The holidays have well and truly come to an end and ‘normal life’ – at least for me – has returned with full force! Gone are the ‘sleep-in-until-noon’ days; my alarm is ringing at 7 am once again. My schedule has become very busy. I’m balancing all my uni work alongside two part-time jobs – all of which I thoroughly enjoy, but it has left me with a bit less free time. It’s easy to become overwhelmed when you’re in work mode for long periods of time. I thought I’d share some of my top tips for coping with workloads in a healthy way so that you can see if they work for you too!
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Set your working hours (and stick to them!) I’ve figured out I work more productively in the morning. This is quite confusing for me really because I wouldn’t say I’m a morning person! However, I have noticed that if I’m up early, I get more done in the first part of my day. I can think clearer, I’m attempting tasks with a fresh mindset, and I seem to be more engaged. I also work quicker too. For some people, this is the opposite (and it can change… I used to be a night owl until the last year or so!) It’s about finding what works best for you. Don’t forget to have a cut-off point too that works for your routine. This will make sure you have time to refill your own cup and do other activities.
- Prioritise your workload. Upon learning that I work better in the morning, I started to prioritise my workload in two ways:
- What needs to be done sooner rather than later?
- Out of those, what is the most complicated/time-consuming task?
I find this order helpful because I can engage with the bigger projects in the morning when I know I am going to be more focused. The smaller tasks that don’t require the same skills can come later. This helps me to manage the tasks I have each day for work and my academics. - Set realistic deadlines and communicate. There’s no point in putting yourself under additional pressure with a tight deadline you know isn’t going to work for you. If you can set your own deadlines, be truthful about the tasks you have to do and when you can get them done. If you don’t have much control over the deadlines of your work, talk to the people who do. You’re human. You aren’t expected to manage everything and anything (even if it sometimes feels that way). It’s okay to let someone know you aren’t going to meet the deadline and you need an extension or some help. Try to let them know with some time to spare so a new plan can be sorted between you all.
Learning to manage my boundaries and what is realistic for me to do in a day has been a game-changer. It’s helped me to make sure I have free time to recharge which, in turn, means I am more productive the following day. It’s about creating balance through boundaries and figuring out what works best for you.
-Lauren
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