Balanced Academic

It’s been a couple of weeks since my last blog post. This is the first time I’ve missed my usual rhythm since starting Balanced Academic, and it actually wasn’t because of burnout. Life has just been full.

These past two weeks have been busy – the kind of busy where your days start early and end late, your inbox fills faster than you can clear it, and your to-do list seems to multiply overnight. But unlike other busy seasons I’ve had, this one felt… different. Lighter. More manageable.

And I think that’s because I’ve actually been following the same advice I share here.

The last couple of weeks have been packed with courses, meetings, research, manuscript edits, scholarship applications, and everyday life tasks that needed my attention. If this was my reality a year ago – I would have been beyond drained and burnt out. Back then, I didn’t know how to intentionally take a break, how to incorporate mini motivational resets throughout my week, or how to effectively manage my time and to-do list.

I remember in one of my early blog posts I described balance as not something you can achieve, but something you practice. I said that this blog was my way of practicing balance, and these last 2 weeks are a real testament to that.

I haven’t been burnt out. In fact, I’ve had steady energy and motivation, I’ve been managing my time effectively, and most importantly, I’ve been taking time for myself. I’ve been taking real breaks, spending time with people I care about, fueling my mind and body, and giving myself permission to rest without guilt. That’s what’s kept me grounded during this busy season.

At first, I felt bad when I missed that first post. I worried it would be the start of a downward spiral – that the blog would just stay on the back burner and eventually fizzle out. But that’s not what happened. I reframed this short pause in a more accurate light: I simply had to direct my energy elsewhere for a little while – and that’s totally okay.

Learning how to manage your energy is one of the most important skills you can develop as a grad student. It’s essential to recognize when doing just one more thing would be too much. And for me over the last couple of weeks, sitting down to write a blog post would have been too much.

Balancing your time doesn’t always mean having a perfectly distributed schedule that includes every task. Sometimes it means letting one area take a temporary backseat so another can thrive. I’ve learned that there’s a big difference between losing motivation and choosing where to put your energy.

For me, the past few weeks have been about choice. An older version of me would have been worried that I was falling off track by letting something slide for a little while. Now, I recognize that the pause was a strategic choice – one that allowed me to focus on other parts of life for a bit.

Now that things are starting to settle, I’m excited to bring that energy back here – not from a place of pressure, but from a place of renewal. I care deeply about making this blog a space for people who are trying to find the same middle ground between ambition and wellbeing. I truly appreciate every view and like these posts receive, and I hope you find them helpful. So if you’re reading this, thank you for being here.

That being said, I want Balanced Academic to grow with its readers – to be a space that feels useful, grounded, and real. So I’d love to hear from you:

• What parts of grad school balance do you want to hear more about?
• How do you feel about these personal reflection type posts – do you want more of them?
• Are you interested in more practical tips and tools for productivity, time management, research strategies, etc.?

Drop your thoughts in the comments or send me an email – your feedback will help shape what’s next.

If you’ve also had a busy few weeks, this is your reminder that you can take breaks from certain tasks without falling behind. If this post resonated with you, I’d love for you to stick around. Like, share, and subscribe so you don’t miss what’s coming next.