Beyond the Clock: Mastering Work-Life Equilibrium

Within this industry sometimes you will encounter some very long work days whether it's local or not, and learning that balance between work and home can be challenging. We all know that our typical day at work is at least 10hr long but sometimes we are very ‘lucky’ to work up to 12-14 hrs and the typical worker out there might ask us “is that legal”...... yes it is, for us. However we all need to find the balance to keep up with our work and personal life so we don't end up ripping our hair out of our scalp. This delicate equilibrium demands not only time management but also the ability to prioritize self-care, ensuring that we sustain both professional success and personal well-being. It's a juggling act that requires resilience and a keen awareness of our limits, but it's essential to navigate the demands of this industry without sacrificing our mental and physical health.

First we must look at all the signs that indicate we are neglecting our personal lives and some of those signs include: burn out, relationships within your personal life are starting to suffer, daily tasks at home such as chores start piling up etc. These signs are very damaging not only to your personal life but also your health, physical and mental, and this will eventually bleed into your work life leading to lack of focus and increase of problems. Once you are aware of these signs you can start actively working towards a better equilibrium within your life.

Planning ahead your schedule and time management is one of the most important parts of balancing both work and personal life. This step will allow you to figure out what can be prioritized within the day/week/month/year and you can plan accordingly within both your job and private life. Hopefully within this step you are able to see the importance of having time for not only yourself but also your friends and family and being able to maintain those relationships. Having time for the special people in your life will help you feel more relaxed and overall happier with yourself and ultimately that happiness will start to spill into your work and will help you excel within it. Another thing to keep an eye out is to not overlap events and to add a bit of flexibility within your schedule, and that may mean that you have to drop some work or some personal events in order to prioritize some items within your schedule. Understanding that sometimes work may come over family or vice versa is ok but to allow yourself to always prioritize work over everything else is damaging your overall health and happiness

Another tip to help find equilibrium within your life is to find someone to take over whenever you are either unavailable or uninterested within your work life. Understanding your limits and feelings towards certain projects/roles within the industry will help you find the balance we've been discussing. You don't necessarily have to turn down every opportunity but sometimes you might need a break and that's ok, you're able to pass on the project over to a very reliable individual that may excel within this opportunity. It’ll give you peace of mind and relaxation, knowing that someone you trust is diligently working on the project initially presented to you.

Boundaries, boundaries, boundaries, make sure you are setting clear boundaries within your life, whether it be you don't work on certain projects or you only want to work on the weekends, you have to make sure you set and follow those boundaries. Obviously sometimes you might have to cross them for whatever reason but you have to make sure it's a good reason. One good example of boundaries is that once you are off work you don't talk about work in your personal life, in order for you to not mix both lives together and to make sure you are able to truly relax. There will perpetually be individuals, jobs, and circumstances attempting to breach your boundaries, the true challenge lies in your ability to prevent them from doing so.

This industry not only includes long work days but sometimes they also bring us long-running shows with long running days. These sometimes go on for weeks, months or even years depending on the show and even though you are far away from your family and friends there are some things you can do to keep those relationships strong and thriving. Calling and texting people in your personal life play a big factor while you are working far aways, if you are able to find a time where you can give them a quick call and give them updates or just talk. One charming thing you want to do as well is to send little postcards or pictures of you through the mail, and it’ll show that you care and are always thinking about your loved one while you are out working. It's the little things that count, it's ok if sometimes you don't have time to call but a text message, voice message, or even a picture of you will still let them know that you care.

Unfortunately work is part of our life and it won't always be 50/50 when it comes to balancing it and that's ok, as long as you recognize that your personal life also deserves attention and sometimes importance over your job you are able to find the perfect balance that works for you. That equilibrium within your life is super important for not only your health but also just in general, we all need a break sometimes for the important things in life whether it be for our friends, family even ourselves. Don't be ashamed to take a day for yourself in order to refresh our body, mind and souls, this will promote overall happiness and relaxation in all aspects in your life.