Work Placements - All About Balance.

After a slightly stressful week, I found myself way behind on deadlines for my voluntary placement, and all the planned posts I had were put on hold because I just couldn't find the time or the motivation.

I made plenty of excuses for why I wasn't getting on with things. My partner's dog was ill, and I was staying over at his house to help take care of him. But in reality, I spent a lot of time just sat on the sofa watching TV. I had my iPad and all my work notes, but I just had no motivation and felt that my excuse was a good reason to not do anything. Of course, it wasn't a good reason. At the end of the day regardless of how lazy I felt I had a job to do and other people were relying on me to do it.
After that week, and the night I spent desperately trawling the internet for information on the band I was writing a profile for, I realised I had to start balancing my life properly. Instead of burning myself out doing all my work in one day it makes more sense for me to do it over a course of days. I work from home, I go for meetings fortnightly or monthly depending on projects, I have no reason to be so stressed.

Obviously, I'm not the only person my age who feels like this. Juggling my placement, a part-time job, my relationship, and trying to have a social life isn't easy. Add in other things like hobbies, this blog, self-care, and it makes things quite difficult. It isn't impossible though, and it does just all come down to routine and making sacrifices sometimes. I know that eventually, it'll get better and I won't have to make (admittedly very tiny) sacrifices anymore.

If you're feeling like you've spread yourself too thin, there are two rules for myself that I've put into place in the last week that have me feeling much more level-headed and motivated. Hopefully, they'll help you as well:

1. Plan accordingly - If you have a set routine like I do then this is much easier. I work retail on the weekends, so I don't do anything else on those days except self-care and what I deem low-impact hobbies such as reading. I also stay at my partner's house twice a week, so on those days I try not to do anything except spend time with him, but if we want to do separate things then I'll do research or planning for projects.

2. Self-care - Please, please, please don't skimp on self-care. If you are constantly working and creating it can feel amazing but eventually, it does become too much and can negatively impact your mental health. You produce much better work when you're happy, and healthy in body and mind.

I'd love to hear from other people on work placements, and how they balance everything out. Or, what is your favourite act of self-care, even if you aren't on a work placement?