3 Ways To Work A Second Job Without Burning Out
Now more than ever, people spend their free time outside of work doing more work, and we’re not just talking about side hustles.
Side hustles are typically passion projects that turn into a business. We’re talking about working an actual second job. The pandemic, loss of work, and changing careers completely to pursue other passions are just some reasons people have picked up a secondary source of income.
According to new data unveiled by the Census Bureau back in February, an estimated 7.8% of U.S. workers had more than one job as of the first quarter of 2018, up from 6.8% in 1996. This doesn’t consider all of the people who picked up work in the last two years. Those numbers are sure to jump substantially in the next Census.
Working multiple jobs isn’t easy, and burnout is common. So how can a person work a second job without crashing and burning or jeopardizing their full-time job?
With the help of different career consultants, the people at GoBankingRates put together this article about pulling off the juggling act of a second job.
How To Work A Second Job Without Burning Out
Create a Schedule and Stay Regimented
If you’re going to split your time between numerous jobs, you need to budget your time.
“This includes incorporating healthier habits, too, such as sleep and nutrition. Perhaps if you’ll be on your feet all weekend in an app job/food delivery service, you’ll want to pack nutritious meals, so you have healthy food to eat on the go.”
“The way to balance two jobs is to stay regimented,” said Janice Wald, coach, speaker, and author at Mostly Blogging, who holds three jobs. “Have a time slot for all your tasks. I work on my blog, for instance, seven days a week. I teach on weekdays from 8 to 3, spend an hour on my commute, and work on my online business daily from 5 to 7. On weekends, I add my freelance writing job to the schedule.”
Don’t Mix Jobs
It’s tempting to try and get work done while punching the clock for another company. The article explains why this is a bad idea.
“When you’re working for your full-time role, do not do anything outside of that even though it may be tempting if you’re working from home. Conversely, at your side hustle, do not work on your full-time role. Compartmentalize them and keep them separate as best you can.”
I’ll take this suggestion a step further and suggest that the two jobs should be as different as possible to avoid burnout at either position. For example, if you fix cars from 9-5 every day, don’t take a side job fixing cars. Pick something that involves a different set of skills altogether.
Do What Works For You
A better way to say this would be “don’t follow the money.” Even if a job pays incredibly well, don’t sacrifice other things that are important in life.
“Determine what works best for you, your schedule, and your family,” Salemi said. “If you take on weekend hours, think about downtime you’ll need to rest before Monday morning approaches.”