Your Total Guide To Business

Emma Georgiou of Emma Georgiou Coaching is calling all working parents and sharing how to avoid stress and burnout this summer!

It’s June and we’re halfway through the year! It’s officially the first month of Summer, and the weather has been brilliant! This month we’re asking small business owners to share their summer tips for business owners.

Today we’re talking to Emma Georgiou, of Emma Georgiou Coaching. Emma is an executive coach and consultant based in Banbury, Oxfordshire. She helps ambitious professionals to overcome the challenges they face in their careers such as stress or burnout, so that they can get promoted, feel valued and can confidently navigate the corporate world. Today Emma is sharing her tips to help working parents avoid stress and burnout during the summer.

It’s almost that time of year again, when the days are longer and warmer, and the school summer holidays are upon us. For some it brings up feelings of joy, relaxation, and lazy days in the sunshine, but for many working parents the first feeling is one of dread, and the question: ‘how are we going to manage the school holiday and work juggle?’

A recent survey by PGL Adventures revealed that the struggle parents face with juggling careers and childcare during the holidays is having an impact of their health. Almost half (45%) of parents surveyed experienced burn-out trying to do it all whilst 41% suffered from stress and 25% felt anxious.

This also had ramifications on their jobs, with approximately a third (34%) of parents recognizing that the juggle was having an impact on their ability to do their job, 53% saying they can’t fully concentrate on their job and two-fifths (40%) having to miss important meetings due to holiday childcare issues.

What can you do to have the summer you want whilst sticking to work commitments? How do you keep everyone happy? How can you strike the right balance? Here are some tips for managing the juggle, avoiding burn-out and making the holidays enjoyable for everyone.

Take control of your calendar.
As early as you can, start mapping out working time versus non-working time. Make sure that your availability is made clear to any colleagues who might otherwise look for gaps to book in ad-hoc meetings. You could also add your availability to your email signature, and an automated out-of-office email message to inform people when they can expect a reply.
Delegate.
Do you really need to do everything on your list? In the weeks prior to the holidays, identify if there are any tasks or projects that could be done by someone else who has more capacity over the summer. Hand them over and plan check-ins throughout the summer to ensure that everything is progressing as needed.
Plan ahead.
This applies both to work and home life. What can you plan ahead before the summer holidays to make things easier? Do you want to send your children to summer camps, or perhaps there are playdates that can be arranged, where you can alternate who looks after the children? What do you need to plan at work to make sure you stay on track with goals and don’t get stressed out?
Manage expectations.
Again, this applies to both work and home life. Be clear on what’s possible, and what’s not. It will help everyone to understand what is going on and avoid stress for everyone!
Be present.
Whether at work, or at home, it is important to stay present to remain focused. At home you could switch off email, Teams, and phone notifications to ensure you are not tempted to check in and get sucked into work whilst with the family.
Prioritise yourself.
I’m not talking about salt baths and candles – though if that works for you, then go ahead! This is just a reminder that it is not just about the children. As a parent, and as an individual, you need to look after yourself. What do you need to do for yourself to keep sane? If it helps you commit to yourself, you could also block time in your diary for you to do these tasks.
Stay in your lane.
Remember that how you and your family tackle the summer holidays will be different from the people around you. It can be easy to get side-tracked and a little deflated, if you see your friends’ photos of their long exotic holidays. Don’t dwell on it, recognise those feelings, and move on. Focus on what is positive in your life and what you are trying to achieve – stay in your lane!
Remember you are not alone.
There are lots of working parents out there, all going through the same thing. As a parent with a school age child there will be people in your community who you can reach out to for mutual support.
It’s not forever.
Take it in bite-sized chunks – how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! And before you know it, the summer holidays will be over, and the children will be back to school!