"If you're interested in 'balancing' work and pleasure, stop trying to balance them. Instead make your work more pleasurable." This is a quote from American business tycoon Donald Trump. Although travel physical therapy is in a much different industry than Mr. Trump's work, interestingly enough his words are well suited for a travel physical therapist.
The best way to balance your life in regards to work and fun is to find a job you love and incorporate fun into your career every day. The great news is, as a travel physical therapist, you have presumably already done this. Travel physical therapy provides an array of rewarding and rich experiences, from caring for patients all over the country to exploring new places while on assignment. Unlike your average nine-to-five job, you're not sitting at a desk all day staring at the clock – you're working in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment.
However, you might be having trouble figuring out how to balance your personal time with your work while on assignment. Perhaps you made a career change to become a travel physical therapist, thinking it would offer a more flexible and exciting work week, only to find you're a little overwhelmed with the assignment and therefore aren't sure how to balance work with the fun stuff while traveling.
The best way to create a balance while on assignments is to build downtime into your schedule. Be proactive about scheduling the things you want to do around your responsibilities in the clinic or hospital. Having a schedule or a sort of bucket list for the trip can ensure that you're making time to do the things you want to while in a new city – like seeing the Statue of Liberty while you're in New York or visiting that great sushi restaurant you've been hearing about. Without a schedule for work and personal time, you could find yourself getting lost in work, not to mention, losing the balance you need to stay refreshed and productive for your patients.
In addition to making time for sightseeing and having fun, be sure to also save some time for things like exercise and relaxation. Set realistic goals such as going for a morning run three times a week or spending one evening by yourself, taking a bath and listening to music. Little things like this can go a long way toward your mental clarity and help you feel recharged and prepared to balance opportunities for fun and your work responsibilities as a travel physical therapist.