Professionals love to talk about work/life balance. There are tons of books, seminars, articles and more dedicated to the subject. It’s a concept you think would be intuitive, but needs to be revisited by many people at the beginning and during their careers. We all have different priorities and “balance” looks different to everyone. For anyone who works in an office, you likely spend more time at work than you do at home. You see your co-workers more than your family. Those are some of the harsh realities of a full time job. Here are a few things you can do to put balance into your perspective and find that ideal point on the scale:
-Prioritize your time in the office: think about the hours you have at work and what needs to get done that day. Work on those assignments first thing so you’re not stuck working late toward a deadline
-Prioritize your time out of the office: what do you like to do in your personal time. Do you prefer to do those activities before or after work? For example, I really enjoy going to the gym and I’ve found going before work gives my day more balance. Make time for your hobbies
-Don’t bring work home with you: your home, apartment, room, etc. is a personal space that shouldn’t also operate as a second work environment
-Don’t say yes to everything: we all have a limited amount of bandwidth and a life outside the office. Don’t take off more than you can accomplish in a reasonable amount of time. I was once asked to do a tedious assignment that would have taken weeks even if I dedicated all my time to it. I was able to scale it back with my manager to something more feasible
-Manage your manager: Per the previous point, don’t be afraid to point out a more efficient way to accomplish something. No one can argue with efficiency
-Don’t waste time procrastinating: it’s the annoying little things we put off the longest and somehow they take the most time all piled up together at the end of the day. If something takes under 5 minutes to finish, do it right now
If you find yourself falling into a routine that’s dragging you down, whether it’s with school, work or personally, use these tips to help you find better balance. Using these principles now will help you navigate the workforce with a stronger of sense of your needs and priorities. We have to be at our best to do our best.
For more tips on balancing the scale, visit morethanadiploma.com
