UQ Diaries

Age: 35
Degree: Master of Conservation Biology
Occupation: Operations manager
City / Town: Brisbane

Yes. But it involves design – do not rely on willpower, it is not possible.

I work in a senior leadership position and learnt the hard way that work can be an endless blackhole where there is always more you could/should be doing. Some roles, by design (unintentionally), are very reactive with insufficient backup or support, leaving people burnt out.

A balance requires saying no, even when the impacts are very painful. I finally had to say no to critical research support when my team was repeatedly burning out over several years, and it triggered support from a senior level to fundamentally change the way we resourced the team. Even though I don't have to, I log my time and keep timesheets so that I know how much time I have accrued, which helps me give myself permission to take the time off. Wherever I can, I look at how jobs are designed and will restructure the responsibilities and the culture of the team and try to design balanced roles where people can share difficult work, finish on time and take leave without significant impacts.

Age: 25
Degree: Master of Dietetics Studies
Occupation: Retail assistant
City / Town: Ipswich

It depends, but absolutely! You just need understanding supervisors and mentors to adjust to your needs. Effective communication on your part is key; you can't expect to have the team and your superiors to read your mind if you have needs that do not fit your rosters and health rotations.

Age: 34
Degree: Master of International Relations
Occupation: Diplomat
City / Town: Geneva

In over a decade of my professional life, I have found that one has to be intentional about work-life balance each and every single day. There is often a propensity, especially in this era, to always be on the go, to achieve and continue chasing the elusion of success. This is opposed to taking a moment to appreciate where you are and value your time here on Earth, as well as spend it with your loved ones. In summary, it is only possible when intentional.

Age: 24
Degree: Bachelors of Business Management / Communication
Occupation: Digital Marketing Executive
City / Town: Brisbane

I believe it is impossible to have the time to fill all your cups to 100%, particularly with the 5-day work week structure. Even more so as one gets older and has more and more commitments, such as having a family, needing to make time to see your parents and partner's parents, etc.

It's very much a give-and-take. If I want to focus more on my social life, my fitness is impacted because my time and energy is being prioritised into socialising and keeping up with friends, rather than going to the gym. I have accepted that it's impossible to give 100% to absolutely everything.

Age: 24
Degree: UQ staff
Occupation: Administration officer
City / Town: Brisbane

It's definitely possible, with the caveat that you need to be in a job where you are not in constant demand.

I find it's easy for me as I am in a mid-entry level job, but I know for my supervisors it's much harder. I make sure I take some leave every couple of months, I don't check my emails outside of work hours, I turn off notifications for MS Teams on my phone, I set firm boundaries for my working hours, and I make sure to plan things a couple days a week, such as exercise classes after work to de-stress from the day and give me something to take my mind off work.

Age: 59
Degree: Master of Education Studies
Occupation: Clinical psychologist
City / Town: Maleny

It's certainly possible to have work-life balance. Anything is possible when you are invested in something that is meaningful. I have achieved the balance by letting go of what most professional people do, such as prioritising work over relationships, health, fun and rest.

For many years, I have worked about 30 hours per week, and only taking on cases and projects that are life-giving. A 40-hour – or more – work week makes it tough to get a good focus on actively working on relationships, health, fun, and rest. Although this means less financial reward and reduced professional recognition, a great enhancement of wellbeing and flourishing is the ultimate reward.

Age: 24
Degree: Bachelor of Science
Occupation: Former geologist
City / Town: Brisbane

I think the only possible way would be if you worked 2–4 days a week. No more. This could be 12-hour shifts or 6-hour shifts. But this is currently not viable for most people.

Age: 42
Degree: UQ Staff
Occupation: Research computing systems engineer
City / Town: Brisbane

I have children with special needs and that means a lot of extra time in the car. My husband and I have both negotiated for 80% workloads with our respective companies. In my case, UQ has policies that make this straightforward to request. I work 6 hours per day. This leaves us both extra time for driving kids to therapy and managing the extra load at home. My husband and I take turns – one starts work early while the other does the school run, and then that first person would pick up the kids from school and run them around to therapy. On days when afternoon schedules clashed, I might do drop-off and pick-up, and then make up the hours in the evening from home.

Age: 36
Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Occupation: Administration
City / Town: Brisbane

Yes. But know that you will not feel like this every single day – there may be ups and downs; it's the overall sense that counts. The key is knowing your values, worth and putting boundaries in place, both at work as well as in your personal life. There may be something you need to compromise on – as much as you value it – as long as the compromise does not affect your general wellbeing.

A solid routine (including wholesome eating habits, exercise and spiritual practice) is something that keeps me grounded, allowing me to thrive both professionally and in my personal life. My strong relationship with my partner also allows me to feel supported in various ways, including planning ahead of time, ensuring we are filling our cups (sometimes multiple cups) efficiently. We also have a strong support network filled with friends around us, which we turn to in times of need. Asking for help (without feeling guilty) is something we need to get better at as a society.

Age: 26
Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Occupation: Retail customer service
City / Town: Brisbane

It may be possible, but it’s increasingly unattainable for people to achieve if they don’t already come from positions of power or privilege. I have to work 20 hours a week just to sustain myself while studying full time. It’s not easy out there.