This is a guest post by Shefali Onawale.
Finding the right balance between work, life and study could be difficult at times. Picking up an extra shift at work or skipping a lecture for lunch with a friend can seem like a great idea at the time, but it could also cause you some anxiety if you start falling behind.
Having a balanced life is essential to achieve your goals in everything from your studies to your careers and friendships. Here are 5 tips to keep up with your studies, work and social commitments and avoid a burnout.
1. Plan Out Your Time
Working and studying is very common amongst students, since most of them are funded by loans or scholarships. You might not get time for assignments, hence, creating a schedule is straightforward and effective!
As easy as it is, having a visual plan makes working towards a goal much easier and gives you direction. Creating your schedule will help to prioritise assignments that are due first, and organise the remainder of your studies.
2. Manage Your Time
It might sound easy but managing your time is crucial to a balanced life. The key to time management is to prioritise everything and then schedule it all in a diary or calendar, but make sure you leave yourself enough time for each task. Setting out specific times to do particular tasks keeps you on track.
Of course, if you find yourself having lunch with friends when you’re meant to be studying, don't be hard on yourself, just realise that your study time will have to be rescheduled. Time management can be a difficult task but the more you practice it the better you’ll get and it’ll make a world of difference. Time management courses are also great in helping you master this essential life skill.
3. Look After Your Health
Look after your health, both physical and mental. Here are two important ways you can look after both at the same time.
Right amount of sleep: It’s recommended you get 7-8 hours per night. It helps manage hunger levels, boosts your memory and even decreases risk of certain serious health conditions. While you don’t have to be tucked up in bed by 9pm every night, getting quality rest regularly will do you the world of good.
Eating healthy: Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean you can never have chocolate again. It’s about being sensible with what and when you eat. All that stuff tastes nice and is cheap and convenient, but it’s not healthy! Making sure you are energised with enriched foods is key for looking after your wellbeing.
4. Take A Break
Life can get very busy and it can be easy to forget to take some time to rest. It’s important to take some time for yourself, this can be anything from a night in watching Netflix, visiting a free museum or two, or a weekend getaway.
It allows you to forget about your to-do lists and schedules for a second and relax. A quick break can leave you refreshed and motivated and give you the energy to keep up with work, study and your social commitments.
5. Try Not to Overcommit
Know your limits and don’t try to do everything at once. Balance is one thing and doing everything is another. Leave some time free and know how much you can actually complete in a certain time period. There’s no point overdoing it and burning out.
Need help juggling all your different priorities?
Check out the time management training courses by top providers!
About the author
Shefali is the Creative Content Editor at UniAcco, one of the world’s most popular student housing websites. She manages the company’s communications and public relations. She is a resident of Mumbai, India.