Tips for Finding Work-Life Balance in a Demanding Career

Me: Weekend Brunch Cruise in San Diego

The other day, I was watching a popular daytime talk show, and one of the hosts was interviewing a guest who had a multi-million-dollar business. The host of the show asked the guest, “How do you balance everything? I don’t believe there is such a thing as work-life balance. Is there a way to have it all?” The guest responded, “I don’t believe there is such a thing as work-life balance either, but I believe you can have it all.” 

This conversation got me thinking about the phrase “work-life balance.” My first thought was, why is it that work comes before life? Why is it not “life-work balance”? The structure of the phrase will set the priority based on the order of the words. One thing I have noticed about living in the U.S. is that work plays a massive part in our lives here. Yes, we do need to pay our bills and have money to do other things, but spending our mental energy thinking about work once we clock out or working excessive overtime can lead to an imbalance in our personal lives.  

While working long hours and 12-hour shifts throughout my nursing career, achieving a work-life balance has been a personal struggle for years! It’s a challenge to leave work at work and take time off for yourself beyond the typical annual vacation. Over the years, I have gotten better at finding the balance, but it’s still a daily practice of being intentional. Throughout this post, I will continue to use “life-work balance” because I believe life priorities should come before work and not the latter, and I’ll share some tips on how I have been able to achieve balance as a nurse. 

1. Understanding Work-Life Balance

If you search online for the definition of “work-life balance,” you will find a few different explanations of what it means. I like to define it as the act of balancing work, life activities, hobbies, and family.  Earlier, I mentioned that I believe that life priorities should come before work and not the latter. This doesn't mean that I call out of work, or I’m late to work, or I don’t complete my assignments due to my life priorities. It means that when I am at work, I do the best that I can and put forth my best effort, but once I clock out, my focus moves to something else. 

A common misconception is that we can’t achieve a life-work balance. I disagree with this. Balance doesn’t mean each area in our lives is split evenly and each category gets 100% of our time. The reality is that not everything will be split evenly and receive 100% of your energy, and that’s okay.  

2.  Signs That Your Life-Work Balance Needs Adjustment

Let’s look at some common signs that many people experience and that I have also experienced, prompting me to make some changes. 

1. Constant exhaustion or feeling overwhelmed.

   1. This can happen if you are overbooking yourself and not allowing time to rest and recharge, working an unhealthy amount of overtime, and planning too many activities with friends/family. 

2. Neglecting personal relationships.

   1. This can happen when you give too much energy to other things and neglect personal relationships.

3. Losing interest in hobbies or activities once enjoyed.

4. Increased irritability or emotional exhaustion.

   1. This can be a sign of burnout and a sign that you need to take a self-care day. 

      
      

 3. Strategies for Creating a Healthy Work-Life Balance

Creating a healthy balance is not a one-size-fits-all approach. We are all different, and what may work for one person may not work for someone else. What is most important is that we find what works best for us. It is essential to keep that in mind as we examine some strategies. 

A. Setting Boundaries

Life-work balance will look different for everyone depending on family size, hobbies, work schedule, and type of job. Still, I believe a first step that everyone can take that will help you achieve balance is setting boundaries. 

Work

At work, this can be achieved by leaving work at work (mental separation). Once you have clocked out for the day, you have completed the tasks for which you were paid. Any thoughts or actions taking place after you clock out are unpaid. You are not getting paid for your thoughts. Constant thoughts about work can lead to exhaustion, burnout, and will continue to burn your energy tank, leaving nothing left for things outside of work that are important to you. 

 Check out my blog post, Creating a Post-Shift Decompression Routine for Nurses, for more helpful tips. 

Practice the art of saying No. No to the extra shifts, even though the unit is short-staffed, no to helping out during the holiday season if it will leave you physically and emotionally exhausted and take you away from spending quality time with friends or family. Working overtime is not a bad thing, I’ve worked plenty of overtime. I believe that it becomes a negative thing when it affects your mental and physical well-being, or if it is done because of guilt.  

Personal

It’s easy to overbook your calendar. I’ve done this plenty of times, and unfortunately, I was left feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. One thing I do to avoid overbooking myself is to look at my calendar and look at a date that I think will work before I agree to anything. I also look at other days that I want to reserve for a self-care/rest day and a day that I want to spend time with my family members. Once I have set aside time for self-care/rest and family time, I am then able to schedule time to do other things. Another thing I do is offer the dates that I am available vs. leaving it up to the other person to decide, so that I can avoid having a full schedule.

B. Prioritizing Self-Care

Prioritizing self-care is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Reserving time to recharge, reflect, and rest will reduce the occurrence of burnout and reduce stress.  Self-care comes in many different forms. It can look like a spa day, eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, exercising, going on walks, or connecting with friends/family. Whatever fills your cup is self-care!

C. Nurturing Relationships

Since the pandemic, I have seen a lot of articles and studies done about the negative effect that prolonged isolation has on our mental health. Finding community and making time for family and friends, even with a busy schedule, can have a positive impact on your mental health. The goal is to set aside time for connecting, but not feel guilty if you can’t. If you are unable to hang out because you are feeling tired and need to recharge, then that is okay. It is important to prioritize yourself first.

D. Seeking Support & Resources

If you need additional support, I highly recommend utilizing workplace wellness programs or counseling services. Many hospitals offer these types of programs, and I have had friends who have greatly benefited from these programs. It is essential to have a support network. I have a therapist that I have been seeing for many years, and every time I go see her, it's always very beneficial.

4. Actionable Steps to Rebalance

Creating a life-work balance will take time and won’t happen overnight. Change happens with small decisions over time.

Start Small: Changes You Can Make Today

1. Take a 5-minute transition break after your shift to reset (stretch, walk, or simply sit in silence).

2. Say “no” to one non-essential task today and give yourself permission to rest.

3. Do a quick self-care check-in: Ask yourself—What do I need right now? Then honor it.

4. Silence non-urgent notifications during off hours to create mental space.

   
   

Build Long-Term Habits for Sustainable Balance

These foundational strategies support long-lasting harmony between work and life:

1. Create a weekly “reset routine” to prep meals, organize your calendar, and carve out rest time.

2. Schedule standing self-care appointments (yes, even a walk counts)—treat them like meetings.

3. Set clear boundaries around work communication after hours and stick to them.

4. Invest in joy and connection: Prioritize hobbies, friendships, and things that fill you up—regularly.

   
   

Reassess and Adjust Often

Balance isn’t a finish line—it shifts with your seasons, energy, and priorities.

1. Check in with yourself weekly: What’s working? What feels off?

2. Give yourself grace: Adjust without guilt. Life changes. So should your strategy.

3. Remember: You’re not failing if you need to recalibrate. You’re being human.

Life-work balance isn’t about splitting everything evenly. It’s about prioritizing what matters most in the season you’re in, and choosing to show up for yourself in small but powerful ways. You deserve a life that’s not constantly running on empty. Rebalancing is a process—it takes practice, awareness, and above all, permission to put your life before your work.

This week, I encourage you to try one strategy from the “actionable steps” and take some time to reflect on how it helped you. I would love to hear about how it helped you, and I invite you to share your experience!