What do you do if your work-life balance as a woman in a leadership position is challenging?

Prioritization is a leader's superpower, and for women leaders, it's even more crucial! To achieve work-life balance, master the art of strategic delegation. By empowering your team and focusing on high-impact tasks during designated work hours, you'll free up time for personal life and strategic thinking, ultimately enhancing your leadership effectiveness. Don't forget to add time to schedule at least 30 minutes daily for reflection and relaxation to recharge and return to your leadership role feeling energized.

As a woman in a leadership role, it's much better to prioritise tasks with time-bound deadlines and delegate tasks on a priority basis. Moderating a balance requires a commitment to follow your planned structure.

Navigating work and life can be very challenging for leaders irrespective of gender. However, when it comes to women leaders, it is essential to reflect on certain aspects of the role: ask yourself what your goals are, what is currently going well and identify areas of improvement. Are there any aspects of your role that you can delegate? Delegating tasks can be helpful, especially when you empower and entrust your team to do a great job. Additionally, women leaders may benefit from exploring flexible work arrangements, such as hybrid models that allow for a mix of in-office and remote work. This approach can significantly reduce stress associated with daily commutes and promote a healthier work-life balance.

When prioritizing tasks as a leader it’s also important to identify what tasks you can delegate. A good leader should know the strengths of the members of their team and what tasks they can delegate to whom. Tasks needing attention do not mean that it has to be your attention.

In my experience working with women leaders, setting boundaries and saying no can be challenging for them. I remind them that time is limited and that every time they say yes to something they are saying no to something else. Every time they say yes they need to ask themselves what am I saying no to. We also work on gaining clarity on their values and priorities which makes it easier for them to set boundaries and say no.

Mastering the art of saying no is as vital as is understanding the concept of the "yes" tax. Everytime you say yes to something you are also saying no to something else or also saying yes to something that is hidden that will in the end cost you more time than anticipated.

Under the mounting pressure of work, I must confess that I sometimes neglected the fundamentals: proper nutrition, adequate hydration, and sufficient sleep. However, I learned the hard way just how crucial these elements are for maintaining my energy levels and resilience. I noticed a real improvement in my reactivity towards others ( including my husband and children) and my decision-making process. These simple habits helped me sustain my energy, enhancing my performance professionally and personally. It's all too easy to skim past these foundational practices in the whirlwind of our hectic lives. But they are crucial for flourishing as a leader and in life.??

Actively guarding your well-being goes beyond self-care rituals if you want to prevent burnout in the long run. Consider what you need to guard your well-being and then schedule all of those activities like you schedule your meetings. With the concept of "putting your oxygen mask on first" in mind, those activities should be in the calendar before any others. Having the courage to protect them is the next step as is the understanding that it's not selfish. It's an investment in your future health and productivity.

In addition to simplifying how work is organised , apps that incorporate self care can support efforts to attain work-life balance. For example , apps that can provide personalised productivity , time management , mindfulness , meditation , stress management , habit tracker and journaling functions can be incorporated into a busy schedule to assist with managing the demands of work and personal life.

Enlisting professional services to attend to domestic duties can be cost-effective and efficient. Delegating these tasks can free up valuable time to attend to other aspects of life such as self care.

Reconnecting and staying connected with the important people in your life acts as a powerful antidote to the emotional roller coasters brought on by work stress and provides a powerful sense that you are not alone and that you are supported. ??

It is easy to become consumed by the demands of the leadership role at the expense of other domains of life become neglected resulting in a sense of unfulfillment Regularly reflection to assess where changes need to made in the short term and the long term will keep you aligned in the personal and professional roles.

As a leader (not specific to women) we should already have the skills of prioritisation, empowerment and leveraging technology. Sadly this is often not the case, which is why the overwhelm. Gaining support in home life is an individual choice, the key is being efficient in all aspects of life by clearly understanding your own and your teams needs and communicating effectively.

One week, overwhelmed by tasks, I decided to experiment. I delegated prioritizing to my team, set strict personal boundaries (evening salsa dancing!), integrated self-care into my daily routine, tamed technology with a firm 8 p.m. screen curfew, and embraced support from my network. Reflection became my weekly ritual, a moment to assess and adjust. It's a journey filled with learning and laughter, reminding us that balance is not just about managing time, but about nurturing joy and fulfillment in every aspect of our lives.

The journey to finding work-life balance is deeply personal and unique, just like every one of us. What helps one person thrive might not suit another. I encourage you to gently explore, experiment, and embark on a path of self-discovery to find the approach that truly speaks to your needs. Once I realized this, things became easier. Remember, it's your well-being that matters most.