Work life balance
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Schedule a gap of one or two weeks between your last day at a current job and the start date of a new job.
It provides time to rest, get organized if moving, and ensures you are ready to start strong.
- Requires having enough savings to cover unpaid time off.
- May result in losing accrued vacation payout if not taken before leaving.
2 people, independently
Complete difficult tasks at the start of the workday when energy is highest.
Tasks that take two hours at the end of the day may take only twenty minutes at the start.
- Some people have motivation issues early and work better in the afternoon.
one person who lived it
If your employer lacks sick leave, save up PTO after starting a new job to create a buffer for potential illness.
One person lost pay when they got sick with only one day accrued; saving PTO ensures paid days off are available if you get sick.
- You may eventually reach the maximum accrual limit and be forced to use it or lose it.
one person who lived it
Reduce spending to the bare minimum for a few months.
To get at least one month ahead on bills and build savings.
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Limit working two jobs to a short period, such as a year at most, because it is rarely sustainable long-term.
People who make it work for years are rare.
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Take Wednesday off to split the work week into two shorter parts, capping consecutive workdays at two.
Do not give two weeks' notice if your employer has treated you poorly.
Companies should not expect courtesy from employees after treating them badly.
- Exceptions exist for smaller or specialized professions where reputation matters.
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Focus on personal memories and family time over earning extra money for work on holidays.
You will not look back fondly on missing Christmas morning for extra money, which will be dead and gone quickly.
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Trick your brain into viewing your workday as two separate jobs: one you like (morning) and one you hate (afternoon).
It keeps things fresh.
- This approach is unrealistic for most people who do not have that much freedom.
- It assumes you like any part of your day.
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Use one PTO day to extend a 3-day holiday weekend into a 4-day weekend.
It has been described as really nice.
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Go into the office daily to help focus and create a clear endpoint for the workday once you leave.
It helps with focus and ensures that once you leave, the workday is over.
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Work in short, uninterrupted blocks (e.g., 3 hours) ignoring email and meetings.
This approach helped one person finish their PhD in three years instead of five and publish more papers than colleagues who attended useless meetings.
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Take Wednesday off to split the work week into two shorter parts, capping consecutive workdays at two.
This structure makes the week feel shorter, removing the long wait for Friday.
3 people, independently
Save up PTO and take every Monday or Friday off for several weeks to create extended long weekends rather than taking large blocks of time off.
This creates a series of three-day weekends for two months.
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- Take Mondays and Fridays off to create long weekends for relaxation or short trips.1
- Save up leave to take large blocks of time off in one hit or to create extended weekends by taking Mondays and Fridays off.1
If you are the sole person responsible for specific tasks, take time off only when workload is low.
Taking off during busy periods leads to a stressful pile-up of work.
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Do not negotiate job offers unless you are prepared for the employer to walk away.
Employers can reject or withdraw terms as soon as you try to improve them.
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Request a compressed workweek schedule, such as working four 10-hour days.
One person reported it feels good.
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Take Mondays off instead of Fridays to manage workload flow and maintain coworker relationships.
Mondays often have a bigger inflow of new work which gets assigned while you are away; finishing existing work allows you to help coworkers, keeping them happy. Also, bosses may leave early on Mondays.
- You may miss planning or revving-up discussions on Monday mornings.
2 people, independently
- Return to work on a Wednesday or Thursday instead of a Monday after a significant leave.1
Treat vacation days as part of your compensation package and use them, since choosing not to is equivalent to working for less money.
Unused leave means you are choosing to earn less pay.
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Work through holiday weeks in a remote role, as most team members and management will likely be absent.
The absence of colleagues and managers can make these periods feel like free time off.
- Colleagues may view this strategy negatively.
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Limit working seven days a week to five or six days to prevent severe burnout and injury.
One person reported getting burned out and suffering a leg injury after working every day.
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Request an extra day of leave to buffer against travel mishaps like flight delays or jet lag.
It preserves your sanity and reduces the likelihood of having to call in sick to work.
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Proceed with taking your planned leave even if management claims it negatively impacts the team, recognizing that your interests are at odds with theirs.
Management will not care once you leave and will simply find a replacement.
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Take PTO days after New Year's rather than during the holidays.
Colleagues often return grumpy.
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Schedule recurring 'reset days' by setting calendar reminders to take a day off every two months.
This plans 6 vacation days for quick and effective resets.
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Use the week between Christmas and New Year's to clean out your inbox and close out end-of-year tasks while covering for others' vacations.
It allows you to be a team player by covering other people's vacations.
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Note that planning vacations from Wednesday to Wednesday results in fewer consecutive days off compared to Monday through Friday.
Taking Monday through Friday off gets nine days off in a row using five vacation days, while mid-week trips only get seven days.
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Start working on Wednesday rather than Monday following a vacation to make the return week shorter.
A shorter week can lessen the downsides of coming back to work.
3 people, independently
Avoid sending last-minute urgent requests right before the weekend.
People become less responsive over time if they are constantly stressed by end-of-week emergencies.
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If coworkers leave unexpectedly, help cover the workload within a standard 40-45 hour week, but refuse to work weekends or late nights to prevent setting an unsustainable expectation.
Doing the work of multiple people without hiring replacements leads employers to expect that level of output permanently.
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Configure your out-of-office message to remain active until you manually turn it off.
This ensures people still receive the bounce-back reply if you do not return on the expected day.
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If you flag a dangerous warning that others ignore, CC your personal email on the communication to protect against future scapegoating.
