Good morning, good evening or good afternoon, where ever it is you are based. It's been a while, hasn't it? Today I return to the blog with a little catch-up post. Granted, not much has actually happened these past few months, seeing as the majority of them have been spent in a nationwide lockdown, but it's always nice to say a few words instead of pretending that nothing has happened. I also thought I would try something new by bringing focus to a topic that's been on my mind recently: work-life balance. I hope you have all been keeping well and, as per usual, be sure to leave any thoughts in the comments section below.
G x
G x
A QUICK UPDATE
They say the number three is lucky. Unfortunately, when it came to lockdown 3.0, this simply wasn't the case for many — including me. Perhaps it was the less-than-perfect weather, or pandemic fatigue, or maybe even both, but certainly, it was not the easiest of times. That's why I decided to take a little break from this blog; call it a mix of writer's block and general lack of motivation. It happens to the best of us, and that's okay. I decided that taking a break and just focusing building a good work-life balance was the best option for me, and it seems to have worked out well. Indeed, I've learnt a lot these past few months, which I will share in just a moment with you. Looking forward, I don't want to make any promises as of yet, but I am pleased to be back blogging and it is by no means the end for Every Little Thing Blog.
LET'S TALK: HOW I IMPROVED MY WORK-LIFE BALANCE
Going into my first year of university, I set myself one — and only one — goal: improve my work-life balance. You see, I was quite literally the epitome of a workaholic, to the extent that I can't truly remember doing much else besides study. And while I certainly look back at this time fondly and appreciate the effort I had put in, there would only be so much more that I could take before I reached the infamous burnout. Something had to change, and university provided me with the opportunity that I so desperately needed.
What I learnt very quickly is that maintaining a good work-life balance is all about SETTING BOUNDARIES. It's all too easy to make our work our top priority and allow it to supersede any other commitments we had already made. But at what price does that come? For many of us, it is these commitments that are our passion projects, our hobbies, the things that give us a zest for life and keep us intact in terms of our well-being. Now don't get me wrong, I appreciate that flexibility is often needed nowadays in terms of our work and our studies. However, I think we could all benefit from speaking up and learning how to say 'no' a little more often.
Speaking of hobbies, I have certainly spent my first year of university pushing myself out of my comfort zone and trying some new activities — namely ballet and salsa dance classes. Indeed, it may come as a bit of a surprise, but perhaps the solution to a better work-life balance is to DO MORE. You see, when you have a jam-packed schedule and certain periods of time to complete a set of tasks, you have no other choice but to be productive. In turn, you can spend less time on your work and appreciate doing the things you love more.
While we're on the subject of busy schedules, it's equally important to ACCEPT YOU CAN'T DO EVERYTHING AND PRIORITISE. Let's be honest, if we're going to use university reading lists as an example, there's just not enough time in the day to complete all 20 recommended readings for each and every one of your modules. That's why you've got to learn to be comfortable with the fact that you can't do everything and tackle what's most important. Admittedly, I struggled with this greatly at the start of my course, but I trusted the process, and my results reassured me that my method was perfectly acceptable.
And last, but certainly not least, learning to BE MORE MINDFUL has greatly helped me improve my work-life balance this year. By that, I don't mean starting the day with a 20-minute meditation session, more so being aware of your thoughts, your actions and how you feel things are currently playing out. Recently, I have started to write in a journal, and while the whole affair feels very primary school-esque, it works wonders on giving you clarity and helping you to stay present within yourself.
What I learnt very quickly is that maintaining a good work-life balance is all about SETTING BOUNDARIES. It's all too easy to make our work our top priority and allow it to supersede any other commitments we had already made. But at what price does that come? For many of us, it is these commitments that are our passion projects, our hobbies, the things that give us a zest for life and keep us intact in terms of our well-being. Now don't get me wrong, I appreciate that flexibility is often needed nowadays in terms of our work and our studies. However, I think we could all benefit from speaking up and learning how to say 'no' a little more often.
Speaking of hobbies, I have certainly spent my first year of university pushing myself out of my comfort zone and trying some new activities — namely ballet and salsa dance classes. Indeed, it may come as a bit of a surprise, but perhaps the solution to a better work-life balance is to DO MORE. You see, when you have a jam-packed schedule and certain periods of time to complete a set of tasks, you have no other choice but to be productive. In turn, you can spend less time on your work and appreciate doing the things you love more.
While we're on the subject of busy schedules, it's equally important to ACCEPT YOU CAN'T DO EVERYTHING AND PRIORITISE. Let's be honest, if we're going to use university reading lists as an example, there's just not enough time in the day to complete all 20 recommended readings for each and every one of your modules. That's why you've got to learn to be comfortable with the fact that you can't do everything and tackle what's most important. Admittedly, I struggled with this greatly at the start of my course, but I trusted the process, and my results reassured me that my method was perfectly acceptable.
And last, but certainly not least, learning to BE MORE MINDFUL has greatly helped me improve my work-life balance this year. By that, I don't mean starting the day with a 20-minute meditation session, more so being aware of your thoughts, your actions and how you feel things are currently playing out. Recently, I have started to write in a journal, and while the whole affair feels very primary school-esque, it works wonders on giving you clarity and helping you to stay present within yourself.
That brings me to today. My work-life balance isn't perfect, that's for sure, but it is something I am being more aware of and something which I actively seek to improve. What are some of your best tips to keep on top of your work life and your personal life? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time!