You live in an incredibly busy world. Finding time to do what you want can be hectic and stressful. For people choosing to pursue school and work at the same time, you may find yourself stretched a little thin to say the least. Included here are a few tips to help you have an appropriate work/life balance as you face test scores and deadlines.
Schedule Your Time
This is just as important as creating a budget for the month. You only get 24 hours per day, so work to allocate them wisely. Carefully write down all the things you need to accomplish in a day. Budget your time between activities and responsibilities to understand where you need more or less time. Always include time for yourself and your family to avoid burn-out.
Know Your Goals
It is much easier to stay on track when you have a specific goal to work towards. Set goals for where you want to be in regard to school, work and even your social life. If you do not take time to be present with loved ones, your relationships and overall quality of life will suffer. Some examples would be maintaining a specific GPA, not calling in sick to work, or spending one uninterrupted evening a week with family.
Be Realistic
Don’t overbook yourself. By knowing what you want to achieve and how much time you have in the day, you can realistically understand what you can accomplish in a week. By saying “yes” to everyone you may find yourself overwhelmed, frustrated and on the edge of failure. Don’t cause burnout, say “no” to some less important things so you have time for what really matters.
Go Online
In the age of the internet, it is becoming more and more possible to do many things by telecommuting. Use the Internet for your benefit. Remember that many people use the Internet to their advantage, and you can too. Get a job online or choose to take online classes. However, if you are planning to take online classes, then look for institutions that employ something like Interactive Live Streaming from Agora (Agora.io) to provide live streaming of lectures and real-time interactions like chatting. Remember, you will be more likely to understand a lesson if it is live-streamed–you can ask questions while listening to the lecture. That said, taking online classes can also save time commuting, save money on gas, and save sanity in your 24 hour day. By using your commuting time to hang with friends, get exercise or rest, you will be healthier. If you are a self-motivated person, using the internet for your work or studies, or both, can be advantageous in nearly every aspect of life.
Practice Self-Love
It can be easy for people with busy schedules to spend all of their time focused on others and leave no time for themselves. Taking time to be alone can help your physical, mental and emotional state. Find something that rejuvenates you and make time for it daily; whether it is reading the newspaper, doing yoga or walking the dog. You will find yourself able to accomplish more if you keep yourself healthy in the process.