Balance

Posted on: 27 April 2022 by Kerrie McGiveron in 2022 posts

We all know how difficult it can be to get ourselves into a good routine. This can be made more difficult as students, when we know that we might have deadlines or exams to prepare for. Life is fast and we all understand how hard it can be to maybe juggle certain aspects of our lives; work, family, friends, home life, ‘me’ time and study. Although we now understand more than ever the importance of being social, this is another aspect of our lives that we also need to balance! This is why it is very important to be mindful of our every day routines and working towards achieving some kind of balance between our social, professional and public lives. What follows here are some key ideas to ensure that you are making the most out of your day and taking care of your wellbeing.

Lists

I like to have a to-do list every day. This helps me organise my day and when things are done it is always good to be able to put a tick or cross a line through it. Sometimes items on the list roll over to the next day, and sometimes unexpected things come up which I than always write on my last retrospectively! It can be useful to separate tasks using different colours, so you know that for example blue is for writing, red might be for reading and you might use other colours for domestic tasks or socials.

Regular Breaks

I like to plan in regular breaks. The importance of reset and relaxation cannot be overstated. You need to find out what you do to unwind. This could be walking around campus or around one of the local parks. It might be swimming, or having a coffee, reading a fiction or chatting to a friend. Make sure that you find out what makes you ‘switch off’ and plan these in regularly to help you recharge.

Sleep Schedule

Sleep is also very important. We all know what it is like to work very late to revise for an exam or to meet an essay deadline. Try and make a mental note of how many hours sleep you are getting and try and aim for 7-8 a night on average. Your body needs time to recharge, and sleep is essential for physical and mental health – try your best to pay sleep some attention.

Social

Of course, what we have all realised the past few months is the importance of being social and being around people. Make sure that you plan in regular meet-ups with friends and family. These can be physical or virtual. Sometimes it is great to reconnect.
All of these aspects are important to balance your work life. I find that thinking about these four aspects enable us to put 100% into our work and studying without sacrificing our health and wellbeing.