You will always have proof to bring up later, even if you are fired.
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Request company reimbursement for mileage or a company vehicle if expected to run errands in your personal car.
To avoid putting wear and tear on your vehicle to generate profit for the employer.
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If you attend exhausting regular events like season ticket games, take the day after off to recover.
Events can leave you exhausted by the end of the night, and the day off helps with recovery.
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Take vacation during non-holiday periods to save money and avoid peak work rushes.
It is considerably cheaper for trips, avoids hotel price doubles on weekends, and ensures less work waits for you upon return compared to peak periods.
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Schedule PTO when other employees are not taking time off to avoid crowds and potentially lower travel costs.
Hotels and flights often appear cheaper, and experiences are less crowded.
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Start vacations on a Tuesday or Wednesday and return on a Friday to use the weekend for jet lag recovery.
Having the weekend to recover ensures you are not exhausted when returning to work on Monday.
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Travel nearby on Wednesday night to spend Thursday, Friday, and Saturday away from home, returning on Sunday.
It allows for a mini-vacation.
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Adopt the mantra that the company's problems and the customer's problems are not your problems while on vacation.
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Ignore new employers' pressure to start immediately; insist on your planned break despite their frantic reasons, as they often delay onboarding anyway.
New hires often spend weeks waiting for IT provisioning and HR paperwork regardless of early arrival.
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Negotiate a flex-time arrangement (such as an 80% or 90% schedule) to reduce hours and pay while retaining full benefits and receiving tenure credit above the nominal schedule.
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Pad project time estimates if managers consistently cut requested timeframes due to lack of industry knowledge.
Managers unfamiliar with the industry may not understand how long tasks take, creating a vicious cycle of underestimated timelines.
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Premake all meals and complete chores by Sunday night to avoid cleaning or laundry during the week.
minimizes weekday tasks
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Work out whether your work environment is toxic if you feel forced to schedule vacations around avoiding a specific colleague.
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Consider janitorial services for a second job due to compatible off-hours availability.
Janitorial services usually want availability when offices are empty, as they do not want cleaning done while people are working.
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Cut down on your bills to reduce the amount of work you need to do.
This allows more time to enjoy life.
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On days you are not working all day, prepare meals to resist the temptation of fast food.
Fast food is easier and faster, but meal prep helps fight that temptation.
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Use noise-canceling headphones and an eye mask, and take cat naps in safe places when opportunities arise.
This helped bridge the gap.
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Play Tetris for 20 minutes after work to shift your brain's focus to a completely different task.
The mind likes it when the brain does something completely different.
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Take up golf or go to the driving range to concentrate on something else and return feeling refreshed.
It helps you concentrate on something else.
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Get off social media.
It helps so you are not unconsciously comparing yourself.
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Work overtime to stay busy and avoid spending money on bars, shopping, or eating out.
It keeps you out of places where you spend money.
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Adopt the mindset that you work to live, rather than living to work.
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Remember that time is life itself; when it is gone, it is over.
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Job hop to different companies for higher compensation, even for the same position.
one person nearly doubled their income by doing so
- based on one person's experience
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Stop paying for their stuff because it is not your responsibility.
It is not your responsibility.
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During tough times, be proud of basic survival achievements like staying alive and paying bills.
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Learn to operate specialized warehouse equipment like reach trucks or forklifts to secure a pay increase.
The current pay per hour is way too low.
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Listen to podcasts like Dave Ramsey's while commuting.
It helps keep you motivated.
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Keep easy-to-eat foods like frozen meals, bread, and peanut butter accessible to avoid spending earnings on expensive takeout due to lack of time.
One person realized almost all part-time earnings went to food because they didn't have time to organize or meal plan.
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Choose a nearby second job with low stress and predictable hours to avoid travel costs and the instability of gig work.
- You could potentially make more money doing other types of jobs.
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Do not postpone living your life while waiting for retirement.
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Turn off your phone during vacation to avoid overstimulation that mimics stress.
Stress feels very similar to being overly stimulated, which phones cause.
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Treat work as a business transaction where charging for work done is business, working without charge is charity, and charging without doing work is fraud.
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Frame expenses in terms of 'life time' (hours worked) rather than dollar amounts to better understand the true cost of purchases.
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Stretch throughout the day, practice breathing exercises, and focus on posture alignment while working.
It will help immensely.
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Use Bluetooth headphones for comfort while relaxing or watching movies.
it's actually very comfortable
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Report overly generic responses in community forums that ignore the original poster's needs.
Such responses are a violation of guidelines.
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employees, hours8
Do not sacrifice family life for a job, as you are replaceable.
Employers will replace employees quickly if needed.
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- Focus on life over work because you are replaceable; others will fill your job if you get sick or die.1
Focus on outcomes and delivered work instead of time spent if you are salaried.
Salaried employees are paid based on results, not hours.
- Do not apply this if your job requires billing clients by the hour.
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Ensure you are hitting milestones while working long hours to prevent burnout.
Working long hours without achieving milestones leads to burnout.
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Slow down slightly on debt repayment speed to avoid burning out, focusing on sustainability over maximum speed.
The interest isn't killing you as much.
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Recognize that simply getting through the day can be an achievement.
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Ensure contests offer recognition for winning, as lack of recognition can reduce motivation to compete.
Not receiving recognition when someone else sells more can make employees stop caring or trying.
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Recognize that working extra hours reduces time for labor-intensive money-saving tasks, leading to more eating out or buying packaged goods.
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