Being many things all at once: Juggling multiple roles in life
Have you ever wished for time to halt for a bit or even to slow down a little? I just wish it could happen, because I frequently feel like twenty-four hours is not enough to accomplish everything that’s on my plate.
In a fast-paced world, juggling multiple roles and responsibilities feels like competing in a race with a lot of hurdles ahead all while maintaining a safe and sound mindset. Being an eldest daughter, a student, a class president, a sister, an employee, a friend, and my own person all at once—you name it, I am all of these things. It is a constant struggle of how I can make my 24-hours fill in all the multiple roles I play in life. It’s like being cast in a movie where I portray three or four characters at the same time.
And whether we like to acknowledge it or not, we don’t always perfectly play our life’s various roles. This is something I often battle with these days. Probably because every role comes with its own set of responsibilities and hurdles.
So, if you’re going through the same situation and you agree with me, let’s go over them one by one and talk this out!
Time Management
Managing time is so much easier said than done. We are aware of the things we need to do in life. It’s just that it can be overwhelming at times, to the point where we lose track of time. We’re losing track since everything is occurring at once. I am living proof of this! Sometimes the duties become a burden because I allow them to pile up since I believe that I have plenty of time. Not until I eventually run out of time. So, I can not say that this is just a basic step, but it works for me, at least. Tendency is, I need to plan ahead of time. I prepare myself and everything I need in advance so that I don’t lose track of what I need to do. If this doesn’t work for you, it’s okay! You’ll figure it out!
Priorities
We all play distinct roles in life, but typically those roles are tied to one another. There are tasks that are dependent on each other. Per say, we haven’t started doing a task yet because we haven’t started the other one. Alternatively, there are some chores that we can only complete after accomplishing the others. Those challenges, if you know what I mean. In instances such as this, we must establish priorities. In the end, we have no other choice but to decide what should be prioritized to be able to accomplish tasks one at a time.
Saying No
If there is anything on this list that I find very difficult to do, it is to say no. Not learning to say no and set boundaries is one of my weaknesses. I have a habit of saying ‘yes’ to tasks even if sometimes they are beyond my capabilities or not anymore relevant to my work. Bad habit, right? And I’m aware of the fact that this is one of the elements influencing the significance of the parts I must perform. I just can’t say no because I always feel obligated to lend a hand in some way. In the end, I am the one who gets stressed out, and my other tasks suffer as a result. Hopefully, I’ll be able to set limits and politely decline work that I’m no longer capable of handling.
Know how your body works
Our bodies and brains do not always perform as we would like. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, our brains refuse to function. There are instances when our desire to accomplish something overwhelms us. Our body works uniquely, which we must understand. Our duties will be simpler once we are aware of the times when we tend to be productive and the times when our bodies seem to desire to rest first. If we get familiarized by how our body works, we don’t need to push ourselves to get going and accomplish anything.
Burnout
Do you know as I write this I’m currently hanging at the end of the cliff. Believe me, it’s hard.
Having so much to think about without getting a single rest could lead to burnout. And among all the challenges that I’ve mentioned, this is the most difficult to deal with. Why? Because once you feel burnout, it’s not just the urge that’s gone, you’ll also lose interest in what you should be doing. And at times, we’ll feel helpless. This is not something that will simply go away on its own, nor is an easy one to solve. Burnout may trigger more severe mental health problems. That is why, no matter how busy we are, we need to find time to rest. Even a brief pause is necessary since both our bodies and minds need a rest. In this way, we will be able to effectively perform our responsibilities.
