By: Ben Crowle

There’s a lot expected of us in life, and it can be easy to be overwhelmed. Looking after ourselves can be a delicate balancing act among nutrition, social interaction, finances, relaxation, exercise, and medication. Then there’s work on top of that, which is often just as exhausting as all the previously mentioned things combined. Then one day, maybe something clicks, and you realise you want a career change, one that necessitates you going back to study. 

Although university is more accessible than ever due to the sheer glut of online courses, including options such as an online MSN FNP program for people who want to pursue advanced nursing careers, it doesn’t necessarily mean that a person can leave their job or shirk their other responsibilities while studying.

So how do we keep up with all these expectations and demands? How do we work, study, and look after ourselves without dropping one of the millions of balls that it takes to do all three?

Well, today, we’re here to help you with just that.

Reach Out, Communicate, Plan

The first step is the same one any successful endeavor starts with: support. What you’re about to embark on is something that will be demanding, stressful, and at times just plain unpleasant. Although work, study, and life can be taken on together, it is a harsh reality that your time will be at a premium. You’re going to need help, you’re going to need understanding.

The first step is to reach out to your support network and anyone who may be affected by the coming changes. Your family, friends, and any regular commitments you have, talk to them all about what you want to do, and communicate expectations, needs, and desires. Then budget your time. Factor in time for work, time for study, and time for family bonding and personal leisure time. It is important to understand the constraints you will face in the near future and to recognize that success in this kind of endeavor requires ample relaxation and recharge time, as well as positive social interactions.

If you have a supportive workplace, it may even be worth reaching out to your employer, not only to set any reasonable expectations around your new schedule, but also to see if the company you work for offers any kind of support initiatives for employees taking on extra education that could potentially benefit the company.

Remember, you don’t have to do this alone.

Accelerated Study Programs

Modern advancements in education don’t just consider ease of access. Rather, our universities and other educational bodies now take into account life stages as well. Many people who are studying later in life or looking to change careers would benefit from a shorter study period, and the time commitment required by tertiary education often discourages them from pursuing their true passions.

However, there is an answer. 

Many universities today offer an “accelerated study program.” These are tuition programs designed to provide students with the equivalent of a full degree course in a dramatically condensed timeframe, typically shaving at least a year off the total length of the degree.

Because of the shorter time, however, it is expected that there follows a heavier workload. Taking on one of these programs may take off a year or more on the overall process of your study, but it comes at the expense of more demands on your remaining time. Before taking on an accelerated study program, take a look at your current scheduling and talk with those around you. If it’s safe to, talk to your employer as well. If it seems manageable, then go for it, but be prepared for the possibility that you may have to take fewer hours at work or relinquish some home responsibilities to do so.

However, if the option is feasible, the decision to take on accelerated study may reap significant dividends later.

Practise Mindfulness and Self-Care

Mindfulness techniques, such as meditation, exercise, breathing techniques, yoga, and more, aren’t just good for your health, but are proven stress relievers. When taking on study, work, and domestic responsibilities concurrently, there’s going to be a lot of stress.

Taking five or ten minutes every day or two can go a long way to just get in touch with yourself and keep centered, which can be very effective in keeping your stress levels regulated and your emotional state calm and rational. Studying is already stressful, let alone with work and daily life on top of it. You need to take care of your emotional reality as well as your intellectual one.

By the same token, self-care techniques are just as important. This means maintaining a nutritious diet, while also occasionally treating yourself as a reward or on social occasions. It also means exercising, spending time engaged with hobbies that make you happy, or providing entertainment. It means listening to your body and resting when you’re sick or injured so you can recover properly.

There’s nothing heroic or admirable about “soldiering on.” We tend to romanticise the grind in our society, but it’s a horrible lie. When someone has a cold, staying home and recovering is the best thing they can do for themselves and their colleagues. Working while sick or injured delays recovery, increases the risk of the illness or injury worsening, and puts others at risk of contracting it. Not only that, but when you’re ailing, your work suffers. 

Don’t give in to the pressure to keep working or studying when sick. Honour what your body is telling you. Rest, recover, then return.

The Balancing Act of a Lifetime

Pursuing study, work, and wellbeing while also balancing your personal and domestic responsibilities is nothing short of a huge undertaking. But with the right help around you, looking into your university’s support systems, and by taking care of the demands of your mind and body, there’s no reason that you can’t meet the challenge. And when you come out the other side, you’ll be a new person, replete with new knowledge, experiences, maybe some new friends, and potentially ready for a whole new career. We wish you all the best.