Hi lovely people,
Today, I wanted to write about something that most of us have to experience one day: a full-time job. I graduated from college in 2023, and the next goal for me was to get a job. It was really scary because I took a huge leap. I went for a career that was different from what I majored in in college. I was a biology major, but I decided to go the psych route and become an RBT to work with kids with autism.
I spent three months after I graduated working on my 40-hour training and studying for my certification. I had so much career anxiety at the time wondering if I made the right choice. This job seemed perfect because I wanted a job that combined teaching, working with kids, and healthcare. I was also stressed because I wanted to make sure I had a job that would pay the bills, and I knew that it wasn’t the highest paying job out there especially as a starting RBT. I’m so happy I trusted my gut and gave this job a chance because I ended up really loving it.
I did have a little bit of tough time adjusting to working a full time job. I was a pretty busy student when I was in school. I had a lot of extracurriculars, and I liked picking new classes every semester because I liked the variation that my schedule could have. When I became an RBT, I saw that it was definitely a job with variation everyday, but I had to take this more seriously because this job could be the career I have for the next 40 years of my life. Super scary to think about.
When I first started, I feel like I had a hard time fitting in self-care, hobbies, and spending time with others into my schedule. I would be too tired after work to do anything, and I felt like I was starting to lose myself to my job. Being an RBT tends to come with some draining days here and there, which also makes adjusting to working full-time tricky.
I’ve been an RBT for about a year now, and I wanted to share some things that I did to help me adjust to a full-time job. It’s still a work in progress, but I feel like I hit a point where I’m happy with my work-life balance. If you’re feeling like you’re in a rut with transitioning to a full-time job, hopefully you’ll find something on this post that helps you out!
Allow Yourself Time to Adjust to the Schedule
The first and probably most important thing I had to do was be easier on myself. I was so used to having a busy schedule throughout college that I felt guilty for not doing more after I got off of work. It’s honestly good to relax and enjoy not having to come home to homework for the first time in years. Transitioning to a full-time job isn’t easy because there’s so much to take in, so take the time to really ease into your work! Also, with my job, I don’t exactly have a set 9-5 because my clients may cancel, which means I have a choice in what I do that day. Every day looks different as an RBT, so I had to get used to the variation in my schedule first.
Around 2 months in, I was working with the same 3 clients and had a pretty consistent schedule. Once I got this schedule, I felt like I could finally start making time for something basic like chores. I used to put off grocery shopping and cleaning until the weekends, but I wasn’t as tired throughout the week anymore so I’d do some of these chores on the days where I had some time after I got off. This allowed me to have more time on the weekends to do things that I actually enjoyed and to start taking care of myself more, which brings me to my next point!
Find Hobbies Outside of Work
Having hobbies helped me so much in making sure I wasn’t making my job my whole life. It’s so easy to let your interests go when you start to feel burnt out from working, and this is something I didn’t want happening to me. Hobbies help in creating that balance in your life and giving you a proper break from your job. I often hear that the three hobbies you should have in your life are something that channels your creativity, something that keeps you healthy, and something that brings you an extra income.
I’ve always loved arts and crafts of any kind, so lately I’ve been scrapbooking and making polymer clay charms after work and on the weekends! I also love DIYing and thrifting home decor because it adds a more personal touch to my home. For me, doing arts and crafts is so relaxing because I can have on a show or music in the background or you can even have a craft night with some friends!
For something that keeps me healthy, I’ve always wanted to be a pilates girl. One of my friends is a pilates instructor, so I decided to sign up for her classes every Saturday. This was one of my favorite ways to take care of myself because the classes are so fun, and everyone in the class is so supportive. It’s such a great way to start the weekend, and I have so much time the rest of the day to spend time with some loved ones! I’ve also always loved running as a way to keep in shape. After taking some time to adjust to my schedule, I started to sign up for races to help me stay motivated to run. Exercising is a great stress reliever, and it’s a hobby I always have to have in my weekly schedule.
Lastly, for something that brings in extra money, it’s actually this blog! This is only my third blog post, so there’s not exactly an income yet. However, it would be super cool if this blog eventually turns into something that allows me to share my lifestyle tips with others while also being a source of extra income. I was really passionate about starting this blog because it lets my mind focus on something other than work all the time, and I love being able to write down any experiences I’ve had and share them with others!
Ask for Advice
When I first started my job, I got really overwhelmed learning about all the employee benefits I would have as a full-time employee. I wanted to make sure I was understanding what my company offered in terms of pay, insurance, 401ks, etc and that I was actually receiving what I deserved. It’s scary knowing how many brand new employess are taken advantage of just because they don’t know how to advocate for their rights.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help! The HR manager and assistant at my company make it a point to be transparent about what they’re offering, and they are always willing to answer questions. Many of my coworkers have had a full-time job far longer than I have, so it’s nice to have people you can have one on one conversations with about what good work conditions are and how they also adjusted to working full-time.
Meal Prep
Another thing that I started doing that helped me was meal prepping. I had such a hard time trying to figure out my lunches for work because I didn’t want to spend money on take-out, and I never really had to worry about packing a lunch in college because I had so many breaks throughout the day to eat. I learned that I am not the type of person that can meal prep for a whole week because the meals I make tend to go bad after around 3 days. I found that making two portions of my dinner the night before helps save so much time the next morning because I don’t have to try to make a breakfast and lunch for the day.
I’ll also shop at the Trader Joe’s frozen food section and buy some extra ingredients to have ready in case I don’t have time to make a meal from scratch, and I just want to whip up something really quick before work. Doing these two things has saved me so much time and money on my work lunches.
Listen to Podcasts
The last thing I recommend doing is listening to podcasts! I like listening to The Psychology of your 20s (totally not sponsored I’m genuinely just a fan lol) on Spotify. She has so many episodes on common career struggles, and they have helped me through that adjustment period because it was nice knowing that I wasn’t alone in those struggles. Plus, it gives me something productful to listen to on my drives to and from work when I don’t want to listen to my regular playlists.
That brings us to the end of this blog post! I hope I was able to help you feel a little less overwhelmed about having a full-time job. I tend to stress out about whether I’m “where I’m supposed to be” or not, but I’ve come to learn that there is no right place to be right now or ever. I got lucky enough to find a job right after college that I enjoy, but there are definitely some really tough days that come with it. I still have moments where I realize I’m not fully adjusted, and that is okay.
If you don’t love what you’re doing right now, it’s never too late to make that change, which is something so great about being in your 20s. I love all of the new experiences I’ve had since working, and I’m so excited to see all the growth I’ll experience over the next couple years or so. Don’t forget to take the time to just enjoy where you’re at right now and remember that everything is a learning process! (I definitely have to remind myself of this more often than I’d like to admit). I hope you found something on this post that resonates with you, and I’ll see you on the next post!
Leave a Reply