How to have a social life — but still succeed at work
Eight ways to ensure the job does not spill into your time after hours for recreation
Urgh, jobs. Such a pain aren’t they? Always getting in the way of the fun things in life. But then those pesky bills keep mounting up and what’s an impoverished young person to do but join the working masses?
But wait a minute. If we’re always working, how do we find the time to spend our newly-acquired and hard-earned dollar? You’re ambitious, but you’re also sociable — herein the dilemma.
It’s a tricky balance, as one graduate trainee at PwC discovered after finding his job got in the way of his social life. Oliver Alcock sent colleagues a farewell email, in which he praised them for having ‘high boredom thresholds’ and being willing to ‘sacrifice free time’.
Truth be told, it’s hard adapting to being in an office when you’ve spent the past three years at university — or even just the past two weeks on holiday.
Forget having a family and a career, the real ‘having it all’ dilemma is that old elusive idea of the work/life balance.
So, I present to you the guide to having a social life while still succeeding at work (by someone who started her career seven months ago and is obviously an expert on the matter):
1 2 Make friends with your colleagues:
No-brainer. Even if you only stay for one or two drinks before heading off to meet your real friends. Just don’t get drunk and declare your office crush is your boss or else you may never be able to show your face at work again.
Choose a job where you’re paid to socialise:
Schmoozing, wining and dining is an essential part of many a career (PRs, I’m looking at you). Bonus points if you can swing it so your actual friends come to work functions, too.
To a) your friends and b) the places you want to hang out after work. No trekking across the city at 8pm, desperately trying to make that dinner reservation.
4 5 Come into work early rather than staying late:
This will also allow you to feel really smug when your colleagues come in every morning to find you at your desk and dozens of emails from you in their inboxes.
Don’t check work emails during evenings and weekends:
If there’s a real emergency at 10pm when you’re out with your friends, a colleague will call you. If not, it can wait until morning. That’s prime drinking/eating/Netflix time. If your job really demands after-hours attention then set yourself a precise window for checking in - and stick to it.
6 7 8 Exercise in your lunch break:
This is a win-win as you’ll be refreshed and more productive in the afternoon having had a screen break, plus you’ve freed up your evening for undoing all the hard work you put in.
3 Pick a place of work based on proximity:
You want to leave the office at 6pm? Prioritise work and plan to finish tasks by 5.30pm. That way, if anything unexpected arises, you’ll have already tackled the day’s most important tasks and left yourself a buffer at the end of the day. Clarify whether any last minute projects really need to be completed that day, or whether they can be picked up first thing the next morning.
Plan, plan, plan:
Don’t be afraid to highlight just how much work you already have and make constructive suggestions to your boss about who else might help, or how deadlines can be made flexible. Don’t be your own worst enemy and say ‘yes’ to every task until you’re drowning in paper.
Say no: