Friday, May 2, 2014

Balance Your Life

Written by Shelby Oyer

As summer quickly approaches, many of us will be working at a job or internship over the next few months. While these experiences are necessary and wonderful, it is just as necessary to keep a healthy balance between your work and the rest of your life. 

Career coaching blogger Alison Elissa Horner offers some great advice on doing just that:

1. Recognize when you're spinning your wheels
If you've lost focus, continuing to sit at your desk and stare at your computer isn't going to help anything or anyone, especially not yourself. So stop. Either call it quits for the day or, if that's not possible, just take a quick break to walk around and stretch to get your motor running again.

2. Manage your physical well-being
"Your productivity diminishes when you feel restless or fatigued." So get up and get moving. While it may be hard to find time to hit the gym while you're swamped with 40 hours of work per week, you can still make small efforts to get the blood flowing like taking a walk during lunch or in the evenings.

Getting adequate sleep is also critical. One mistake many people make is by sitting down in front of the TV or another electronic device before bed. Instead, try reading a book or listening to music to unwind. Setting a bedtime for yourself doesn't hurt either.

3. Ask for help from your support system
Don't be afraid to ask your friends or roommates to help out with errands and other little tasks. Inform them of your busy schedule and return the favors they do for you whenever possible. 

4. Avoid isolation
I feel that this may be the most important tip. While you may not be able to hang out with your friends or call your mom as much as you used to, be sure you don't let yourself fall off the face of the earth. Drop a quick text or arrange to meet up on the weekends. That way you have people to support you and distract you from any difficulties at work. Plus, when your schedule opens back up, you won't feel estranged from your friends.

5. Protect your re-charging time
While you may feel you have very little time to re-charge, it's critical that you take advantage of the time you do have. It's okay to say "no" when someone asks you to do something if it means giving your mind and body a chance to recoup instead. Fill your free time with things that help you refresh yourself, nothing else. 


As I move on from LACD to a full-time internship this summer, I personally will be sure to keep these tips in mind. I hope you do, too. 

Whether you'll be working this summer, taking classes, studying abroad, or all of the above, be sure to check out the May LACD newsletter for stories and advice from people who have been there, done that, and literally bought the t-shirt. 

Read Alison's full article here