We all need to find a comfortable balance that includes time for all the aspects of our lives that we feel are important including family, work, physical wellbeing, mental wellbeing and social time. Determining your life balance takes work, but it’s important to prioritise the things that are important to you, so you be the best version of you, for yourself, family and kids.

Everyone’s balance is different, and will alter depending on your own life stage, and your child’s.

Maintaining a balanced life in this fast paced world, might not always seem easy, but is vitally important to ensure less stress and anxiety is present in your life. It can also help with setting boundaries and saying ‘no’ to those things that are pressuring you in order to create a more manageable load. Most importantly for your children, it allows you to be ‘present’ and positive, when you are with them and not distracted by worries and pressures of other areas of your life being out of control.

Your top tips

• Identify your priorities. Work out what is important to you at this stage of your life. Try not to juggle too many big projects at once. Small steps done well, is the best plan.
• Manage your time. Use a weekly calendar and map out your priorities to create a typical week with time allocated to our priorities. (Family, work, exercise, leisure, relationships etc).
• Schedule family and kids time into your week. Book in family time, dad-time, and kid’s time.
• Multitask and overlap activities. Exercise with the family, eat meals together, introduce your kids to hobbies you enjoy and do them together.
• Schedule some ‘you’ time as well. Don’t feel guilty, this time is important for your health and wellbeing as a dad.
• Try to ‘switch off’ from work at home. (Phone calls, emails, overtime)
• Explore work options around flexible work hours and working from home.
• Pace yourself. If you feel yourself getting burned out, don’t hesitate to clear your schedule, reset, and recharge.
• Don’t postpone making changes. You might regret it. Time doesn’t stand still

If you are struggling, call Lifeline on 131 114, Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636, Mens Line Australia – 1300 789 978