The Canadian mental health Association (CMHA) defines work/life balance as the point at which you are able to do the things you have to do and the things you want to do without changing the number of hours you are active in a day.

Although you probably are more familiar with this concept than previous generations were, you might not necessarily be any better at achieving that sometimes elusive balance, according to Sarah Hamid-Balma, director of mental health promotion with the CMHA’s British Columbia division in Vancouver.

Universities and colleges still are full of students who regularly pull “all-nighters” to finish assignments or study for exams. And many young professionals begin their careers believing they can do whatever it takes to meet deadlines – at the expense of sleep, meals and breaks.

“In our 20s, we have more energy, so we think we’ll always have that same energy,” Hamid-Balma says. But, biologically, she adds, we cannot sustain that level as we age without eventually burning out.

In fact, millennials – young people between the ages of 15 and 37 – run the risk of setting themselves up for future health problems brought on by unmanageable levels of stress if they don’t create habits to ensure balance early on in their careers, according to Alycia Hall, a life coach in Vancouver.

“It’s important to establish healthy habits now,” Hall says, “so, when you actually need them, it won’t require a conscious effort.”

Work/life balance is a constantly shifting target for Canadians, Hamid-Balma says, but getting into good habits when you are young is important. As with exercise, nutrition and sleep goals, many patterns get established early on and, despite our best intentions, they are not easy to change later.

Here are some tips for young financial advisors to help you get on the right path toward finding your best balance:

– Make your health a priority

You may be in the midst of building a stunning career, but it won’t result in anything meaningful if you don’t focus on your health, Hamid-Balma says. She suggests that you schedule activities that make you feel happy, then commit to them as you would any other obligation.

Whether these activities include going to the theatre or a workout at the gym, add them to your calendar to decrease the likelihood that they’ll be pushed aside for more concrete obligations later on. Says Hamid-Balma: “Those are the first things that go out the window when we get busy.”

– Audit your to-do list

Many of us fall into the trap of the revolving to-do list: tasks get rolled over to the next day in a continuous loop. Make sure your to-do list is realistic, Hamid-Balma recommends.

It’s common to underestimate the amount of time you need for a particular task, which then sets you up for failure. Allot 20% more time to each task until you start seeing a more realistic version of a daily schedule. Then you can scale back as needed.

– Get social

To cement your commitment further toward a balanced life, Hamid-Balma recommends making yourself accountable for your downtime activities – those activities you use to re-energize yourself.

As with fitness goals, pairing up with a buddy makes doing the activity you promised yourself you’d do more likely. If that’s not possible, you can, at the very least, let friends and co-workers know that you won’t be available at certain times because that’s when you’ll be pursuing the activity that restores balance in your life, whether it’s a lunchtime walk every Wednesday or a yoga class before work a few times a week.

Besides ensuring that you won’t be disturbed during these times, sharing this information with colleagues also increases the likelihood of you following through until these habits become established.

– Clarify your commitments

“When we’re young, things just kind of work out and we can go with the flow a bit more,” Hall says.

But, as responsibilities pile on, she adds, you can find yourself being pulled in several directions, throwing any sense of balance off kilter. That’s why it’s important to prioritize.

Hall recommends that you log everything you do for a given period to see if your activities are in line with your priorities. Making changes – saying no to friends for a short time to complete a work project, for example – will restore any imbalance.

You also need to recognize that although there will be times when your health will take a back seat to other demands, your main priority should be long-term health.

“If you are not at the top of the list,” Hall says, “it may be OK for the short term; but, in the long term, it will lead to burnout.”

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