Making the Most of Your Workday

This summer, I relocated to North Carolina for a full-time role, marking my first experience working a traditional 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM schedule. As someone who had never worked full-time before, I'll admit this lifestyle change felt drastic at first, impacting both my mental and physical well-being. I found myself grappling with a sense of lost freedom and youth. Life and time kept moving, but I felt stagnant; I fell into a rut of waking up, going to work, coming home, watching TV, and repeating this same monotonous cycle day after day.

I was unhappy, and it took me while to realize that I was the sole reason for my own unhappiness. Although work can sometimes become repetitive, that wasn't the issue because I truly enjoyed what I was learning. I also appreciate a certain amount of structure in my days, and the 8-5 schedule provided that. The problem, instead, was that I wasn't putting in enough effort to make each day uniquely fun and seeking out opportunities to try new things. I have three pieces of advice to help anyone who is feeling stuck in the same way I was.

#1 Stay active-- physically and mentally

Before starting my summer internship, I was (and still am) a college student who makes an effort to stay pretty active. I've chosen to forego a car at school, so I'm used to walking anywhere I need to go in Tempe, Arizona, whether it's picking up groceries at our local Trader Joes, getting to class, or showing up to club tennis practice. 

In order to maintain some semblance of this life in the working world, I forced myself to go for walks every day, and this had a big, positive impact. I'd encourage everyone to try to get their exercise outside, too. I understand that this piece of advice is very cliché, but I think people often overlook the power of going outside, basking in the sunshine, getting some fresh air, and amassing extra steps. Even a brief 20 minute walk can make a significant difference.

Staying active doesn't just involve physical fitness, but also mental health. Maintaining mental health looks different for everyone, but for me, it's best nurtured by interacting with others, such as friends or colleagues. Because I relocated for my role, I didn't know anyone in the entire state of North Carolina before I arrived on the first day of my internship. I made the most of my in-office interactions, but making friends outside of work proved to be harder for me; it's difficult to cultivate a sense of community in a place where you're only staying for a single summer.

If you face this problem too, I'd encourage you to read. Although all of my friendships were long-distance this summer, I was able to keep my mind busy, stimulated, and fit through reading since it provided a sense of community through the stories I immersed myself in. Personally, I read fantasy, but the genre doesn't matter as long as you enjoy it. However, if you, too, are a fantasy novel enthusiast, I highly recommend Pierce Brown's Red Rising if you haven't already read it.

#2 Avoid (some) routines

Part of the reason I'm able to operate so freely at school is because of the flexible schedule that college allows for. Although there are some days when I'm in class for 6-7 hours, I have free time in between my responsibilities and all the resources that a college campus provides to keep myself busy-- meeting up with friends, grabbing a bite to eat, taking a mental break, or running errands. Because of this, each day looks a little bit different. It's also helpful that I'm now a rising senior in college, so I've become very familiar with the surrounding area and am aware of all my options.

So, the point I'm trying to make here is that it's great to stay mentally and physically active with a 9-5, but you have to also make an effort to vary the ways you go about it. For example, I was doing a great job of going on my walks every day, but soon it became just as much a part of my routine as work did, stifling my creativity and preventing me from clearing my mind.

To combat this, I made a change as simple as switching up my walk route, and I found that this helped. I realized that the bigger the change, the more accomplished and refreshed I felt. So, I even started incorporating yoga and weightlifting into my fitness activities. And sometimes, I'd forego physical activity for something mentally stimulating, such as a visit to the Duke Lemur Center or trying out a new thrift store. 

Ultimately, staying active is just the first step in maintaining a healthy work-life balance. While it's great to get out and do things each day, I'd encourage you not to do the same after-work activities every day. Especially if you've relocated to a new city, like me, there's just too much to explore to be content with going on the same walk around the block each day!

#3 Capitalize on free time

Accomplishing everything I just listed off in a day is much easier said than done. After all, there are only 24 hours in a day, and if you're reading this, you're likely spending at least eight of them at work and possibly losing even more hours commuting.

Because of this, it's so important to make the most of your time off. The best piece of advice I can give that has motivated me to seek out fun opportunities after work is simply getting enough sleep and recognizing the value of rest. I understand that by sleeping more, you lose more awake hours in a day. However, I'm no fun when I'm tired, and I waste so much more time. When I'm sleep-deprived, I procrastinate, so simple, everyday tasks take so much longer to complete. I cannot stress enough that the hours you lose sleeping are repaid with an increase in the quality of the hours you're awake. And you'll both feel and look better too.

During my 8-5 this summer, I was lucky enough to be able to work from home three days a week and in person two days a week. One would think that I'd be more productive in and out of work on my work-from-home days because of the flexibility and saved commute time, but this was not true for me at first.

I was so excited to be working from home that I would stay up later and, consequently, sleep in later, spending the day staring at my computer in my pajamas. Doing this did not motivate me to find activities for after work.

My productivity during and after work is directly correlated to my work environment and how I present myself. Separating work from life is crucial in order to functioning at the highest level. So, I made a change to try to work from a desk with natural light and get fully ready every morning. This way, by the time the work day begins, I'm up, energized, and ready to get things done.

With all of this being said, I still think it's important to take rest days. I take them all the time. Sometimes you just have to curl up on the couch and binge-watch your favorite Netflix series with a bowl of popcorn until further notice. However, these days are so much more enjoyed when you feel like you've earned them. So, make the most of the days when you're feeling motivated so that your rest days feel warranted, relaxing, and guilt-free.

I understand that what works for me may not work for everyone. But if these pieces of advice can help guide even just one person struggling with the transition to the 9-5 lifestyle, I'm glad to share my personal experience. Ultimately, we all have agency over our own lives, and we can choose both what we do each day and the attitude we bring. So, if you're ever feeling burdened by your working life, make a change and persevere. Best of luck in your journey!