Hi everyone! My name is Mitali and I’m the VP Marketing for the LSS this year! I’m in my fourth year of the Honours Life Sciences.
The holidays are among us, which means exam season and the most wonderful time of the year! I know it must feel daunting to have so many deadlines approaching while you’re trying to enjoy yourself with friends and family. Today, I’ll be talking about some strategies that I’ve used to balance school and other life commitments during the holiday season!
1. Prioritize your work and personal activities
The holidays are always very busy, and we all want to enjoy all of the parties and get togethers, but it’s always important to recognize your responsibilities and lay them out for yourself. You can start by making a list of all of your responsibilities, and trying to allocate importance for each task to worry yourself less. Once you’ve listed all of the things that need to be done first, you can begin to focus on the extra leisure activities you have planned!
Personally, I like to use the app TickTick to plan out my responsibilities!
2. Plan how you can use your time, and create a schedule that works for you!
After looking at all of your priorities and determining how much time you have to complete them, start to make a schedule. You can do this in any way you find sufficient, whether this be with a planner, calendar, or any app you may have on your phone!
For this, I like to use an aesthetically pleasing calendar to motivate me to finish my tasks. Something else I like to do is use different colours for the type of task it is, so for example, I’ll use blue for work tasks, pink for leisure activities, and a different colour for every course I’m taking. This way, I can clearly see what I’m making time for in every week.
3. Create boundaries, and don’t forget to focus on yourself!
It's easier said than done, but having a healthy balance between work and life is key during the holidays. Setting boundaries can be different for everyone, it can mean logging off strictly after 5 pm, or telling your family you won’t be able to make it because you are simply looking for a night in. Especially during the holidays, it’s important to separate work and life so you can fulfill all of your time to the task at hand.
Additionally, don’t forget to focus on yourself and your mental health. The holidays can be draining and can take a lot out of you, so it’s important to read your emotions and realize what you need to do for yourself. The holiday activities may seem fun, but neglecting yourself in favour of the holiday activities can end up burning you out. Take time to exercise, meditate, and do things for yourself as well!
I hope that all of these tips can help you guys find a balance with work and life during the holidays! Wishing you all happy holidays :)