What are the best ways to balance work and life in academia?

Have in mind that there are different periods in life. Academia is a Learning Period. It means that you should subject your life to it. Of course, it doesn't mean it should be 100%. 5/2 rule is the best you can do. It means 5 days of active learning and 2 days for recharge (sport, friends, girlfriend/boyfriend, etc.).

Establish achievable goals for your career and personal life. Unrealistic expectations can lead to frustration and burnout. Ensure your daily actions and decisions reflect your priorities. This alignment helps in maintaining focus and direction. Be flexible and willing to reassess your priorities as circumstances change. Adjust your work to fit your life, not the other way around. Find a work rhythm that suits you.

WORK & LIFE, NOT WORK VS LIFE, SO PRIORITIZE BOTH Prioritize life over work is illogical, especially when your life is paid by your work. Let's realistic. I found work-life as a balance is oversimplified concept. It put work vs life face to face as contrary. I would rather put work and life in one basket, rather than on a balance. Priority is about to establish the perspective of living in a workplace as a life. When you spend time in life, it's okay to be interrupted for an urgent work. During working time, it's okay to spend time for life too. Just manage both as complement rather than contrary.

Be clear and consistent in communicating your boundaries to colleagues and family. Set realistic standards for yourself in terms of work quality and quantity. It's okay to say no to additional responsibilities that don’t align with your priorities. Ensure your boundaries include time for self-care. Exercise, eat well, sleep enough, and don't forget to have fun doing what you love.

To excel in academia, harmonize family, faith, friends, and finances. Trust the system, prioritize self-care, and embody a Kaizen mindset—a commitment to continuous improvement. Embrace adaptability and understanding of the evolving educational landscape. Nurture personal pillars for holistic growth, fostering resilience and excellence in personal and professional spheres.

Organization and systems are the unsung heroes for balancing priorities. Organize all of your deliverables/due dates for each month using color-coded calendars (physical or app). Apply systems to drive accountability in your weak spots, such as alerts/reminders if you’re forgetful.

Build a support system by cultivating strong relationships with colleagues, mentors, and peers who understand the unique pressures of academia. This system can provide emotional support, practical advice, and encouragement. Be clear about the type of support or feedback you need. Whether it’s discussing research ideas, managing workload, or seeking career advice, clarity helps others provide the most relevant support. Reciprocity is key! Offer support and feedback to others. Building a culture of mutual support can enhance the overall well-being and productivity of your community.

A BALANCE THAT IMBALANCE 12 months period can be split into 6 months work and 6 months life to resume balance. Then a full 6 months work as a period becoming imbalance. We may split a full 6 months into 3 months work and another 3 months life. Is 3 full months work without life okay? The balance concept has imbalance inside, where we need support from others to cope. A team with high diversity will probably easier to support each other.

WORK-LIFE BALANCE IS OLD SCHOOL Work and life are balanced before electricity invented and industrial revolution. A farmer work at day, and go home to enjoy life at night. Watch classic TV serial Little House in the Prairie of Ingalls family. When works are possible 7/24/365, work in shift, long hours, competitive, then work-life balance becoming serious issue. Still, time for work and time for life are splitted. Worst, after internet of things, digitalization, industry 4.0 and further progress, time for work and time for life often mixed. Hybrid workplace, work from home, to name the indication of mixing or merging. Instead, I apply WORK-LIFE INTEGRATION . I don't dichotomy work vs life. I manage it as one integrated package.

It is challenging because we connect hard work with a success. However, balancing work life in academia involves setting clear boundaries, prioritizing tasks based on importance and deadlines, scheduling dedicated time for research, teaching, and personal commitments, saying more “no” than “yes”, and recognizing the importance of self-care to maintain overall well-being amidst the demands of academic life.