Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is essential to your overall well-being. You can manage your stress and fatigue better when there is a balance between the two. While your Au Pair stay is more on the lines of cultural exchange rather than a permanent job, the tasks you need to perform can be hectic. Hence, it would help to find the right balance between your personal life and your duties. Is that possible? Well, we have four practical tips to help you achieve that balance.
1. Stick to your work schedule: When you signed the contract, you must have agreed on your work schedule. The host family must have told you what you need to do and the number of hours that you need to work every day. If the host family does not follow it or makes you work for longer hours, it will affect your personal life. For your entire duration, you need to ensure that there is no violation of the work schedule you decided on right at the start. It might happen that due to some unforeseen circumstance, the host family might ask you to change the work schedule, but that will be once or twice. It cannot be a daily affair.
If you find the host family violating your work hours or taking undue advantage of you, don’t hesitate to voice your concerns. You should set boundaries at the beginning and be vocal about what you can do and what you won’t do. This way, they cannot take you for a ride.
2. Manage your screen time in the evenings: After a meaningful day with the host kids and the family, you need some downtime. Most of us end up scrolling the phone or watching Netflix and chilling. While this is tempting and relaxing for some time, you need to set a timer for your screen time. Once you reach the timer, you should switch off the devices and relax. It would help if you had proper sleep and rest so that you look forward to your day of activities when you get up the next morning. It should not be that you are struggling throughout the day. Even before you realize it, you will fizz out and suffer a significant burnout.
3. Meaningful rest and relaxation: When we talk about meaningful relaxation, we encourage you to do things that are good for your body, mind, and soul. You can practice yoga, write in a journal, or even read a book. The activity should be relaxing so that when you hit the bed, you are already calm and composed. Enjoying a balanced diet is an integral part of this.
4. Ensure that you have a personal life: To balance your personal and work life, you must have a life outside your professional world. Having friends who don’t belong to your work circle is excellent. You can cultivate any hobby or join an NGO where you can do your bit for society. This way, you will have something to look forward to once your work is complete. And yes, you should always feel free to spend time with people not part of the host family.
Summing it up:
Are you ready to bring about a balance between your personal and work life? The four tips mentioned above are sure to help you out. Finding an opportunity for an Au Pair is relatively easy. You can quickly check out Expert AuPair or similar portals where you can register as an Au Pair. But once you start working, you need to maintain the balance.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
