Working Individuals Guide to Balancing Health, Studies, and Work

Maintaining a well-balanced life is not easy. You only get twenty-four hours daily to figure out a routine that allows you to look after yourself, ensure you can keep up with academic responsibilities, and clock into work. You may feel overwhelmed when you cannot maintain an iron grip on the various factors that govern your life. And this eventually leads to the build-up of stress, anxiety, and fatigue that can push you off your game and immerse you into a maelstrom of chaos. But there’s still a way out. 

Finding your center and striking the delicate balance between your education, work and health is all about managing your time well and communicating your needs. You must use every resource at your disposal to facilitate your schedule and ensure you can accomplish all your goals. So, if you’re curious about how you can bring this into effect, read on to find out more:

• Switch to online degrees

Returning to school full-time or joining a part-time program can be challenging for working professionals. Like any student, you’d want a route that allows you to quickly obtain your degree with minimal hassle. So, why not consider enrolling in an online degree? Studying online is more convenient than conventionally pursuing higher education. You can get a degree or certificate online for any specialization or domain, including the competitive healthcare industry. For instance, family nurse practitioners can pursue post masters FNP online to advance their careers and land higher roles. 

Online learning allows you to study according to your respective schedule. You can access all your notes, submit your assignments, and give the relevant examinations comfortably. What’s best is that whether you’re working or need to stay behind longer at your job, you can log into your account and start studying. Online degrees also provide you with all the relevant facilities you need to ensure you’re as capable as your peers who return to school full-time. As a nurse, you will not miss out on any crucial lessons and create an accommodating schedule that lets you work in the clinic and do your research. 

• Always plan your day

Having a schedule allows you to list all your goals for the day, making it easier for you to accomplish them. You can also prioritize between your tasks instead of improvising and doing things on a whim. For your studies, your daily planner should include the assignments you need to do and readings you need to complete to prepare for any future test. Your work schedule should consist of the pending tasks you need to deal with right away and not let any project get delayed further. 

Therefore, as you go about your day, you can stay on track and finish all you had listed according to their given time slot without missing a beat. Schedules also prevent you from slipping into emotional distress. You’re far more organized and able to control your stress levels. 

• Take days off to rest

Sometimes you’re too caught up in making sure you’re able to keep up at work and study for your degree that you neglect your health entirely. It’s not good for you. The more you prevent yourself from resting, relaxing, and ensuring that you’re eating correctly, the more it’ll take a toll on you. Eventually, you will hit burnout and find your energy levels depleting severely. 

As a result, there’s a chance you may collapse at work or find your focus shattering as you try to attend your classes. Hence, take a break and recoup. Try to take a day or a few off from your daily routine and do nothing but rest. 

For instance, try catching up on sleep, indulging in your hobbies, and eating a proper meal instead of instant food. Putting your feet up allows your aching muscles to rest, relaxes your body, and gradually allows exhaustion to let go of you. It’s excellent for your mental health and prevents you from becoming frustrated with yourself.

• Establish good communication at your workplace

Let your employer know about your routine and part-time education to prevent them from overburdening you with tasks. Also, letting your employer know about limitations stops you from taking on more than you can chew. For instance, if you’re a part-time nurse, you must tell your nurse managers about your shift and the hours you’ll be at the clinic. This strategy ensures you only deal with limited patients before you clock out of work instead of getting pushed to stay back longer and cover multiple shifts. 

Your manager may also not put you on a highly demanding duty like working in the ER so that you get a chance to study. If you work the night as a nurse, you will be provided a room to rest and catch up on your routine outside of attending to patients. It will allow you to finish up for the day before you retreat into your assigned space, sleep, or quickly log in to your student portal and deal with your pending assignments.

• Set boundaries

Boundaries ensure that you’re working according to your capacity without over-committing. Don’t think about your education at work unless you urgently need to attend your online lecture. You may log in once during your break but only once again if required. Don’t multitask unnecessarily since this does more damage than good and divides your attention in an unhealthy manner. When working, your focus should be on the tasks you need to complete without allowing your mind to stay elsewhere. 

Likewise, the minute you log into your student portal, don’t worry about your job unless it’s a pressing matter. You should avoid answering emails or taking work calls. 

Ensure you notify your team members that you’re done for the day and will not be accessible. It prevents them from reaching out to you and respecting your space. At home, get your required sleep, have your meals and catch up on TV shows or movies to help yourself unwind. On sick days, log off from everywhere and focus only on your well-being.

Final thoughts

Striking a balance between different aspects of your life is no easy feat. You need to ensure you’re doing justice to all your responsibilities without neglecting one for the other. Therefore, as you actively work on your degree, keep up with your job and ensure you get ample time to yourself, you must maintain harmony between them. Start by opting for eLearning instead of traditional schooling, so you get the flexibility of studying from anywhere. 

While at work, never hold back from communicating your needs and getting them met. On days you choose to rest, focus on your downtime, and don’t worry about returning to work immediately. It’s crucial for your health and mental wellness. Finally, draw up boundaries and set limitations for yourself, which prevents you from going overboard and exerting yourself until you hit peak exhaustion.