I am lucky enough to be working at a well-paying Fortune 500 company as an intern this summer, and I am admittedly struggling to “do it all”. I have made sure I get in a nice workout before every day of work, and have also been socially active with the other interns (they have us housed in the same place). On top of that, I have been doing some work stuff to stay ahead and doing some reading (think books like what Bill Gates recommends for summer reading). However, I am feeling a bit burnt out. I am only getting around 4-5 hours of sleep most days because I cannot fit everything in. But there are still people who are able to do it (sometimes on top of having a family)! What is the secret? What can I do differently? I do not really feel like giving anything up.
Prioritize sleep. You can’t survive on four hours of sleep for weeks at a time. This past semester I found myself misspelling simple words because of sleep deprivation. It hurts your ability to function.
Genetics, some people can survive on 4-5 hours of sleep, most can’t.
Most people don’t “do it all.” First step is to stop comparing yourself to others (or your perception of others). Prioritize what is most important to YOU. Make sure to do some fun things that YOU enjoy. Get enough sleep.
Prioritize. And you don’t have to do all of it all the time.
Mostly, though, – and it’s not what you asked --, think about your experience this summer and what it tells you about what you want in life. Your internship may have shown you that you really value balance. An employer who expects 80 hours a week may not be a good option for you. Maybe you need your own space to get a little downtime alone. Look at how the folks who work there are juggling things (including family ). And while I totally agree that you need to get enough sleep, if you’re going to cheat yourself on that from toime to time, it should be for something that really matters to you!
You are smart to reflect on all of this. Internships can be so valuable beyond the job itself.
my neighbor once told me how disappointed she was - once she got her PHD, was working full time in her field and had 3 young kids, because she realized the Have it All philosophy and Women-can-do-it-all is mostly a myth (especially for women with kids ). It is hard to do everything you want and to do it right, and to give yourself time too.
BUT – it gets a bit easier as you you become more proficient at your job, and your learning curve isn’t as taxing. And you will figure out what is important to you. Sounds like you are doing well, working very hard, and learning right now. Get your sleep and do things you enjoy when you can. And relax your mind too.
My own kiddo is at an OOS internship this summer too. He’s been shocked in the last week how much he does not know!