Positive Work/Life Balance: Living Well to Learn Well

As the end of January is coming up, and consequently the dreaded midterm-exams season approaching, the stress and pressure from your academic life has no doubt begun to build up. Not to mention that you may have that part time job working at the restaurant on the weekends, or busy planning events for the school club that you are in; you are no doubt a very busy student. You may be feeling overworked and it may seem that you just don’t have enough time in your life to do anything, but rest assured, you are not alone. The whole work/life balance is a perception and opinion of one’s own priorities and values. People feel stressed because they find that they do not have time or missed out on a chance to do certain activities. Also, many students are worried about finding a job after graduation, and thus further contribute to an unbalanced balance of life and work/school because they are focusing so much on the future. However, by having a positive work/life balance, you are also contributing to your overall health, so here are some tips on how to achieve this:

1. Prioritize – What is important to you? Instead of prioritizing what’s on your schedule, you should be scheduling your priorities. If personal fitness is something you value, and you find that you keep skipping the gym, it is time to re-assess and re-prioritize.
2. Learn to say no – People are always eager to please, and sometimes it is really easy to say yes to helping other people or taking on other tasks, without realizing how much they already have on their plate. Academics is a priority for most students, and if you are finding yourself struggling to do well because you keep going out with your friends every weekend, maybe it’s time to consider saying no so that you can spend that time studying.
3. Accept your situation – To really achieve balance, sometimes you have to accept your situation that you are in now before you can make changes. Accept that things may not be perfect right now. However, whatever situation you may be in, it is not forever. Exam season maybe very stressful, but keep in mind that once you get through your exams, you are done. Additionally, learn to accept that not everyone will agree with the choices you make; sometimes taking a deep breath and shrugging it off is better than getting angry.
4. Focus on Yourself – You need to spend time on yourself so that you are mentally and physically balanced. Meditate when you wake up in the morning, or eat a healthy breakfast; you will feel better and have more energy for the day ahead of you. Most of all, indulge in your guilty pleasures once a week. Everything is moderation is okay, so once in awhile, break out that tub of ice cream.