I don’t think there is a single person I know that doesn’t have trouble finding extra time in the day. There is always something that needs to get done and when you finally finish one task another one pops up. With uncertainty of what the future holds and young professionals looking to make a name for themselves it can be very easy to get wrapped up in your work and not take time for yourself. In some cases, it is easier to stay wrapped up in work because a lot of people have trouble turning their minds off when they get home. It’s good to be dedicated to the job, but I want to go over how important it is to make time for yourself and how you can do that.
Have you ever heard the term “Work Hard, Play Hard”? It is pretty straight forward, but to reiterate it means to grind at work as much as possible, and then enjoy your time off by doing something extravagant. I hear this term a lot and I like the idea of putting in hard work and getting a reward at the end, but people tend to burn themselves out in the process. It is important to give yourself a break in the grind to destress so you can continue to go in and get the full output from the hard work you put in. Here are a few ways I would recommend to fully enjoy your time outside of work.
Step 1: Leave Work at Work
I get it, we want to make sure we get the most out of the day and get a jump start on tomorrow. It is a good way to keep things on track doing a little extra work at home, but your mind and body needs time to rest. When you are at home enjoying some free time, focus your energy on something you enjoy doing so when you go back to work you are well rested and focused. If you keep the candle burning all the time you will be used up a lot faster than you expected.
Step 2: Follow your Passion
I heard somewhere that depending on what your major was 50-75% of college graduates don’t get a job in their respected field. This could be a little off, but you get my point. Not everyone gets their dream job the first time around. For the people who went to college to pursue their passion this can be a little disheartening. The good news is you can still pursue what makes you happy you just might not get paid for it right away. That is why you need to take advantage of your time off to do the things you always dreamed about. Maybe you wanted to be an actor so you can spend your free time auditioning for local plays, or maybe you wanted to be a musician in which case spend your time taking music lessons or starting a band. Make the effort to invest time into you, and what will make you happy.
Step 3: See Family and Friends
The most important people in your life are also the support system you need to help you through the difficult times. It’s important to get the people who care about you involved so they can help you through troubling times. I have had some stress filled moments where all I needed was to talk everything out with my parents, or my friends. This sounds simple, but a lot of people will keep everything bottled up until it becomes an issue. Not to mention, when you make plans with your family and friends they hold you accountable to get out and enjoy your free time. Which I believe that accountability is necessary for anything you hope to accomplish, it doesn’t matter if it is for business or pleasure.
The last thing I want to leave you with is that the number one thing to keep in check when trying to find your work life balance is your mindset. You need to make sure you give yourself some checks and balances so you don’t fall into the rabbit hole of taking on too much at work. Set aside time for you, and make it a priority.