Life is all about balance. You can't ever build a thriving lifestyle unless you keep all engagements in order. How you approach and manage your time is the key to unlock the world's most exciting opportunities. But you need a dozen of other keys to open the door to a meaningful and well-balanced life.
As a working college student, you have a lot on your hands. You think that this "torture" will end soon, and you'll be able to enjoy your life to the fullest. The truth is that the torture won't go anywhere. It will transform with time and become an essential part of your daily routine. Sounds devastating? But wait, there's more!
The time will come when you won't recognize working loads as a burden anymore. Responsibilities won't cause you to stress as you will become resilient to whatever this life demands from you. A burning deadline, a difficult assignment, a boring topic, and sleepless nights will be gone for good. But other - more demanding arrangements - will replace them.
So, life is basically never-ending torture? Quite the opposite. The moment you learn to appreciate things and get along with the most hateful tasks is the moment you start finding the balance. Your agenda can't be all about pleasures, vacations, friends, parties, and positive emotions. If you wish to live a meaningful life, an effort is in order.
That said, balance is nothing but an ability to enjoy and appreciate every moment of life, making the utmost of it. When you are stuck in a traffic jam or waste another Friday night studying when you struggle to make ends meet or can't make friends at the office, when you are missing out because of the flu or when your crush rejects to go out on a date with you... Try to focus on yourself, and don't let a single bad vibe slip into your head.
Talk is cheap. What are the actual steps to finding balance?
First things first, you need to determine what a balanced life is to you. Sure, every individual has a unique apprehension, and you're no exception to the rule. Understanding the meaning behind the term seems like a formality, but it is essential to find the working approach for your individual case.
Stop for a moment and ask yourself what the balance is to you. As a student with job duties, you have to juggle a lot. But what is that your life is missing to build a compensated lifestyle? Think of all the things you lack to develop a working strategy that will fit your unique outlook.
Prioritize
Nothing works better than a smart priority setting. You have to give up on certain things in your life unless you have more than 24 hours per day. It is impossible to be all over the place. Even a superhuman can't handle multiple tasks at a time.
So, prioritize engagements that matter the most. You can't get rid of the job or your college assignments. These priorities consume most of the time, but they are essential. However, you can get essay help online and shift some academic tasks to a professional expert. Or you can think of ways to handle your assignments while at work or commuting.
Some things will make the top of your priority list and things that you will have to leave it forever. Don't be sad about them. Letting go of activities that aren't contributing to your balance but doing the opposite is always good. But it can take a while until you understand all the benefits of smart prioritizing.
Try
One day you can hardly juggle between endless affairs. On the order day, you're perfectly fine, as success follows everything that you do. Fake news!
Good things take time. You can't lead an eccentric lifestyle and turn it into a perfectly harmonious one overnight. Try, then try again, and don't rest until your attempts start to bring some successes. You might need to try out different approaches to find an ideal one.
For example, maybe you should work night shifts instead of weekends? Maybe, you are more productive early in the morning? What if you see your friends a few days a week instead of every single day? Experiments are in order if you wish to perfect an approach to a well-balanced life.
Note
Your health is always a priority. And it may require more effort and time to adjust to a new lifestyle. Your body is something you need to take care of the first thing. But you can't rush it into a restless day-to-day routine right away.
That's why it is important to note your daily activities, feelings, your physical and mental states. So you can draw meaningful conclusions and build bridges between things that might seem unlinked at first.
Consider yourself a test object. Note everything that might be of use, as your mood swings, general physical and mental state, desires, productivity - even your dreams. Explore how your body reacts to the changes step-by-step. Are there any links between your productivity and sleep hours? Or between your rest hours and the quality of the meals? Perhaps you are especially productive after a morning training or the other way around - your body refuses to function after tiresome morning exercises?
Listen to yourself. If you wish to find a way to a balanced lifestyle and transform your daily routine into a harmonious order of exciting affairs, acknowledge signals that your body sends you. You might not understand yet how strong you are. Unlock full potential with careful observation and make the most efficient recipe of your daily schedule.
Sacrifice
True success is impossible without sacrifice. By setting priorities, you already give up a lot. Things that don't match your goals must become the things of the past, and it is as simple and sad as it sounds.
The main point here is your goals. It is believed that there are 3 types of goals that one must choose from to find the balance. Only with a clear focus can one pursue a balance in life. Otherwise, it is an endless course of experiments and figuring outs of the right direction.
Wait
The most difficult part, if you ask us. Nothing brings more stress than continuos waiting for the results. When will you be able to enjoy the harmony? Only time will tell.
But on your behalf, you can accelerate the process by following these tips:
Don't regret your choices.
Focus on the moment and don't look out for the future all the time.
Rest if you feel the need for it.
Think of alternatives in times of crisis.
Rely upon your family and friends for support.
And never be afraid of rolling back. Yes, time is a wasted asset. But it is always better to start over and find the winning path than to stay on the wrong one that will only lead you to failure.
Finally: Support and Stay Positive
Stand by your decisions no matter what. Despite the reaction of the others, despite what society tells you to do. Every time you see your peers having a fun Friday night, do not regret your decision to stay in and study. Support your balanced lifestyle with firm faith in it. Don't let anything and anybody disturb your confidence.
And... Stay positive!