Achieving a successful work-life balance can bring clarity, energy and peace of mind to your personal and professional world. Even with demanding schedules, you can find small but powerful ways to care for yourself and others.
For Elizabeth Sowa, a registered nurse in Labor and Delivery at Mount Sinai South Nassau, successful work-life balance means being able to mind your mental health, accomplish your to-do list and most of all, make memories with your family. When demands pile up, Sowa gives herself permission to slow down.
“Sometimes you just have to honor that, and take a little break on your day off,” she explained.
Sewa prioritizes small, meaningful steps toward work-life balance — making time for dinner with family, texting a friend and setting attainable daily goals. She embraces simple movements such as walking outside or walking on the treadmill to refresh her mind.
“Be gentle with yourself, but also don’t put yourself on the back burner,” she said. “It’s nearly impossible to do it all.”
Achieving work-life balance requires consistency and conscious effort, said Brianna Noretti, registered nurse at Mount Sinai South Nassau. Clear boundaries help her stay fully present. At work, she focuses on her patients; at home, she shifts her energy to her family.
“You have to make sure that you’re prioritizing what’s most important at each time,” she explained. “We’re no good to the people that need us if we’re not taking care of ourselves.”
She prioritizes exercise, hydration and nourishing meals and reminds herself to follow the same work-life balance wellness advice she gives to her patients. To stay grounded, Noretti relies on preparation and flexibility.
“A schedule creates a seamless day,” she said, but she’s also prepared for the unexpected. “Just taking a few deep breaths — kind of resets you and allows you to clear your head and go back into whatever you’re dealing with a more open mind.”
Approach your day with intent, advised Jeffrey Rosa, ICU nurse at Long Island Jewish Hospital.
“There’s never enough time in the day,” he said. To manage stress, Rosa builds in time to recharge after a shift. “That nine or 10-minute walk just listening to a podcast or music … kind of helps you get that disconnect,” he explained.
With over two decades in nursing, Rosa believes resilience comes down to mindset.
“You have to have the confidence that you did the best you could,” he said. Focus on what you can control, trust your efforts and move forward with confidence, he advised.
Work-life balance isn’t about doing everything perfectly — it’s about staying grounded, setting priorities and carving out small, intentional moments to reset. For busy professionals, these practices can make all the difference in achieving professional success and quality of life.
