8 Tips to Balance Work, Study and Life

By Isabela Vital, 2nd Oct 2020

Let’s do a quick test now: Stop for one minute and think about the answer to the question below:

Do you work and study? If so, how would you rate the attention you give to both areas plus your personal life? There are three main scenarios here:

A) "I am investing in my career at work and in spite of being studying, I am not focused on it right now. But at the same time, I am studying to increase my knowledge and improve my resume. Not much time left for friends and family, though.”

B) “I have been studying very hard in order to finish my course and I am struggling to give the needed dedication for work. I prefer to invest my spare time with friends and I am currently working to have a stable life, but I hate my job.”

C) “We only live once! I work for money and studying is not my priority at this stage. What I love the most is spending time with my friends, but sometimes I feel the importance of working and studying however I find it challenging to balance them.”

Have you found what those situations have in common? The answer is: there is a lack of balance between them and if you are looking to reach the level of stability in your work life and have some time left for study and friends then, you will probably start feeling a sense of satisfaction. Balance does not mean you need to have the exact proportion of time for each one, but more so the feeling that you have accomplished all within your capacity and there is no sense of “not having enough time”.
Does this resonate with you and your current lifestyle? Do you feel it could be different? If you’d like to make some changes, have a look at some of our tips:

If your assessments are quite lengthy and you have been struggling to deliver by the deadline, have you thought about the reasons? Many students, due to their busy lifestyles, tend to start doing assessments on the same day, but unexpected situations can easily happen such as broken internet connections, health issues, longer working hours and so on. What if you start doing it in advance, on a gradual, frequent basis? Why not create a schedule to which you can stick to? With this habit, you will feel less overwhelmed and will have plenty of time to do research, contact your facilitator, as well as avoiding something to happen on the due date.

2) Avoid overworking after hours and on the weekends 
How many hours are you supposed to work and how many hours do you usually work? We all know there are some busier periods that you might have to stay over hours or do some work on the weekends, but try not to make this as a habit. Save this time after work along with the weekend to enjoy your private life and study. Your health is the most important thing in life and if you insist on working much more than would have to, your body will start to respond negatively to it at some point.

3) Avoid mixing work and private life problems
Remember: everyone has problems. Avoid bringing personal life issues to your workplace and vice versa. Once you start solving them in the right place, you will be less stressed. What happens in your house, should stay there. Imagine you achieved something at work but simply don’t feel like celebrating because your head is in a school or having issues at home? Our minds will do what will train them to do. If you start now to leave each problem in their own place, you will be able to manage them more efficiently If you are dealing with any issues regarding your mental health, you are not alone. You can reach out to Beyond Blue Australia should you need to speak to someone.

4) Give your friends and family the value they deserve 
Sometimes we are so focused on work and studies that we almost forget to look around us and see how many important people we have by our side. Whenever we are surrounded by friends and family, remember to celebrate the small milestones with them as time is precious with our loved ones.

5) Time management
How is your time management going? Are you struggling to do all your tasks? There are many ways to have all of them done. Firstly, try to prioritise based on the level of urgency and importance.. Digital project management tools such as Trello can be a great start for you to organise your tasks on a list format. You can use this for work or simply for personal life. It makes time management easier, being helpful to visualise everything that needs to be done.

6) Work with something you love
You probably have heard this before, imagine spending most of the hours of your life doing something you hate? It will probably be time-consuming and stressful, right? When you work on something you love, you will be less likely to be stressed or sense any negative feelings. Explore your passion and try new things - the opportunities are endless.

7) Set realistic goals with your work, study and life balance
The secret to maintaining a balance between the three is to set realistic goals. How can you give proper attention to them without feeling frustrated for not achieving? Omit yourself with things that you can do. The balance is not about how many times, but how are you going to deal with it in a way three of them can make part of your life in a healthier, happier way.

8) Have a break
Last but not least, take time to relax. :) Getting stuck at work from time to time is normal and sometimes, with studying too. However, remember to take breaks. You will probably have one or two quieter days that you can spend with nature or laughing with friends. As we’ve already mentioned, it is all about time management

If you like this topic and want more related tips, we suggest you to have a read on our blog 11 Ways to Improve Your Mental Health & Wellbeing. Take care! :)