1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:16,360 Speaker 2: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:22,280 Speaker 2: tip is to give yourself some longer workdays, particularly if 4 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:26,079 Speaker 2: you work flexibly and are responsible for kids or other 5 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:30,400 Speaker 2: tasks on the home front. You want some days when 6 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 2: you don't have such a hard stop. In this extra time, 7 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 2: you'll do a little speculative work, or maybe think ahead, 8 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:40,000 Speaker 2: or do the work that makes you feel more on 9 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:44,640 Speaker 2: top of things. All of this can make life feel 10 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:49,560 Speaker 2: a little more calm. So one of the sharpest life 11 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 2: transitions with parenthood, I mean, at least for some of us, 12 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 2: comes at the end of the workday. Pre kids, if 13 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:00,720 Speaker 2: you needed extra time to wrap something up, you might. 14 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 1: Have just done it. But for those trying to make 15 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:06,559 Speaker 1: a daycare pickup where you are charged by the minute 16 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:10,120 Speaker 1: if you are late, there is a hard stop at 17 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 1: the end of the day. Even if you have another 18 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: childcare arrangement like a nanny, this person no doubt has 19 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 1: a time that they are expecting to leave, and you 20 00:01:21,319 --> 00:01:25,399 Speaker 1: would probably like to see your kids before bed. This 21 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:28,040 Speaker 1: means that the end of the workday features a lot 22 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:32,520 Speaker 1: of awareness of the clock, and this isn't a bad thing. 23 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 1: Lots of people become way more efficient and effective when 24 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:40,760 Speaker 1: they are accountable for their time. But sometimes it is 25 00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 1: nice to feel a little more relaxed about the end 26 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:47,560 Speaker 1: of the day. This is particularly true if you work 27 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 1: flexibly and wind up spending late afternoons going in and 28 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:53,280 Speaker 1: out of work as you are driving to kid activities 29 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 1: and such. None of this is either or you can 30 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 1: choose to be present some afternoon yanes and not on 31 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:05,160 Speaker 1: a few others. I like to think of having one 32 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 1: longer work day every week or so. If you are 33 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 1: normally doing daycare pickup or school pickup, maybe your partner 34 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 1: can take one to two days a week. If that 35 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 1: is not an option, maybe you can hire a sitter 36 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 1: for an evening one day a week, or trade off 37 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:25,639 Speaker 1: with a friend or neighbor. Both of you get an 38 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 1: evening where you can be a little more relaxed about 39 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 1: work time. In my case, we often have a night 40 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:34,120 Speaker 1: or two a week where the five year old is 41 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:36,520 Speaker 1: out at activities that I don't have to drive him to. 42 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:40,359 Speaker 1: That means my workday can extend right up until dinner, 43 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 1: which is often as late as I want to work Anyway, 44 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:47,800 Speaker 1: in that five to six thirty pm window. I do 45 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:51,240 Speaker 1: the extra work that doesn't have to be done urgently, 46 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:55,600 Speaker 1: but that I do want to get done. I feel 47 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 1: much more on top of things by giving myself this 48 00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: extra space. Now to be show. This language of giving 49 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 1: yourself some longer days might sound silly to some people 50 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:11,959 Speaker 1: if your manager is forcing you to work late every night, 51 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:16,040 Speaker 1: this is a different matter entirely. If you are not 52 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:18,640 Speaker 1: in charge of little people in the evenings, and you 53 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 1: often do half work and half not work into the 54 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:25,560 Speaker 1: wee hours, you might actually benefit by giving yourself a 55 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:29,440 Speaker 1: hard stop at least a few days a week. But 56 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 1: if you are like a lot of people who listen 57 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:34,240 Speaker 1: to this show, and by default you would have a 58 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:38,840 Speaker 1: hard stop every work day, consider if you might feel 59 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 1: better about work if you gave yourself enough space to 60 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 1: really think and plan and try things out. You don't 61 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 1: have to work around the clock to make that happen. 62 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 1: Sometimes just giving yourself one longer day a week can 63 00:03:55,120 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 1: be enough. I think that is real work life balance. 64 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 1: It doesn't always mean working less in the meantime. This 65 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:12,880 Speaker 1: is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making the 66 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:23,080 Speaker 1: most of our time. Thanks for listening. To Before Breakfast. 67 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:27,360 Speaker 1: If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach 68 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 1: me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast 69 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:41,400 Speaker 1: is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, 70 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 1: please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 71 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.