Many young marketing professionals are looking to prove themselves in the early days of their careers. So much so that they often put work before everything. Taking on heavy workloads and long hours is typical. Neglecting themselves in the name of climbing the ladder is too. As admirable as this may seem, it leads to a life of perpetuating stress. And that ultimately affects work performance. So, achieving a better work-life balance is critical. Take these actions to do just that.
Learn the Art of Planning Ahead
Finishing things just before the deadline or trying to finish a long list of priorities in one day isn’t conducive to a stress-free work experience. Much of the work-related stress young marketers endure can be eliminated if they learn to plan ahead. For example, a successful social media marketing strategy involves many steps. You have to set goals. After that comes choosing social media platforms and analyzing your target audience and competitors. Then comes creating content, keeping a consistent publishing schedule, and engagement. And finally, you must track your strategy’s performance.
On one hand, trying to do all of this without any planning would be hectic. On the other hand, you can plan many of these tasks ahead of time and even automate a few to make the process much more manageable. Throw reusable templates in the mix to simplify marketing content, and things get even easier. Learn the art of planning and see much of your work-related stress melt away.
Familiarize Yourself with Common Stressors and Avoid Them
How stress comes about for each of us is different. But there are common personal and professional life stressors you should familiarize yourself with. You’ll be able to avoid them better. Or, at the very least, be prepared for them with coping mechanisms. Some common work-related stressors are:
- Low pay
- Menial work
- Excessive workloads
- Lack of growth opportunities
- Not getting along with coworkers
Although you may have to start with low pay or take on a few low-grade responsibilities, you don’t have to stay that way. Fight for meaningful work and express your interest in growth opportunities from the beginning. Also, take your time getting to know your coworkers.
Regarding personal life stressors, what you eat, and drink is a big one. Sugary foods, processed meats, and alcohol aren’t just unhealthy, they’re stress-inducing. Instead, fruits with vitamin C and foods with omega-3 fatty acids are much more helpful in managing stress levels. Relationships can be stressful as well. Whether romantic, familial, or friendly, relationships have a ton of ups and downs. However, you can ride the rollercoaster gracefully with mutual respect, love, and boundaries. If you know what can cause you stress, you can get ahead of it.
Balance Your Days
As mentioned above, many young marketers are out to establish themselves by any means necessary. Unfortunately, that means long hours, heavy workloads, and putting themselves on the back burner.
But all that leads to is more stress, unproductivity, and burnout. Balancing your days is a much better approach. Start by writing down your priority tasks for the day. Whether you time-block or spread your assignments throughout the day, set aside intentional time to do them. Also, make sure you give yourself time in the morning for breakfast and schedule your lunch. Sprinkle short breaks throughout your day too. And finally, when it’s time to leave work, really leave work. Don’t bring it home. Time off the clock is for your personal life and passions. There’s never a time when you should neglect these things.
Set Immovable Boundaries
Of course, you want to do everything you can for your coworkers and managers. You want to network and build as many relationships as you can. You want to establish your professional presence. This dedication is great. But you can’t do everything, all the time, for and with everybody. You must establish boundaries to reduce stress at work. This could look like:
- Saying no
- Not working through lunches and breaks
- Only taking on work you can complete well
- Shutting off your work phone when you clock out
- Holding those accountable who disrespect your boundaries
Immovable boundaries are vital for a work-life that is void of stress. Young marketers should absolutely get after it. Always put your best foot forward at work. But make sure the stress doesn’t overwhelm you.
