Around 50 years back, it was normal for the husband to have a career and provide for the family, whilst the women stayed back home and took care of the kids and the household duties. In today’s times, its normal for both husband and wife to have a flourishing career. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a woman being financially independent and successful. However, it has become a common issue with married couples who spend most of their time focusing on their careers, which leads to problems in the marriage.
It starts with a gnawing in your gut that your marriage is not what it was, what you thought it would be or hoped it could be. — Susan Pease Gadoua L.C.S.W.
Both husband and wife work long hours and spend little to no time with each other. This leads to frustration and some couples even end up getting a divorce. This is devastating! Finding a balance between career and marriage is possible. If you neglect your partner and even your family members due to your career, it’s inevitable that you will regret it later on life. So, before this happens, here’s some tips that you can help with finding the balance between marriage and your career:
Set Aside Time for Your Partner
Allocate some time for your partner. Set aside a day that suits both you and your partner. Plan your work schedule out accordingly and your work hours. Try and spend an entire day with your partner or family and try and make this a weekly routine.
Plan Some Fun Activities
After you’ve allocated the time for your partner; plan some fun activities for you and your partner to do. Something which you both enjoy. It can be shopping, going for a picnic, going out for dinner, or even sitting at home, watching movies and cooking together. Whatever, it is that you both enjoy doing together.
Only a small percentage of solely romance-based unions pass the test of time. — Stan Tatkin Psy.D.
Set Your Work Goals
When setting your work goals and hours, be reasonable. Don’t overexert yourself. Set realistic goals. Ones which don’t leave you burned out or leave you with no family time and time for yourself.
Cut Your Living Costs
Try and cut out unnecessary expenses. Usually, the more expenses you have, the more both partners have to work to cover up these expenses. Wherever its possible, try and cut it out. Set a budget for your expenses and stick to it. Also, avoid getting yourself into debt, this will make your life, marriage and work life less stressful.
Respect Each Other’s Careers
Respect is most definitely the foundation for a healthy marriage. As a matter of fact, any relationship requires respect. Likewise, you and your partner need to respect one another’s careers. After all, it’s something that’s an important part of both your lives and more importantly, is what helps you pay the bills. By respecting each other’s careers, it will also strengthen your relationship.
Set Boundaries with Your Career
By this, I mean don’t take any phone calls from work while you are spending time with your partner and avoid discussing business during this time. It’s all right for you and partner to talk about how your day went and your successes in your career. However, it shouldn’t be the only thing that you discuss.
Of the kinds of parenting dilemmas I see in my office, parent burnout is among the most common and unrecognized. Remarkably, most parents don’t even realize they’re suffering from it. — Sean Grover L.C.S.W.
Plan A Vacation Together
Plan your work schedules and plan to take your leave at the same time. Try and take at least a week off from work and plan a nice vacation. Even better, if you could save up some money to go on a trip overseas. This will help you de-stress and also give you a break from work. Moreover, it’s time to work on your marriage and enjoy some quality time with your loved one and make memories that you both can cherish for the rest of your life.