Now that I am halfway through my MD-PhD program, I have fully appreciated having a work-life balance and its benefits for maintaining physical, mental, and social health. Burnout is real in not just grad school but all phases of academic and professional journey. But there’s a way to work hard and achieve the results you want in a sustainable fashion that’ll maintain happiness. I can honestly say that during my graduate phase I am the happiest and most productive I have ever been – and it’s no coincidence that finally achieving that work-life balance coincided with this stage of my life. I hope that the failures and lessons I’ve experienced will help you on achieving your work-life balance.
1. Having a work-life balance makes you even more productive
I used to channel all my time and energy into one thing – school or work. While I excelled at funneling all my resources into one single task, I certainly wasn’t as happy as I could have been. Now, I still work incredibly hard as a graduate student pursuing my dissertation. This time, however, with a work-life balance.
The turning point was when my PI pulled me aside to privately ask if I should be working at the pace I was going. He warned me of burnout and asked me to strongly consider switching to a pace that was sustainable. I couldn’t help it; I feel so magnetized by science and the scientific questions that I am trying to answer that I flirt with the edge of my physical and mental limits.
And I did burn out. But most importantly, I learned this time.
You see, when I was working at this level, I started to make mistakes that I ordinarily wouldn’t make. Despite the increased hours I put in, my output would have been similar to if I didn’t try to plow through experiments because of the mistakes that cost me time and energy. And since I was so tired, I wasn’t able to show up for my friends and partners the way I wanted to. I was simply too exhausted – mentally and physically – after I’ve finally left lab each day.
Now, I work at a sustainable pace but I will maintain a high level of output. How is that possible? Because when I’m at my optimal physical and mental level, I am less prone to mistakes. As a matter of fact, I would say that I perform better and can think of better future experiments that I want to pursue.
Remember, your academic and professional journey is a marathon, not a sprint.
2. Create a vision of what work-life balance looks like to you
- Write down what a work-life balance looks like to you. Build a vision that you want to work towards.
- Write down a list of goals that you want to achieve outside of work and how to make them actionable. Some categories of goals may include social, hobbies, exercise, etc.
It is important to find things that bring you joy outside of work – it’ll revitalize you and give you more energy to channel in all aspects of your life.
For me, that looks like going on run or strength training at the gym, five-six times a week. Even though I kept going to the gym before, I was often too tired to do a quality workout. Working out is very important to me. It’s not a pursuit of a specific bodyweight. For me, I like feeling stronger, knowing that I can lift more weights, and most importantly – the feeling of rejuvenation and relaxation that I feel when I walk out and throughout the next day. Gotta love that dopamine.
A few things that I have always wanted to do consistently were writing more and pottery – pursuits that were put on a halt since high school as academics and work took over.
Socially, I wanted to spend more time connecting with friends, family, and partners.
3. Create actionable goals to achieve your envisioned work-life balance
Scheduling and time management are critical – incorporating both work and life into your schedule. As well as to prioritize tasks and responsibilities.
For example, I’ll schedule out what times during the day I will be working. Then I’ll schedule gym time after work around 6 pm. After working out, I will eat. Afterward, I’ll schedule a time to read, write, call my friends, or spend time with my partner. On the weekends, I’ll set out the time that I have to be in the lab if I need to, as well as schedule pottery classes and social time.
For pottery, I joined classes at a nearby community center. I have finished my second course and I know that this will be a lifelong hobby. Whenever I am working with clay or writing a piece, it takes my mind off of work and helps me achieve creative goals that are important to me. Continuing to learn and building new skills is important to me and doing so while embracing my artistic and creative side has been incredibly rewarding and rejuvenating.
4. Intersperse your work routine with rewards and breaks
On a day-to-day basis, that involves a lunch break which I try to schedule between two experiments that I’m doing that day or to break up a long experiment. On a weekly basis, I will try to have something planned on the weekend that I can look forward to. For example, my pottery class or an evening planned with my partner or friends.
I also try to spend plan shorts weekend trips every now and then. New Jersey and upstate New York have been a few nearby places that I enjoy when I need to get away from the city and reset.
5. Surround yourself with people who prioritize work-life balance
It’s easier to maintain a habit when those around you value similar things. I’ve found that the glamorization of the hustle and “rise and grind” culture can be toxic. It can also make you feel bad for taking care of yourself and feel guilty for not working 24/7. Recognizing this, I try to surround myself with people who also value work-life balance.
In summary,
- Create a vision of what work-life balance looks like to you starting with a list of goals you want to achieve outside of work – whether it’s social, hobbies, exercise, etc.
- Create actionable goals to achieve your envisioned work-life balance through scheduling, time management, and task prioritization
- Intersperse your work routine with rewards and breaks – both in the short-term and long-term
- Surround yourself with people who prioritize work-life balance
Applying these into your life will take lots of effort and perhaps multiple trials. Personally, I didn’t get it right on the first try. But remember to be kind and forgiving to yourself and remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint.
