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Source Website: http://www.herworldplus.com/solutions/solutions/3-easy-ways-spend-more-time-your-family-even-if-work-really-busy-work-life-balance
By Joanne Poh, SimplyHer, 12 October 2016

PHOTO: If working long hours is keeping you from having family time, carve out more time with your kids and spouse. Spend more time with the people that matter.
Image: 123rf.com
Posted by Joanne Poh, SimplyHer, 12 October 2016
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http://www.herworldplus.com/solutions/solutions/3-easy-ways-spend-more-time-your-family-even-if-work-really-busy-work-life-balance

If working long hours is keeping you from having family time, here are three things you can do to carve out more time with your kids and spouse.

1. Don’t be afraid to take advantage of flexible arrangements at work

While 47% of employers in a 2014 survey claimed they were offering employees flexi-work options, the take up rate is still low.

Many Singaporeans are just too paranoid to take them for fear that they’ll be viewed as unmotivated. And the sad thing is that, from experience, some bosses will be annoyed if you don’t show your face in the office even if you’re doing good work.

Parents need to ask themselves: in the grand scheme of things, does it really matter that much? Most Singaporeans don’t even stay in the same company for long anyway. Would you rather curry favour with your boss by putting in ridiculous amounts of face-time, or spend more time with the people that matter?

Even if there aren’t existing flexi-work arrangements at work, if you’ve been performing well or been with your company for a while, you might want to try asking for a more flexible arrangement, such as staggered hours. If you don’t ask, you don’t receive, and I know more than one person who’s managed to wrangle a few work-from-home days per month or the right to come in and leave earlier.

Actionable step: Find out from HR what flexible options there are in your company and commit to taking up at least one of them. If there are no flexible work options in your company, ask your boss if you may make one small change, such as staggering your work by an hour or two. Only when the above avenues have been exhausted should you consider moving on to a new job if everything else is satisfactory.

PHOTO: Don’t be afraid to take advantage of flexible arrangements at work

Find out from HR what flexible options there are in your company and commit to taking up at least one of them.
Picture posted by One of the fan of Yajima photos on 07 September 2014 at 19:15h
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2TzE-BV9eabk4A9dujYirVubHsHSnXOJRMY3HciDiPoXO-zjJXnXkNjOOBjRPWiWcXv967HGhsC9iJhs6u64QxYRb7j28Mj7Z-LuRyq3iVxuh2UwKdyFqtsuV8VLC5ksSOT7eBb2e9pW/s1600/_MG_0167.jpg
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http://yajimaphoto.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-8.html

2. Cut down on the amount of time you waste

No matter how busy we are, let’s be honest about the fact that most of us let a lot of time pass unproductively, especially with the huge distractions presented by social media, the Internet and mobile devices.

When you work long hours and are tired out all the time, it’s all too easy to be passive about planning your time.

After all, it’s harder to think of a meaningful way to spend your time than it is to kill an hour or two looking at other people’s vacation photos on Facebook.

You might complain that you have no time to spend with your kid, yet once you get home you zone out in front of the TV or start playing Candy Crush on the couch. All this wasted time is eating into the amount of quality time you have left to spend with your family.

Actionable step: Identify the times in the day when you are idle or wasting time on the internet—this could be when you’re standing on the MRT on your way to work, waiting for your maid or spouse to prepare dinner or while waiting to pick your kids up from their various activities.

Come up with things you can do during these pockets of time so you can free your time up elsewhere. One example would be doing groceries during lunchtime at work so you can free up time after work.

PHOTO: Cut down on the amount of time you waste
Identify the times in the day when you are idle or wasting time on the social media, the Internet and mobile devices. Come up with things you can do during these pockets of time so you can free your time up elsewhere.
Picture posted by Sweettype and Bluestar
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3. Organise family activities deliberately

While you might take pains to organise elaborate activities with your friends, the same can often not be said of family—after all, you technically see them every day at home, so it’s easy to assume that you “can” do something anytime everyone “happens” to be around.

Except that Singaporeans are very busy people. Heck, even kids spend most of their time in school, tuition, and ballet/horse riding/sword fighting/baby genius classes. And when everyone is at home, they’re glued to their mobile devices.

When you have a demanding work schedule, it’s important to be deliberate about organising family activities so what little time you have is well-spent.

Take the kids to the zoo on the weekends, spend a day splashing around at your neighbourhood swimming complex or have steamboat together at home. Even on days when you’re not doing something special, be deliberate about how you spend your time, such as having everyone sit down together for dinner, no smartphones allowed.

Actionable step: On Sunday evening, plan at least two activities in the coming week with your family. They can be as elaborate as a weekend trip to Malaysia or as simple as dinner together at home. Inform every member of the family so you’re committed to spending this time together.

PHOTO: Organise family activities deliberately
On Sunday evening, plan at least two activities in the coming week with your family. Inform every member of the family so you’re committed to spending this time together.
Picture posted by Yamada photo studio on 8 May 2016
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http://yamadastudio-photo.com/blog/584

This story was originally published in MoneySmart (http://www.moneysmart.sg/).
By Joanne Poh, SimplyHer, 12 October 2016

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