Celebrating Womanhood - Edited by Kamalika Chakraborty

What happens when a group of women gather? They scream, they giggle, they gossip, they share and they encourage each other! And the High Heels group is no different.
We did all that and much more!

Celebrating Womanhood_High Heels Switzerland

High Heels Discussion Forum: How to manage home and work efficiently

On 16th of March, 2016, High Heels Group met to discuss over a cup of coffee the importance of managing home and work efficiently. With most of our members being moms of young kids and juggling a job and family, we felt that we could share our own personal know-how's and tips with each other. In the second part of the discussion, these women also shared their unique anecdotes related to pregnancy and 'giving birth' to their child, with lots of laughter over cups of cappuccino and cake. Some tips which could be summarised from this discussion are:

VIDEO LINK TO DISCUSSION:  How to manage home and work efficiently

1. Use a Planner - Use a planner, either a mobile or table calendar and jot down your appointments. Share this planner with your partner, so that both are aware of each others joint or separate appointments. Kids activities also need careful planning.

2.  Delegate Tasks - Husband and Wife should have defined tasks (but do remain flexible whenever required), so that no one has to follow-up on each other. One should not be overloaded with too many tasks, so 'delegation' is the key, e.g. if wife is cooking, husband can clean up the table and start the dishwasher (not just in theory, but also in practice!)

3. 'Me Time' - When you have a hectic schedule, kids screaming at home, pending chores, and thousand other things in 'To Do' status, we often forget to give ourselves some free time. We keep working and worrying, till we drop dead! Avoid that. Start your day with an activity that you enjoy, e.g. one of the members said that everyday she keeps half an hour (atleast) for herself, either she reads a book, or just listens to music, and does not do any other work simultaneously. This 'Me time' is necessary to equalize the stress and strain we go through in our day to day life. Multitask, but with some 'Me Time'.

4. Prioritise and Compromise - You may have done A to Z activities before you had a family, but now you have limited time - so how will you cope with it? Will you stretch that limited time and involve yourself in A to Z again? Or, perhaps it is more efficient if you filter out from that list your MOST important activities and spend your time only on those selective activities. Learn to say 'No'. Also, try to compromise your level of 'cleanliness' at home, if it is semi-clean, learn to stay calm and accept it as normal. 

5. "Help!" - Learn to shout for help, when you need some help! DO NOT strain yourself, and keep everything to yourself. Ask for help from friends, family, or hired helpers like maids or babysitters. We are all earning, so spend it on helpers whenever necessary, so that you save some energy and time. Do Not feel shy to say, "I need help, I am having a burn out!"

6. "Teamwork with your Husband" - A husband who helps in cooking and cleaning, is it just a dream? Shouldnt be. In today's life, where both members are bread winners, both partners can also be care givers to their families. A happy household is afterall the best gift that you can give to your child. Arguments are normal, accept it, dont get disheartened, it happens in all families esp. with young children, but then keep going and work as a Team.

7. Work in batches - At home or at work, try to categorise similar kind of works and work in batches, e.g. if you are cutting vegetables (carrots, broccolli, onions), cut some extra and save them for the next day. Think ahead, so that it takes less time to execute. If you are going to Migros, buy everything together, do not make multiple trips. Think ahead and save time.

Compilation by Brindarica Bose

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