Although the COVID-19 pandemic saw people getting used to remote working, it can still be difficult balancing work and family time while working from home.
Genoveva Jiménez is a marketer, with 15 years of experience in the world of advertising, marketing and generating customer experience with brands. She is a mom, a wife, a lover of photography, interior decorating, and dachshunds. Currently, she holds the position of Business Intelligence Analyst for the Central America region at Schneider Electric.
As a working mother, and one of Schneider Electric's #SEGreatPeople, Genoveva shares her top 5 tips for how she manages her work and family life.
"Today we face various personal and professional challenges. In my case one of the main ones was how to balance my work and family time during this time of “work from home” and “study at home”? I would like to tell you what has worked for me personally and has helped me live this new normal," says Genoveva.
"Let’s start by saying that there are no secret or perfect formulas, but I can mention some “tips” that have been useful to me."
1: Listen, guide and trust your children
Genoveva affirms that kids are good at giving advice. Her daughter often tells her: “Mom, have fun at your job”, “enjoy your call”, “have a nice conversation with your coworkers.” These kind words of encouragement enable Genoveva to start the day positively.
"As a new mom, I am easily surprised by what children do. One of the things that I admire and that never ceases to amaze me is the capacity they have to imagine, to entertain themselves and to adapt to change," she adds.
2: Divide and conquer
Dividing her daughter's day into blocks has helped Genoveva share time with her daughter, but also give one another their own space. Her daughter has time to read a book, or be creative, or take her classes virtually. Genoveva also invites her daughter to take part in her own work, where Luciana asks questions or greets her mother's coworkers.
"We have even organized short meetings with the children of my co-workers, where we talk about what their favorite games are and what they are doing. That always makes me smile," she says.
The family comes together at meal times, as well as evening walks or games at the end of the working day. "It is important to have quality time to dedicate to a family activity," explains Genoveva.
3: Healthy mind, healthy body
If there’s one thing Genoveva thinks time should be spent on, it’s mental health, which directly impacts your physical health. Schneider Electric has always promoted a culture of wellbeing, where employees achieve balance in their lives. "Based on this, I try to take breaks to get up from my desk and have a snack. This has also allowed me to actively interact with my daughter at times during the day," she says.
"During this time, as part of the wellbeing programs, Schneider Electric has organized activities that promote this practice. For example, at the end of the afternoon there are meditation and yoga sessions, which not only apply to us as collaborators but to any member of the family."
4: Get empowered!
One of Schneider Electric's values is “Act Like Owners”, which empowers each employee and makes them feel valued for their knowledge and experience, enabling them to develop personally and professionally for their own benefit and that of the organization.
"However, it is just as important to recognize that we are do not have superpowers. If I bring the theme of empowerment to family life, it is key to have a support network, so that in times of greatest workload we can assign chores around the house and help each other," adds Genoveva.
5: Set clear goals
Something that has helped Genoveva invest her time in the best way is setting clear goals. She advises that, if you are clear about the expectations of the organization for your work, it is much easier to know which tasks to focus on. "This allows us to prioritize and direct our energies towards those actions that generate the greatest impact and thus be more efficient. In this way we will invest our time in the right job, which will allow us to have family time," she adds.
"These 5 points are just a few that, from my experience, have been very useful. I close with the great learning of understanding that things can be learned from all circumstances, so let’s keep learning every day and practice patience and empathy," she concludes. "Finally, I invite you to follow the advice of my daughter Luciana: “Have fun” in our work and to which I add: have fun with our family."
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Disclosure: Where Women Work researches and publishes insightful evidence about how its paid member organizations support women's equality.