Work-life balance seems to have become THE buzzword in the corporate world in the last few years. People have become more and more aware of how important it is to have a healthy balance between work and personal life. But especially as a young professional who is working their first job it can be hard to keep a healthy balance. To help you out a little bit, we have put together 8 tips for a better work-life balance as a young professional!
1. Establish boundaries
The first tip might be the most important one. Especially as a young professional, you easily fall into the trap of overworking yourself because you want to do a good job. However, it is important to learn to say “no” and stop if it becomes too much. Working over hours under the week or on the weekend shouldn’t be your regular workweek. Make sure to establish boundaries with your boss. Turn off your work phone in the evening or at the weekend and don’t check emails.
2. Ask for help and advice from others
Never forget that you are surrounded by people with more experience. Despite doing your best every day, things can still become too much. Experiencing something new can be overwhelming so make sure that you get all the help you need for a smooth start. You can always ask for help and advice from others.
3. Communicate openly
Make sure to establish open communication with your boss. I know it can be hard to speak up but in the long run, it’s better for both sides. You should never assume that your boss knows how crazy your workload is. You might be struggling but they won’t know until you open your mouth. Talk to others and explain your situation. Most people will appreciate this and you can even talk about things like rescheduling, sharing the workload, prioritizing to-dos, and so on.
4. Demand regular feedback talks
This tip can be seen as part of open communication, but it can also stand on its own. Regular feedback talks are important for your long-term happiness. Often people only have feedback talks if something bad has happened. However, it doesn’t need to work like this. You can ask for feedback every few weeks so you will be able to hear a little bit more about the good work you are doing. Also if you have regular talks set up it’s more likely that people talk about the little things that are not working and you can find a solution before it even becomes a problem.
5. Find a healthy way to relieve stress
For a healthy work-life balance, you need something that helps you forget about work, stress, and all your responsibilities. Sport is one way that helps a lot of people and they are even studies that show that 15 minutes is enough to help your mental health. In the case that doing sport isn’t working for you, try to meet friends, go for a walk or read a new book.
6. Prioritize
Being able to prioritize is a valuable skill – something that is essential in your work life. So start practicing early and learn to prioritize your tasks for the day or even the week. Consider deadlines and the relative importance of the things you need to do and plan accordingly. And don’t hesitate to ask colleagues for help if you have problems doing it yourself or simply if planning the tasks of a project together helps you.
7. Don’t spend your lunch break in front of your laptop
Your lunch is quite literally your break, so please don’t spend it in front of your laptop, or skip it. Make sure your brain is able to relax for a little bit. Go for a walk, listen to some music or update your friends. Everything is a good idea as long as it has nothing to do with work.
8. Do one thing you like every day
The last tip can help you to not lose sight of what you like about your job or just your daily life. Make sure you do one thing you enjoy every day. That can be a work to-do that you really like or something from your private life. Sometimes it truly can be the little things.
There you have it, 8 tips for a better work-life balance as a young professional. If you are a student reading this, make sure to also check out: 16 Work-Life Balance Tips for Students.
If you have any questions or just want to reach out, you can find us on Instagram (@shecareer) or send us a mail (shecareeblog@gmail.com).
Be right back,
Ally
