How to maintain a work-life balance as a driver
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A work-life balance is important in any line of work, but it can be harder to maintain in some careers than others. Driving based careers, like truck-driving, can be some of the hardest to manage, thanks to long hours, irregular shift patterns, and often having to be away from home. There are some things you can do though to manage the balance better.
Get enough sleep
When you’re on the road, getting the right amount of sleep can be hard, but it’s incredibly important. Driving tired endangers you and other motorists. A system like OPTAC3 can be used to make sure you aren’t working for longer than is safe, so you’re able to stop in time for bed. Prioritise your sleep, even if that means you turn the TV and lights off a little earlier than usual. If you’re sleeping in your truck, make it as comfortable as you can so can drop off.
Get regular exercise
Driving for a living means you spend the majority of your day sitting down. You have the added problem of not being able to get and go for a walk whenever you need to stretch your legs like you would with a desk job. This makes it very important to stick to an exercise routine. On your breaks, stretch to stop your muscle getting stiff and uncomfortable.
Eat healthily
Eating healthily on the road is no easy task, but can help you better balance work and life as a truck driver. Try to avoid buying fast or processed food on the go, and instead prepare healthier meals and snacks before you set off. If you have a sleeper cab with a kitchen set up, learn some simple recipes that can be made with minimal space and equipment.
Prioritise carefully
You can earn good money as a trucker, but that doesn’t mean that you should take on every job available to you for the sake of getting more money. Learning how to maintain a healthy work-life balance means learning how to say no sometimes. If you have your financial needs covered, you might not need to take on more. Instead of taking on extra work, think about whether you’d rather be at home, for some time to yourself or to spend time with the family.
Take breaks
One of the best important things to learn to do if you’re going to balance your work and your life is to remember to take regular breaks. Time off is important to balance all the time that you have to spend on the road. If you struggle to take as much time off as you need, book vacations with the family or make plans together so you have to set aside the time for them. These breaks allow you to focus on what is important and helps you stay in touch with daily life, off the road.
Driving can be a tough career, so it’s important to take time for yourself, so you can keep working to the best of your ability.
More work-life balance blog posts
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Work-life balance tips for work at home mums & dads
Tips to relieve the stress of balancing children + work life
How to survive the half term when you work from home
Managing life as a full time working parent