For women in business figuring out the perfect, and often illusive work life balance can be a challenge. We fear we work too much and that as a result our families will miss out.
We worry that we too will miss out on them growing up and we constantly beat ourselves up over our busy schedules. Couple all of that with business travel and it can almost tip us over the edge.
While part of us might relish the alone time, might savour only having to pack for one and enjoy the luxury of not having children tethered to our ankles during check-in, the other part of us is wracked with guilt.
We stand in line at the airport thinking of nothing but our families. We worry about what will they eat or if they will get to school on time. We fear they will get sick or hurt and we won't be there to put it all right.
It’s endless and if you too have these very thoughts every time you jet off for a business trip then you could be suffering from a bad case of working mum guilt.
But it is time we stopped beating ourselves up and gave ourselves a break! We work this hard for a reason and that reason is our families so to keep the guilt at bay try these simple steps…
It’s ok to not be in control. Our children will be fine without us there for a few days (as much as we would like to believe otherwise). We need to learn to let go. Step back and enjoy our own space and think of the bonding time our children are having with their father, grandparents or whichever family member we have left them in the care of.
Plus children that are brought up around a lot of different people are more rounded and grounded as a result. Bonus mum points there we would say.
Is it to give our children a better start in life? Is it to be a great role model for them? Or is it to simply keep our sanity? Whatever our reasons for working as hard as we do, it is important we keep them in mind when the guilt threatens to beckon.
While we are away on our business trips we will be working hard and making deals, but in the evenings we will come back to an empty hotel room. Trying to make the most of that fact is vital. Because soon we will back home, where a days work is followed by maybe even a tougher job - being a mum!
There will be dinners to cook, cleaning, homework, after school clubs and bath and bedtime fights and before we know it, it will be 12pm and in just five short hours it will start all over again.
So to all of our fellow working mums out there may we keep up the good work and never, ever feel bad about it!
By Sophie Maguire
