How to Balance Work and Study

Study and work are combined not only by students but also by those who want to get additional education and start developing in a new field. However, it can be difficult to switch from one activity to another, especially if these are completely different areas.

Don’t Try to Keep up With Everything

First of all, you need to accept the fact that it is impossible to do everything but to really cope with the priority tasks that need to be determined daily. Do not try to work and study at the same time: each activity should be allocated time.

The feeling that you are not doing anything is probably the result of the expectation that you can do everything. This is such a fairly common fantasy that you can do everything, be good and successful everywhere, not make mistakes, not get upset, not lose anything.

Unfortunately, the real world is not like that in most cases. Do everything that can make this multitasking mode easier: make plans, to-do lists, try to rank tasks by importance and urgency, try to stay in the square of important and non-urgent matters. Take time to rest, sleep, and eat in your schedule.

Assess Your Capabilities and Resources

By assessing your capabilities and abilities, you will be able to set yourself realistic, achievable goals and thereby get rid of the permanent feelings of dissatisfaction and discontent. In this case, an analysis of your strengths and weaknesses, observation of yourself will help.

Don’t ask yourself to do everything perfectly. Learn to say “no” to someone, to accept your limitations. If it’s hard for you, you should probably abandon the new project.

Negotiate Flexible Work or Study Hours

If you are a student, arrange free office visits. It is not the hours spent in the office that are important, but the result of the work itself, the quality of the tasks completed on time. Adults, on the other hand, who have a priority on work, need to initially look for courses, programs that can be taken on weekends or in the evening.

Take Short Breaks During the Day

Fatigue is completely normal and a signal that it’s time to rest. Moreover, during these 15–20 minutes, it is better not to browse social networks, news — limit yourself from receiving information. Ideally, be quiet and relax your body.

There is a misconception that we can work for several hours on enthusiasm, but this is self-deception. In fact, the periods of maximum efficiency range from 15–20 to 90–120, with an average of 40–50 minutes. It would be best if you had breaks in between.

Set Aside Time for “not Useful” Things

As a rule, those who combine work and study strive for high productivity, efficiency. Even when there is free time, they want to spend it “usefully.” For example, they learn a new language, watch educational videos. However, constant stress over time will lead to overwork and, as a result, to loss of concentration, performance, memory impairment. Think about how many hours a week are spent on development and seemingly not useful activities — watching a relaxing movie, walking, simple communication with friends, loved ones.