Balancing All Your Relationships
Weeks like this make me wish there were more than 24 hours in a day. How does one balance being a busy professional, a loving partner and a good friend while still sneaking in a nap or two?
I’ll be the first to tell you it’s not easy, but it is possible. While your job pays your salary, your loved ones offer you free therapy and fun. For some your stress reliever is your significant other, while others receive love from their friends. For me, it’s a combination of the two, which sometimes adds more pressure when attempting to separate work and pleasure.
Here are a few things to try if you want to your cake and eat it too:
Scheduling
At work you learn its best to schedule out your week to make the most of it and get everything done, but scheduling what to do in your free time is important too. Compare schedules with your friends and/or partner so that you can set a time to drop everything and share quality time. When you are working, you devote time and attention to your job, and your loved ones deserve the same when you are together. So when you are focused at work, do work. But if you are out with the girls or on a date, put your phone down and reconnect.
Communication
You always need to communicate at work to make sure you get stuff done as a team. Same goes for keeping up with relationships, both romantic and not. You can’t expect to stay close if you only reach out once in a blue moon or whenever you feel like it. In a romantic relationship, you need to talk and connect physically to grow as a couple. And with friendships, you need support and care to remind each other you are there for one another. Make sure to take a second out of your busy day to text your loved ones and set a time to catch up.
Vacation
Sometimes the only way to escape a busy work week is literally to escape. Talk to your manager and see when you can schedule some time off to plan a much needed vacation. Maybe you and your friends need a getaway trip like Las Vegas or the Bahamas to relive those wild college days. Or maybe you will opt for a romantic beach getaway or couples cruise to rekindle the flame with your significant other. Either way, you will get to relax with your favorite people and have something to look forward to.
People say work hard and play harder, but reality is that sometimes we get too caught up with the first part and leave no time for the rest. Still work hard during the week so you can be an all-star at your job, but also remember your loved ones. That may be your relationship with your family, your partner or your friends. Either way, don’t lose sight of them and the role they play in your happiness. Balancing is a difficult act, but it’s not impossible with practice. Some weeks are easier than others, and that is okay. Just keep your bosses and coworkers close, but your favorite people even closer to your heart.
Born and raised in Northern Virginia, Christina aspires to be a public relations professional in a big city after graduation from James Madison University. In her free time when she’s not blogging away about dating and relationships, Christina loves to go shopping, watch Netflix and play with every puppy that crosses her path.