For any millennial, this is one area which many will confess to having struggled with. It comes with the territory especially for new entrants into the job market. The need to be an indispensable asset is ever present especially when the economy is not in a state where jobs are readily available for the unemployed. For every day you go into the office, you’re reminded that you are one of the lucky few who gets to do so, never mind the repetitive remarks from your employer who is quick to remind you that so many are willing to take your place if you’re found slacking.
This awareness has brought about a chronic responsibility, enhanced levels of hustle for side jobs due to the increasing lack of job security and a ‘work hard, play hard’ attitude that is all too ineffective in the long term. So the question remains? Is work-life balance in fact a myth or an achievable goal?
Managing your time wisely might mean forfeiting the Arsenal- Bayern FC game to finish up that report which is nearly due but it might mean you get more sleep later on and are more effective at work with reduced stress levels. Balance could also work in the reverse. It could mean skipping gym to read through your emails when in fact, your brain is probably more alert after a good work-out session and those emails aren’t going anywhere, are they?
Productivity I’ve found is also greatly enhanced when you’re able to take meaningful breaks. Most of us millennials would rather be out turning up on Fridays, spend all of Saturday recovering only for Sunday to hit you like a ton of bricks and you’ve hardly gotten any rest, neither have you done the research for that brilliant idea you’ve been saying you’d kick start soon. Again, discipline is the common thread that binds everything together.
Balance could also mean giving back. How many of us millennials are allocating some weekends to doing something for our immediate community? Yet, we are always the first to tweet about all the various things lacking in our society. A Harvard health publication surmised that volunteering not only helps promote mental health by warding off loneliness and depression, it has also been found to help reduce stress levels which could in turn lead to a healthier body.
Think about it. In the past month, when you aren’t sitting in front of your laptop putting together those reports, what are you doing?
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