Do You: Occupational Balance & Quality of Life

Balancing you

A balanced life means making the time to do the things you want to do and balancing it with the things you must do for your health and emotional well-being. Creating a harmonious and balanced life can consist of many individual factors, such as spending time with family and friends, volunteering, and engaging in a favorite hobby or pastime to maintain the other key responsibilities in your life.

Signs of an unbalanced life:

You have a list of "to dos" that is never-ending.
You are extremely busy and can't seem to fully accomplish your tasks.
You are experiencing increased stress levels because of burnout, stress, and lack of sleep.
You have physical symptoms such as a headache, chest pain, and even dizziness.
You have difficulty concentrating and may lose focus and direction.

Apply your OT skills to your personal life

Tips on improving your quality of life

Managing your time

Balance your life as a student

Resources for fieldwork educators and students

Reprinted with permission from Jessica Zuba, OTD student and Bridget Hahn, OTD, OTR/L, Rush University

A quick snapshot to balance your time

- Immediate commitments and crises to self, family, and work
- Deadlines
- Meals
- Personal time
- Social media
- Meetings and appointments that can be delayed or postponed
- Agreeing to commitments taking away from areas of importance
- Busywork

The work, school, and life balancing act

By Nicole Lamoureux of James Madison University

Between class schedules, fieldwork preparation, studying for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT®), working side jobs, and maximizing free time with family and friends, life can be quite the circus! Here are some tips to make the balancing act a little less stressful:

Plan ahead. When writing down due dates for assignments and upcoming presentations, don’t forget to schedule in at least one leisure activity or day off! By combining your social and academic calendars, you are guaranteed to have something to look forward to when planning.
Say no. With so much going on, it’s easy to neglect “me time,” and saying no might not feel like an option. It’s best to be honest with yourself. If you’re feeling exhausted and overbooked, it’s better to decline an opportunity than to take it on and be more stressed.
Treat yourself! When you ace your pediatrics final, take a full NBCOT® practice test, or get good markings on your fieldwork midterm, celebrate! Your accomplishments—both great and small—deserve to be rewarded.
Expand your inner circle. Get to know your classmates, professors, supervisors, and staff. Try planning lunch or an outing outside the typical work week and talk about things other than work. Networking on personal and professional levels is a great way to achieve balance.
Sleep, eat, exercise, repeat. Take care of your body in every way you can. Find time during lunch to take a walk outside. Keep trail mix or pieces of fruit handy for snacking during studying. Recharge your body so you can recharge your mind.

Balance is a subjective term—at different times in your life you will view “life balance” differently. Baz Luhrman said it best in his speech, “Everybody’s Free": “Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and in the end, it's only with yourself.” Remember, achieving balance is a process—not a goal!

Apply your OT skills to your personal life

Tips on improving your quality of life

Managing your time

Balance your life as a student

Resources for fieldwork educators and students

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