Striking the balance between living alone and a full-time career

If you're living alone, whether by choice or circumstance, balancing a full-time job with the myriad of responsibilities of household management, finances, and personal care can be a tough ordeal. If you want to maintain consistently satisfactory job performance and aim for promotions, you need to strike a difficult, but not impossible, balance. Here are some simple ways you can do so.

Maintain a routine

Household chores can pile up fast, especially when you're pulled to a random meeting at the last minute. As such, creating a solid routine for everyday tasks, for both home and office, can help relieve pressure on yourself. Allocate specific time slots for cleaning, paying the bills, and conducting self-care activities like exercising and recreation. For instance, set a day each week, preferably a weekend, for grocery shopping. Set two-three weekdays each week for quick house cleaning and at least one weekend for a more thorough cleaning of your living space.

Prepare meals in advance

Cooking, despite its sheer importance, is one of the most time-consuming tasks on any given day, given how it involves shopping and preparing for ingredients as well. As such, if you buy in bulk on weekends and dedicate two-three days per week to making a lot of food at once, you can avoid the daily stress of cooking after a long workday. However, be sure to refrigerate properly after each meal, and cook only as much as you need.

Careful financial management

While financial management is a skill everyone should have, it is especially important when living alone. The salary you are getting is being used to pay for your rent, bills, groceries, travel, and any other expenses in between. You can use the 50-30-20 budgeting strategy here; keeping 50% of total income to pay the bills, 30% for things you want to buy, and 20% for savings. However, keep the allocation flexible in case you need to save more or spend less in a given month. 

Be patient with yourself

At the end of the day, even your best efforts might not always be enough to achieve a perfect balance. In those moments, take a deep breath, step back, and prioritise self-care. Don't overwhelm yourself with more responsibilities than you can realistically manage. When needed, ask friends and family for advice, or even reach out to experts for more professional help. Recognising the steps needed for self-care is a big sign that you are ready to thrive in both your personal and professional life.