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
Give two to four weeks' notice when resigning rather than a longer period, unless you are in a critical role.
Managers know leaving employees become 'checked out', and hiring companies do not want to wait two months.
- Dragging it out past 2-4 weeks is unnecessary unless in a critical role
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Take a walk before work without your phone to process your thoughts and generate ideas.
Having your phone prevents you from coming up with ideas.
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Schedule a workout after work to force yourself to be productive for one to two hours before going home.
It creates a block of time where you must apply effort to tasks like job applications.
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Apply the 'Clean As You Go' principle.
It is described as a valuable life lesson.
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Use downtime at a toxic job to learn new skills, such as languages via Duolingo, to keep your mind expanding.
It helps keep your mind expanding.
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Recognize that you owe your bosses only the hours you are paid for.
Overtime bonuses may not make up for lost time with friends and family.
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Avoid becoming indispensable to the point where you are too valuable to promote.
Doing more than you are paid for can make you too expensive to replace, leading to long-term suffering without promotion.
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Before quitting due to lack of motivation, check your attitude and change your approach first.
Changing jobs may result in feeling the same way after a month.
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Consider taking a job with less prestige if it reduces stress and increases time for family and self.
One person found they worked less, had practically no stress, had more time for themselves and their family, and still made decent money.
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Refuse to do extra unpaid work during downsizing; complete only what you can in normal hours.
To prove the need for hiring by letting backlog build.
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If your job is not joyful, find fulfillment in family and friends; if it is miserable, apply elsewhere or change careers.
Not everyone gets a job they love.
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Cultivate character, flaws, and strengths outside of your job so you are not defined solely by your work.
Many people appear to be nothing without their jobs.
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Focus on gaining skills rather than just increasing hours worked.
Working harder should mean gaining more skills, not just spinning the hamster wheel faster.
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Accept that all jobs require doing things you would rather not do.
That is why they pay you.
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Identify a strong reason for working, such as avoiding the loss of everything, to endure difficulties.
Having a 'why' allows one to bear almost any 'how'.
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Reframe your job as a tool that supports your life rather than viewing it as a chore.
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Ask questions, take feedback, and make connections; avoid leaving jobs too quickly because frequent changes can make your resume look sketchy.
You won't know all the skills you are developing until later.
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Practice gratitude daily for having a job that pays bills and allows free time.
Acknowledging these benefits fosters a sense of thankfulness.
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Complete all pending projects and clear unanswered emails before leaving to ensure a smooth transition.
It saves the employer time training the new employee.
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Recognize that doing 'good' things instead of working may be a manifestation of procrastination.
You might avoid your actual job by substituting it with other productive-seeming tasks.
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Practice compassion at work and be friendly without pretending to be good friends.
It relieves your own suffering, drives mean people crazy, takes no time, and normal people appreciate small kindnesses.
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Consider quitting a job if it gets in the way of your sleep cycles, which bring stability to life.
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Avoid turning a passion into a career.
Schedules, deadlines, and real impact can ruin the relaxation and love associated with the activity, leaving you without your great escape.
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Interpret 'must have a thick skin' in job descriptions as a warning sign of abusive management.
It may indicate a difficult boss who cannot be removed.
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Remind yourself that the job is temporary and focus on actions to secure a better position.
Knowing the situation will end eventually helps you stomach a job you dislike.
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View your job strictly as a means to fund hobbies and interests that bring joy, recognizing that a 'dream job' does not exist.
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Refuse to step up temporarily during understaffing.
Temporary increases in hours often become permanent without additional hiring, as employers see that the work gets done with less payroll.
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Avoid consistently working at maximum capacity or going above and beyond.
The reward for doing more is typically receiving more work.
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If you are young without family responsibilities, consider quitting a toxic job to realign your skills; if it fails, you can return to earn money and try again.
- Only suggested for those young and without family responsibilities.
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Recognize that career outcomes depend on situational factors like company culture and boss loyalty, not just individual effort.
- Some companies have greedy or disloyal bosses where work ethic goes unrewarded.
- Other companies benefit employees who work hard.
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Take responsibility for your own work-life balance, as employers often do not notice or care if you overwork yourself to burnout.
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Arrive at work on time consistently.
Chronic tardiness is often used as an excuse for termination even when other issues arise.
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Frame your capacity as resource allocation rather than helpfulness to eliminate guilt about saying no.
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Reject offers from companies that highlight overtime opportunities paired with minor perks like pizza, as this signals poor work-life balance.
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Find a hobby unrelated to work, such as woodworking, drawing, or volunteering, to enjoy your spare time.
Rotate between multiple activities at low intensity rather than focusing 100% on one task.
People with ADHD may be better off doing this than trying to complete tasks sequentially.
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Use downtime in a low-effort job to study and improve yourself rather than procrastinating.
Procrastinating most of the time while using little time for self-improvement can be a regret.
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Take frequent breaks to walk, meditate, or do energizing side work, and listen to entertainment during menial tasks to avoid feeling exhausted.
Breaks help avoid the 'dead inside' exhausted feeling at the end of the work day.
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If bored at work because you aren't learning, watch a nearby station to learn what is happening there.
Boredom often stems from not learning.
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Start a morning routine of waking up earlier, eating breakfast, drinking water, and walking for 10 to 20 minutes to feel energized.
This simple routine makes you feel more alive and energized before thinking about work.
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Put in earbuds and listen to music.
Music does wonders.
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Turn off work email notifications and unread counts on your phone.
It prevents a Pavlovian response to vibrations and protects your evenings from being screwed up by work stuff.
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Separate work and play by viewing work as serving others' goals and play as spending time on your own goals.
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Volunteer for an unpopular work station and customize the experience (e.g., with music or clothing) to make it tolerable.
One person found this helped because they could avoid touching food and control their environment.
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Work from a cafe or shared office space instead of home if you hate working alone.
Communal offices bring together solo workers who dislike isolation.
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Schedule specific downtime for later in the day.
It makes it easier to park current negative feelings and focus on work.
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Do a workout or laundry before work to ensure you have accomplished something that day.
It provides a sense of accomplishment for the day.
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Limit your effort to 90% rather than 100% to avoid burnout and maintain sustainability.
Giving 100% can lead to exhaustion and diminishing returns, similar to over-listening to a favorite song.
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Consider jiu-jitsu to physically engage and meet people without pressure, or pay for dance lessons to ensure you attend.
Jiu-jitsu requires turning off higher thought processes; paying ensures attendance.
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Listen to podcasts, language lessons, or audiobooks quietly during monotonous work to stimulate your brain.
It provides stimulation for the brain.
- Do not use electronics if security is a concern.
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Find a hobby unrelated to work, such as woodworking, drawing, or volunteering, to enjoy your spare time.
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Schedule specific non-work activities and do them anyway, even if it feels counterintuitive to have obligations later.
Treating free time as unorganized leads to doing whatever; picking things ensures you do what you want.
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When upset by uncontrollable situations, go work out to get endorphins so that you physically feel better.
to physically feel better
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Use a standing desk combined with music that makes you want to dance to get through sluggish days.
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Rely on discipline and willpower rather than motivation.
Motivation is fleeting, while discipline has far more significance in life.
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Explore local activities such as walking trails or small businesses in your own town to fill your time.
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Isolate yourself from distractions using earbuds or closed headphones while listening to classical music to improve focus.
It allows you to isolate the world and focus.
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Reverse the order of mundane tasks, such as vacuuming before taking out the trash, to keep sanity on tiring days.
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