Day-to-day life can get stressful, and it can be hard to juggle everything as a working woman. However, it all boils down to maintaining balance and sanity, and here are a few tips on how to actually go about doing that!
ORGANIZATION
First off, I highly suggest getting and staying organized. No matter what industry you work in, you are going to have paperwork, bills, and other documents that need to be kept safely and smartly. Therefore, invest in a file cabinet, a letter organizer or the time it takes to set up some folders on your computer. A place for everything, and everything in its place!
A schedule is also a good thing to have and to stick to, and again, you can put pen to paper, with a planner or a traditional wall calendar, or you can use your phone’s calendar to digitally keep track of where all you need to be and when.
HEALTH
Work of any kind takes a toll on our bodies and our brains. That being said, you need to make sure you are paying attention to your body and mind! Grab some veggies. Take some vitamins. Join a gym. Enjoy a nice walk. Meditate. Journal. Get a trainer and/or a therapist. Do what it takes to take care of yourself!
BREAKS
And speaking of taking care of yourself…We highly suggest taking regular breaks.
Some people are workaholics who don’t know when to stop, while others are procrastinators who have trouble getting started. No matter your work vibe, you need to have a set schedule (Use that calendar we mentioned!), and you need to take breaks. If you have trouble actually ending your work day, set an alarm for every couple of hours, and use this time to do some yoga or to at least go outside and check the mail. And if you have trouble actually finding the motivation to get anything done, set a similar alarm for every hour or so; work hard for an hour, then reward yourself with a few minutes of TV, a snack or a bath – but then get back to work!
And, of course, remember to use your vacation and sick days, because we all deserve full days off, whether we use them to travel the world or just catch up on sleep.
JUST SAY NO
A big part of staying sane and maintaining balance is just saying no, which can be tough. We are parents, significant others, friends, leaders, volunteers, employees/entrepreneurs and humans with commitments, responsibilities and interests. However, there is never enough time in the day, and there sometimes isn’t enough of you to go around. And that is okay. Know when to turn down a task, a job, a date or a social event, and learn to be okay with that.
LOVE YOURSELF
All of these tips, when combined, can help us working women stay focused and find success. Perhaps the best piece of advice we can offer anyone, though, is this: Love yourself.
There will be days when the emails keep coming in, causing us to fall behind. There will be weeks when we never make it to the gym and grab fast food for dinner every night. There will be moments we have to miss out on and mistakes that we will make.
But you are strong, capable and talented. So learn from those mistakes and moments, and come out better and stronger than ever, all while keeping the balance and staying sane.