Living in the moment can be very difficult for women when business and family demands cannot be shared. Women often feel they “should” dedicate more time to both the children and the business, and in the end neither gain sufficient attention to resolve some underlying problems. The most common problems that women share with me that cause them depression include:
- Children misbehaving – each stage of development is different and some stages can be very draining. Changing a child’s routine, gaining support for caring for them and time away from them can be a key to managing.
- Couples become distant – many businesses are run by couples. Couples often give up couple or dating time to run the business or manage children. Distance can turn to disagreements, and then to separation. Many businesses fail because couples cannot continue their work when unhappy with each other. Resolving the couples issues can bring back the focus to the business and make the business work.
- “Me Time” – research shows the women lack time to themselves. Women need so much more time to themselves because our basic needs are time consuming. Just booking a hairdresser appointment and the cost and time for a man versus a woman is clearly different! Having time to attend to basic needs is often missing for many women and re-arranging priorities is a must.
These are three of the most common barriers to managing for women in business with families. The balance of focus on others, the business and self is never easy. It is however much easier if you create a plan to manage.