! I’m free! No noise! I have the below options at my disposal:
- Log back at work: I’ve been fortunate to work in companies that allow flexible working. I tend to log back in, just to finish off any outstanding task, at this point many people have signed off. Inasmuch as companies may have to be considerate to parents, deliverables and results have to be met. This is the life I chose and what I’ve signed up for. So I have to ensure the work is done and to the required standard.
- Journaling: I’ve been doing this for some time, with a couple friends. As men we tend to withhold our emotions, journaling enables me to express my thoughts and feelings which helps maintain my sanity, identify patterns in my behaviour I can change. Especially if I don’t feel safe or comfortable talking to somebody about what I’m going through. I use ‘mind journal’. I highly recommend men, whether dads or no dads to journal. Some benefits to journaling are:
- Manage anxiety
- Reduce Stress
- Cope with Depression
- Catchup with my wife: We’ll spend the remaining hours in the evening together. This can include watching the current/latest TV show, or discussing, debating on the latest topics.
- Play Call of Duty with some friends: There are studies that suggest that playing video games can offer a few benefits such as:
- Coping mechanism for stress
- Social interactions: I’ll message some friends, to see whether they’re available and use this opportunity to catch up and talk about any challenges I may be facing. I’m fortunate that they are dads too, so it’s relatable.
- Can help improve teamwork skill
Early Bedtime:
No later than 11pm I’m asleep. I look forward to waking up before the kids do, and the solitude before they wake up is priceless! I need to ensure I don’t sleep too late, and get sufficient sleep. Overwise it’ll have a knock on effect on my day, starting on the back foot, which is challenging.
Final Thoughts:
How do you structure your day as a working parent? Everyone has a method that works for them, and different things work for different people. Some people don’t have the option of working from home. Also bear in mind we may have children across different ages, your children may be in primary, secondary etc and so your approach, technique may be different.
K.
Leave a Reply