Work-Life Balance: Finding Peace and Prioritizing Happiness
By Victoria Gonzalez
As a full-time student who works part-time— I deeply empathize with the feelings of burnout, frustration, and physical exhaustion the majority of us face throughout the academic year. When final exams end, most students will return to full-time employment with hopes of paying off debts, gaining experience, and simply earning a little bit of spending money. With active efforts to maintain work/life balance and recover from the rigorous academic year of 2022-2023, I want to share some of my objectives this summer break to prioritize peace, happiness, and excitement for life while still accomplishing my goals and picking up more hours at work.
Hobbies and Pursuing Passion
For me, in particular, reading, writing and sketching are activities that spark a profound sense of joy and that don't always take priority. Since the semester is coming to an end, I plan to invest time in the interests that inspire and calm my mind. Whatever it is that satisfies your soul, exercise, cooking, film, crafting etc.; you should try to practice as often as possible. Having and dedicating your time to hobbies allows you to connect with yourself and practice mindfulness; it provides a break from the busy schedules that dictate our lives and allows us to deal with that stress productively and meaningfully.
Focus on Personal Relationships
Work and school-related stress can often impact one's relationship with friends and family— whether that's struggling to find time, being overly burnt out, or simply being in a bad headspace. During summer break, I encourage you to spend time with your loved ones however that may look; grabbing dinner, watching a movie, or engaging in meaningful conversation— those moments truly feed your soul and spark a genuine love of life.
Planning and Setting Goals
It's important to note that many students cannot do anything besides working during the following months; to provide for their families and pay their rent, tuition and other significant costs in their lives. In this case, a helpful strategy is to be an avid planner, to mindfully seek out any time within your schedule to do the things you love. In my case, I will be setting up a Google calendar to organize my every responsibility, to feel more in control of my time and to plan some sort of trip this summer, hopefully. Planning can feel time-consuming and like an added responsibility. Still, it can be genuinely worth it— budgeting, setting goals and planning encourage you to work towards the things you want in life, and when you accomplish them, you feel so proud you endured the long hours.
As an ode to our younger selves, who anticipated summer with such delight— I encourage you to do things that excite you and remind you of the beauty within your life. Considering one's responsibilities, finances and work ethic is incredibly valuable, but so is your time with family and friends, hobbies that bring you joy, and activities that feed your soul.
Thank you all so much for reading this year— I wish you the best of luck in all your endeavours and in finding your peace.
