It’s hard for me to run out of topics to post about on the blog. Y’all are always giving me ideas on what to write about. A lot of you want me to talk about work-life balance and how to achieve it. If you Google the word ‘balance’, the definition that I found most applicable stated, “a condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions.” The definition of balance stood out to me because it doesn’t say that all the focus should be evenly distributed. It says correct proportions. I resonate with the idea that some things will naturally, and rightfully, deserve more of your time and attention. So, today I’m going to talk about what my work-life balance looks like, and why everyone’s should look a little different and change with time and responsibility.
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I manage a lot of moving parts in my life. Meetings, class assignments, sponsorship deadlines, and brand events all litter the inside of my calendar. As crazy as it sounds, there was a period in college where I didn’t use a planner. It was a completely chaotic and disastrous mess. But, I learned a lot about my working habits and how to structure my life for maximum efficiency. [Insert eye roll emoji here.]
Every hat you wear deserves its own proportion of your time.
We all wear a lot of hats in our life. I switch between student, co-worker, roommate, friend, and content creator. But, I am always a human being who has to take care of my mental, physical and emotional health. I believe that a good work-life balance is achieved when you feel fulfilled in each hat that you wear, while also prioritizing the need to fuel, recharge, and nourish your well-being as a human.
The moving parts and changing hats can be extremely difficult to manage. But, it truly doesn’t have to be rocket science. The number one thing that changed the way I approached balance was establishing a wholistic life routine. I needed to dedicate a proportionate amount of time to each of my “hats” not forgetting or excluding any of them. What does that mean though, tangibly?
If you feel like you’re doing too much of one thing, figure out what you’re neglecting or what you’re missing.
I would say it is completely normal to feel like you’re working too much, especially if you’re fresh out of college. We’ve been made to feel like our whole young adult life is only as valuable as the number of hours we put in trying to prove how passionate/capable we are. But, it’s also a time where a lot of us are experiencing periods of huge changes. Shifting the majority of our focus on the things that we are passionate about is a natural response.
I don’t know about all of you but I also don’t feel judged on the number of things I’m doing outside of work. Most of us padded our college applications with extracurriculars on extracurriculars. But, how many of those things, that we once did to impress, have we held on to? And, more importantly, how many of those things do we actually find ourselves missing. For most of you, I’d say that at least one thing, if not many, came to mind.
Hobbies aren’t dead. We just forgot we had them.
Contrary to the opinion articles in literally every publication, hobbies have never been and never will be dead. I wish these writers would stop using any hot take with a pulse to argue against the side hustle. Most side hustles are born out of not only a passion but also talent. It’s my opinion that every side hustle is molded from something that started as a hobby. I didn’t start this blog to make money and didn’t pursue photography gigs until after hours and hours of reading portrait theory and shooting for blog things.
But, I love dancing and cooking and reading and brunching and volunteering. Most of these things I did in some capacity as a teen. When I had to maximize what was going to be most impressive for internship applications and TA roles, a lot of these things got cut.
Rediscovering what you like to do outside of your professional role as an adult is critical. It is one of the reasons that I feel so balanced. I know exactly what I want to do when I close out my email tabs and homework assignments. If you have nothing enjoyable to fill the hours that you don’t need to be working, why wouldn’t you just continue to work?
But, sometimes I feel like I’m not working hard enough.
People rarely talk about what to do when you don’t feel motivated to work. If you’re reading this blog post, it’s not because you’re lazy or unmotivated. It’s probably because you’re bored. It’s okay to feel that every once and a while. Whenever I feel this way, it’s because I don’t feel challenged. I put myself through a chemistry degree, and naturally, I have an incredible need to feel intellectually challenged. Engaging with your day to day tasks from a new angle is one way to start. I read papers on new fields that might be applicable to the questions I’m asking. I ask new questions and think about new experiments to try. That train of thought can be applied to anything.
What are some healthy tips for finding a work-life balance?
When I feel like I need a push in the right direction, I write down some goals that I want to achieve in all the different hats that I wear. Do I want to finish a new experiment this quarter, land a four-month deal with a new brand in Q2, or cook two new recipes from my new cookbook before the end of the month? Writing them down and making actionable steps can be a good place to start.
Build a realistic daily routine and keep track of your schedule, digitally or otherwise. I find that visualizing all the time I have in a day makes it easier to fit in the things that I need to do. Also, prepping for the week and finding ways to make things you don’t like doing more convenient is *high key* so important.
Lastly, taking up a new interest or rekindling an old one is a sure-fire way to get you excited about something other than your job. Even if you love what you do, avoiding burn out at all costs is necessary! Finding something fun that isn’t necessarily something you should be doing is a good place to start. If you read my post about making friends in your twenties, it should be no surprise to you that I am a huge proponent of finding hobbies and things that spark joy in your life.
Photography by Laurel Creative
Blazer Coat(similar) | Sweater | Jeans (gifted) | Bag (gifted) | Shoes (gifted)
What are some things you’ve struggled with when it comes to building a better work-life balance? Let me know in the comments down below! What post-grad topic should I cover next? I have some ideas, but I’m curious about what you want to read.
Keep on keepin’ on,
