In today’s world, it seems that everyone is managing a side hustle. Millennials are the most likely generation to be working two jobs. According to CNBC, over half of millennials have at least an occasional side job. Many are doing it to repay student loans.
In the perfect world, one job would be enough for all monthly expenses. However, that’s simply not the case today. For many, two or three jobs are a necessity, and time spent on other things–friends, family, relaxation, sleep–get pushed to the side. In light of these circumstances, is there a way for the overworked and poorly paid millennial to keep a roof over her head and sleep?
Getting enough sleep at night is paramount to one’s health. Running on too little sleep for long periods of time can increase depression, contribute to weight gain, and cause burnout. Any of those are the last thing a person working two jobs needs.
When a worker feels too depressed or burnt out to continue working, finances can suffer as a result. The loss of motivation can cause a worker to quit a side job that he really needed to make ends meet. Or, it can cause a worker to perform poorly at her main job that brings in the most money, preventing her from being promoted.
That, in turn, prolongs the need to continue working two or three jobs. And the cycle of depression and burnout continues.
The good news is, there are strategies millennials can employ to increase their wellbeing, specifically by leaving themselves enough time to sleep.
Follow these three suggestions to help you carve out enough time to get the sleep you need so that you can crush your jobs–all three of them!
- Get a Planner. Invest in a good planner. Part of feeling overwhelmed involves not having a good grasp on what needs to be done and when. When an unexpected event pops up, it increases our stress levels because we didn’t foresee it.
- If you’re especially busy, find a planner that’s divided into 15-minute intervals. Make sure that every minute of your day is being used towards accomplishing your tasks. That way, you don’t waste two hours throughout the course of your day, leaving it until well past midnight and into your sleep time.
- Create To-Do Lists. There is something psychologically satisfying in crossing off an item on our to-do lists. When we get that “reward,” our brains produce a chemical called oxytocin, which is the “happiness chemical.” That boost of oxytocin can increase our motivation and the satisfaction we receive from our daily tasks.
- Every little bit of motivation helps. Creating a to-do list certainly helps keep you more organized, but it’s a good idea to create one just for the motivation boost it gives you.
- Hack Your Tasks. Find as many hacks as you can for whatever tasks you must do throughout the day.
- If you have no time left over to exercise, take the stairs or walk around your building during your lunch break.
- If you ride a train for your commute, use that time to check in with family and friends, or answer emails.
- Make crock-pot recipes for dinner and eat the leftovers for lunch the next day. Saving the time it takes to cook real food can make you more likely to eat healthy, too.
Following these three simple guidelines can help you take care of yourself while you work two jobs. They can help improve your wellbeing so you can push through working your several jobs.
For more tips and tricks on how to manage two jobs successfully, check out this blog post. There, you’ll read about a variety of other ways to help you stay motivated and get the most out of your jobs.