"Mastering the Art of ‘Doing It All’: How I Juggle Dance, Work, and Family"
Since forever, I've been that girl running from one place to another with a packed schedule. From school to work to the dance studio, I was there, soaking up every opportunity like a sponge. But as the years flew by, I realized that quality time with my loved ones mattered just as much as checking off tasks and balancing it all became my ultimate goal. Yes, I’m a multi-passionate person, but I also know that too much of a good thing can lead to a bad case of burnout. So I've learned to master the art of scheduling—keeping my plate full without letting it overflow. It's all about that delicate balance of intentionality and putting my energy in the places that serve me (and my family) best!
Through much trial and error, I've been able to find a balance between the hustle and the flow of life that helps me to do everything I want to do, and do it without sacrificing my mental health. Here are my top 5 tips for juggling dance, work, and family.
1.Be organized AF.
A day planner is your best friend! Whether it’s using the calendar app on your phone or using a paper planner, you need to be in control of your schedule in order to juggle all the things you want to do. Schedule in your dance rehearsal dates and times, a few times a week to practice your choreography at home, your family + friend date nights, your appointments, your errands and meal prep, and your ME time (More on ME time below ;) )... and then stick to your schedule!
2. Add down time to your schedule.
Hustle culture is real and it can be what you need at different times in your life, but what you don’t see from these #BossBabes on social media who seem to do it all is the at-home time they take to recharge and relax. I’m not talking about the bubble baths, the skin care routine, or the glasses of wine at the end of the day. I mean the sit-on-the-couch-in-pjs-and-don’t-move time. The naps, the sitting-in-silence times, the being completely ‘unproductive’ times. This is non-negotiable if you want to sustain a busy schedule - ‘you can’t pour from an empty cup’ is both a cliche and totally true! Add this ‘ME TIME’ to your schedule, even if it’s a half day or just a half hour! Maybe you get to the dance studio 30 mins early and sit in your car by yourself doing whatever will help center and recharge you! Whatever amount of time it is and whenever you schedule it in, treat it like any other meeting or appointment. Don’t cancel on yourself - you deserve your own time and attention just as much as anyone else does!
3. Batch Your Tasks.
Once you have your schedule set out in your agenda like the BOSS that you are, save yourself some time and start to group similar tasks and activities together. Get your grocery shopping, mall visit, and pharmacy stop all done in one outing. Set aside one afternoon to sit on your computer and pay bills, submit receipts to your insurance company, and respond to personal emails and messages you’ve been avoiding. As much as possible, try to make the fewest amount of trips to the store as you can, the fewest amount of times you log into your email, the fewest amount of times you schedule appointments … you catch my drift.
4. Say no.
You are allowed to say no to projects, events, and casual hangouts. Full stop. No explanation needed. Practice saying no if it feels uncomfortable at first! When I went back to work after maternity leave, I practiced saying, “Thank you for thinking of me [for this project] but I’m not available.” There are so many great opportunities, events, hangouts, and experiences that will present themselves to you, but you do not need to do them all, especially if you are burning the candle at both ends to do so.
5. Ask for help.
Let me tell you the BIGGEST secret of how to successfully ‘do it all’.
You don’t.
At times, I think my social media makes me seem like I’m ‘doing it all.’ I work part-time in my career, I run a dance company, I have a family with a toddler, I do my meal prep, my lashes are done … But I don’t do it alone. I have learned that it's about being smart with your energy and offloading tasks that you need help with when it makes sense to do so. There isn’t always extra cash to order grocery delivery and sometimes there are things that only you can do for yourself and your family. But if you really look at all that you need to accomplish this week, I bet you can find at least one way that you can ask for help. And I KNOW there are people in your life who are more than happy to help you and support you. You wanna crush your food prep AND hang with your bestie but only have one afternoon free? Invite her over, whip up some mimosas, and turn that kitchen into a food prep dance party! If you can swing it, treat yourself to a house cleaner. Once a week, once a month, or once a quarter - do what works for YOU. Remember, asking for help isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength and a great way to make sure you can show up with intention and energy when you need to.
Your life is happening right now. Don’t let a crazy schedule and exhaustion distract you from really enjoying yourself in your day-to-day routine. Take some time to sit with your schedule and get organized! You got this!
