Written by Jamieson Cummins
Hey, I’m Jamieson. I’m currently in my third year of a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (OT) at the Albury-Wodonga campus and love the diversity the course brings. If you’re like me, who works two jobs on top of studying for my degree, it can be overwhelming at times to meet the demands of your busy schedule.
What is the work-life balance and why is it important?
Whether you’re just starting your university journey or kickstarting the new semester, with the holiday season fast approaching, balancing work, study, and life can be challenging for many students – and it can be much easier said than done!
Work-life balance looks different for everyone. Some people like to keep busy whilst others need more time for themselves to wind down – it’s important to remember that everyone is different, and that’s OKAY!
Here are a few tips from me to help manage your time to suit you and your lifestyle.
Prioritise and plan using a calendar
A calendar provides you with a visual representation of your commitments and spare time to help create that balanced lifestyle.
- Try using different colours, headings, and reminders to make it suit YOU and your needs! Visual prompting is something we use in OT to assist with routine building, attention and staying on top of tasks.
- I use Apple Calendar on my laptop/phone, using different coloured tags to keep track of my commitments. But you can also use a hard copy calendar, Google Calendars or apps such as Notion or Microsoft OneNote.
Planning for uni:
At the start of each session, I like to map out all my assignment due dates, and exam periods to my calendar to make sure nothing important gets missed! I use BrightSpace to download my subject outlines to help with this!
Set boundaries
Setting boundaries. Yes… I know this can be difficult sometimes.
- Setting boundaries with yourself to make sure you have time for work, study, family, friends – most importantly, time for you.
- Be open and honest with your employer regarding your availability work during study periods to help sustain that work-life balance.
- I schedule my shifts or commitments in my calendar for the week so I can be prepared.
Look after yourself!
OT is considered a holistic practice, where we consider many aspects of the person’s life including the person themselves, their environment and the occupations they are involved in. Practising self-care is so important to maintain a sustainable workload throughout the uni session and prevent burnout.
- Try and incorporate regular physical activity into your weekly routine to reduce stress and improve health and wellbeing.
- Take regular breaks when studying and working to keep you performing at your peak!
- Eat a balanced diet to help keep your energy up throughout the day/week.
- Ensure you get enough sleep each night to stay refreshed and focused.
Hopefully these tips and tricks help you smash out this session 3 of study and enjoy the holiday period at the same time!
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