5 tips for striking a better PR work/life balance

Our jobs require close attention to the nonstop news cycle, while still managing our own digital presence and securing client placements. Knowing when to switch off or take a break requires purposeful, strategic effort.

No matter how well we do our jobs (one of the most stressful on the planet, apparently), if we don’t take care of ourselves, eventually there will be no business or work to tend to.

Here are a few suggestions to find a better balance:

Use a timer.

Online rabbit holes can steal hours from your day. To preserve precious time, identify the priorities on your list, then set a timer for each task.

Try the Tomato Timer or the Pomodoro Technique, which slices work into tidy intervals and breaks. Allotting specific chunks of time to accomplish tasks can make your day more efficient and manageable, but it requires discipline. The idea is to reduce stress, so start slowly with assignments you can knock out quickly—such as scheduling social media posts.