Working for a registered charity while managing freelance work can be tricky. I love my job(s), but I have also learned the importance of balance. It’s easy to get caught up in your work, especially when you love it! At some point, however, you’ll almost always end up burned out. So how can you avoid burn out?

Here are a few things that work well for me:

1. Create boundaries. This is so important! I get all of my email accounts forwarded to just one, which means that it is extremely easy for me to quickly respond to work-related emails on the weekend or in the evenings. But if I spend 10 minutes every day, seven days a week, responding to emails outside of work hours, that’s more than an hour each week – or four hours each month, or 48 hours each year – that I’m allowing myself to get caught up in things that could have really just waited an extra day. The problem with this kind of thing is that it can escalate and get out of control really easily. If you start taking calls and answering emails and running errands when you should be spending time with your spouse and kids, or taking care of yourself, you’ll start to resent your work.* And that’s not going to help anyone! I manage my freelance work by choosing certain days of the week to be the days that I do that work and respond to inquiries, which leaves other evenings free for me to focus solely on my personal and home life.
2. Carve out YOU time. Although I get mistaken for being an extrovert, I am a complete introvert. I love spending time with other people, networking, and being social, but it takes a lot out of me. I get my energy from being alone. Recognizing this has been really helpful for me, and helps me know when I should turn down invitations to gatherings when I really just need to be by myself. I also know that if I get stressed or anxious, spending some quiet time by myself will often be one of the best ways to relax and calm down. If you’re an extrovert, “carving out you time” might look a little different. It might mean organizing gatherings with friends. This is about doing the things you need to unwind and de-stress.
3. Find time for activity. Working several different fast-pace jobs can increase anxiety, so these days Mr Science and I go for an hour-long walk every evening. It’s a nice way to explore the city, spend time together, digest dinner, and give our legs a stretch. Practicing yoga for 20 minutes each morning is also perfect for preparing for the day. Your activity might look different, but taking the time to do just 10 minutes of activity each day will help you see the bigger picture of balance.
4. Check in… with yourself, your spouse / children, and your boss / coworkers. Be mindful of where you’re at and how you feel about things. Find out how the other people in your life feel about how much time you spend devoted to your work or your personal life. This kind of communication can be exactly what you need to find out from others if they need you in one place more, or if they’re concerned about your well-being. It’s also a way for you to be honest with yourself: do you feel like you’re balancing things pretty well, or are the scales completely off-kilter? If things aren’t on track with where you want them to be, it could be time to make a change.

How do you balance work with life? Share in the comments section below!

*This is also really important the other way around. If personal calls are regularly interrupting your work life, you need to deal with that and figure out a better system, or else you could start resenting your family!