The transition from being a fresh graduate to a working professional is both exciting and challenging. It sets a bigger life stage that allows us to fulfill our lifelong dreams. However, life as a new graduate should not just be about hustle. Aside from pursuing our life goals, we must also aspire for work-life balance.

 

What is Work-Life Balance?

Work-life balance is the harmony between work and personal life. It allows professional and personal commitments to be accomplished without neglecting self-care and well-being.

In a 2021 survey, 77% of surveyed employees said that they have experienced work-related burnout. 51% of them dealt with it more than once. Without recognizing the importance of work-life balance, fresh graduates entering the professional world may experience burnout too. Here are some tips that can help you get by in entering the ‘real world’:

 

1. Avoid prolonged stress and overworking. Too much of everything could cause us harm. Fresh graduates tend to overwork as they learn the ropes of their chosen field. While going above and beyond at work is commendable, it could also cause mental and physical health problems in the long run.

Overworking is also associated with mental health issues along with other adverse health problems such as neck, back, or chest pain, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and anxiety.

 

2. Find opportunities for deeper professional engagement. Deeper professional engagement impacts career growth and success. It can open opportunities for new skills to be gained and for knowledge to be improved. While it may appear as if its benefits are one-sided and career-focused, it can improve our personal lives, too. Some examples are:

●     Gaining new skills. It can help us to be more effective in performing certain tasks. It will make the demands of the job lighter, especially for fresh graduates. With good knowledge of the job, work can be done without compromising personal life.

●     Finding a mentor. Experts in the field are rich in knowledge and experience. They can provide the guidance we need to become the best version of ourselves as new professionals.

 

3. Separate personal life from work. Boundaries must be maintained when balancing personal and professional life. Here are some tips to do it:

●     Designate specific work hours to allow time for your personal life.

●     Separate work-related tasks from personal activities.

 

4. Develop healthy routines. Work-life balance is also a matter of making the right choices. We must start with our daily routines. Exercise, a healthy diet, and physical activities are some of the building blocks of a healthy lifestyle. These are the non-negotiables that will have an impact on our personal and work lives.

On top of that, we should also look into our financial health. While there are things that we can’t control, we can also turn to solutions that can help us prepare for life’s surprises. Sun Life Philippines offers financial solutions that can help take care of the things we commonly worry about.

●     SUN Fit and Well is suited for fresh graduates and young people. It is a life and health insurance plan that offers critical illness and life insurance benefits until age 100 with bonus disease prevention programs.

●     SUN Smarter Life Elite is a protection and savings plan with double life insurance coverage throughout your lifetime. It also gives additional cash benefits that can fund future needs such as child’s education, retirement income, and savings fund.

 

5. Nurture positive long-term relationships in and outside work. Fresh graduates should invest in positive relationships. This will make employees feel at ease, motivated, and confident while working. It can also eliminate stress and disconnection among co-workers.

Just as nurturing good working relationships is important, new graduates should also invest in positive relationships outside of work. Personal connections can improve well-being. It matters to know that after a long day at work, our loved ones and family are there to provide the support we need when it matters most. After all, family is the reason behind it all.

 

We can strengthen ties and secure the future we want for our loved ones as early as now. Sun Legacy is a protection and savings plan that helps with wealth preservation so we can pass it on to our loved ones.

Fresh graduates can pursue growth opportunities without sacrificing personal lives. Work-life balance is the way to go. This is the key to being spared from mental health worries and work-related stress so you can still live your life after work hours.

Stay on the right path! Ready to shape a brighter future? Talk to one of our financial advisors today.

 

ALSO READ: How critical is educational funding and life insurance for your child’s future?