Student Blog: The Art of Balancing Work & Training

I am terrible at juggling. I have never been able to juggle more than a single ball at a time and yet I find myself needing to juggle five or six of them. Juggling is just a balancing act, one that I am starting to get better at.

I have been having a hard time maintaining the proper class/work/training balance in my life recently. Whenever I find a rhythm, something throws me off of it almost as quickly. My work schedule was consistent until I started my second job. Since then, my work hours have been inconsistent and I find myself constantly double-booked. It only worsened once I started my summer science course. What has been helping me manage my time? What hasn’t been helping?

Starting off with what hasn’t been helping: ignoring my workload. Procrastination has always come to me more quickly than motivation. That being said, I haven’t acted or auditioned in a really long time. I have not been consistent with my dance classes or singing lessons. If you keep telling yourself you will do it tomorrow, that “tomorrow” will never come. No matter how much I want to be doing what I love, I have no energy and no motivation. Don’t force yourself to do what you love when it feels like a chore. 

Something that has been helping me is constantly adjusting my priorities. One week, you may have to prioritize work and school, but if you have the chance to get ahead in your schoolwork, you can make room for other priorities until a balance is found. Never be afraid of trial and error when it comes to time management. Sometimes I’m able to only write for 2 hours straight and then I won’t sit down to write for 2 weeks after that. Make those 2 hours incredibly productive. If you only have one free day to take dance classes, maybe you might want to get as many classes in (within reason). Never stop trying to train and work, but never make it so that you can’t prioritize anything because you’re burnt out. 

Another extremely important thing to do is listen to your body. Never force yourself to be extremely productive when you’re fatigued or stressed. Always take time for yourself and prioritize your health, both mental and physical. You cannot be at your best when your mental and/or physical health is declining. Call in sick one day if you need to. Email your professor to tell him that you can’t make it to class. Instead of taking a singing lesson, watch YouTube videos. Take time for yourself when you need it. Nothing is more important than your well-being. Not your paycheck, and definitely not a random class that you’re taking over the summer just because you need the credit. 

Finally, let the summer inspire you to try new things. Do homework/coursework outside. Change the setting of your normal rehearsal space. Take a dance class with a new teacher or in a completely different style. We all need a change of pace/scenery once in a while, and sometimes that’s all the self-care you need. 

Efficiency does not mean robot-like. Classes and work don’t have to be extremely draining. Make time for your work and yourself. Even if that means going to bed early and waking up early to finish an assignment or vice versa. If there’s a will, there’s a way. Daily planners and lists don’t work for everyone, so try new methods of organizing your time. Don’t forget that mistakes are the only way you can figure out a way that works for you. 

Now that we all have a better glance at how to juggle, let's start practicing our balancing act.