Balancing Work and Family

by Byron Coley, Reach Therapist Intern

Approximately 58.9% of married couple families with children under 18 are dual earners (Walsh, 2012, p. 79).  In addition to raising children, and dealing with issues associated with being a spouse, parents are responsible for a variety of things that often yield stress.  Many families unfortunately also have to deal with illness, disability, death, and loss, and may struggle with unemployment and financial hardships (Walsh, 2012, p. 78).  Having a dual-earner household often takes pressure off onf one parent to provide for the family, and also provides a sense of equality within the couple.

The strains caused by work related factors alone can alone cause a great deal of distress.  The pressure of providing financial security has a great impact in that stress, and often causes individuals to hold multiples jobs, and work 40-70 hours a week.  According to Ford (2011), families with lower household incomes have higher levels of stress, compared to those with higher household incomes.  A lower household income not only adds financial strain to the family, it also creates issues within the parental system that is are not easily overcome.  Although their intentions may be good, it could actually be more harmful for parents to work excessive jobs or hours.  Matthews, Swody, and Barnes (2012) found, individuals who work longer hours report more work-family conflict.

Job Stress

Stress incurred on the job has a big role in individual satisfaction and family stress.  Wang, Rapetti, and Campos (2011) state, “chronic job stress can influence the social life of a family through its impact on an employed member's psychological health and energy reserves” (p. 442).  Because of this deduction in energy reserves, individuals often withdraw from social interactions, or have a negative  mood.  This withdrawal from family interactions causes a disconnect within the family system, which adds to the already heavy strain of the work-family relationship.

Balancing Work and Family

Juggling multiple roles can have both positive and negative benefits on an individual and the family system.  Parents should design a plan of how they will separate work and family life.

According to Walsh (2012), when balancing work and family, it is necessary for families to consider the following:

-Prioritize family time and well-being

-Emphasize overall equality and partnership, including joint responsibility for housework, and equal influence over finances

-Sharing the child care and “emotion work” of family life

-Maximizing fun at home, and concentrating on work while at the workplace

-Create rituals for saying good-bye to children and for reengaging after work

-Maintaining focused, uninterrupted time with kids just to “hang out”

-Take time to decompress after particularly stressful work days

Where to Get Help

If you are struggling to find balance between work and family, personal and relationship needs, make an appointment to see a Reach therapist intern today!

References

     Ford, M. T. (2011). Linking household income and work-family conflict: A moderated mediation study. Stress and Health: Journal O f The International Society For The Investigation Of Stress, 27(2), 144-162. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/smi.1328

     Matthews, R. A., Swody, C. A., & Barnes-Farrell, J. L. (2012). Work hours and work-family conflict: The double-edged sword of involvement in work and family. Journal Of The International Society For The Investigation Of Stress, 28(3), 234-247. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/smi.1431

     Walsh, F. (2012). Normal family processes. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

     Wang, S., Repetti, R. L., & Campos, B. (2011). Job stress and family social behavior: The moderating role of neuroticism. Journal Of Occupational Health Psychology, 16(4), 441-456. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0025100