Time Management/Life Enjoyment Strategies for Parents

Between caring for children, household chores, your own job, and other obligations, it often leaves little time for yourself. 

Here are a few suggestions to improve your time management skills and enjoy life a bit more:

Email:

·       If you constantly get emails, try not to check it all of the time if you find that it takes away from your productivity. Perhaps check it once every half hour or hour, and respond to necessary emails at that time. Then, block out a period of time later in the day to respond to non-essential emails.

·       Set a deadline in the evening as to when you will stop responding to emails for the night (i.e., 7 PM) and return all emails received after that time the next day (make a note to respond or go through your email at the beginning of the next work day). Alternatively, stop responding to emails when you get home from work (i.e., 5:30 PM) and devote a half hour before bed after the children have gone to sleep to return emails.  If needed, turn off work email from your phone when at home to avoid being frequently interrupted when trying to enjoy down time. 

Calendar:

·       Use a calendar to keep track of appointments and block out time to complete specific work/non-work tasks. You can use Google or another program to share calendars with your significant other/children in order to ensure that you don't end up being double booked (I.e., have to take children to two different places at the same time). 

Task List:

·       Use Reminders, Todo, or another task list app to keep track of tasks that you need to complete. It can be helpful to keep separate work and non-work (i.e., errands) lists. 

Work-Life Balance:

·       Make sure you set aside time to take care of yourself and do things that you enjoy. For instance, working out several days a week before work, during lunch, or after work can be helpful. If you often work late, set aside one week night if possible where you do not work as late. On the weekends, make sure to do something you enjoy such as playing golf, going for a hike, or to the movies. It's great when you can include your children in some of your activities for fun, but sometimes time away from children can be healthy as well. Plan ahead for childcare if needed. Devoting time alone with your significant other is also important. Additionally, set aside specific time to complete household chores (i.e., two hours for laundry on Sunday mornings, one load of laundry each night after work). If needed, consider hiring someone to take care of certain chores so that you can enjoy more of your free time with your family and yourself. There are companies such as Housewives for Hire http://www.housewivesforhire.com/ that provide someone to run errands, cook, and do other necessary tasks for you. You can also hire a cleaning crew, use a grocery delivery service such as Peapod http://www.peapod.com/, and other services as well to help free up time. 

I hope these suggestions have been helpful!

 For daily updates on useful articles, you can also follow me through The Heller Psychology Group on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HellerPsych and 

Facebook: Facebook.com/HellerPsychology

Dr. Carey Heller is a licensed psychologist with The Heller Psychology Group LLC in Bethesda, Maryland. He specializes in work with children, adolescents, and families, and is happy to answer questions and provide consultations for individuals who are considering pursuing treatment, an evaluation, or other services for their child, adolescent, or themselves. Dr. Heller can be reached at (301)-385-2610 or careyheller@thehellerpsychologygroup.com.

*Disclaimer: The previous information is intended as general guidance based on my professional opinion, does not constitute an established professional relationship,  and should not replace the recommendations of a psychologist or other licensed professional with whom you initiate or maintain a professional relationship*