31: The Pursuit of Work-Life Balance When You’re Single and Looking for Love - Katie’s Story

Work-life balance isn’t typically a topic you’d associate with single, young professionals with no caring responsibilities. Yet, as this episode's guest, a business development manager and creator of the Single Sounds podcast, Katie McNamara shares, this is a time in life when there’s a lot going on. When you're starting out in your career and independent life, there are plenty of decisions that need to be taken about how to spend your time and set your priorities. To name but a few… social arrangements, work commitments and building on career ambitions, developing extra-curricular interests and fitness, maintaining family connections, independent living (cooking, cleaning for yourself, and/or navigating shared living with housemates). And then, for those looking for love, there’s the additional preoccupation of dating and all that that involves: making time to peruse apps, chat online with potential partners, go on dates etc… Like I said, there’s a lot going on. Finding balance amidst it all is just as valid at this stage of life as it is for the people that I’ve interviewed who are in relationships and have caring responsibilities to juggle on top of their careers. Interviewing Katie provided an abundance of insight into the pursuit of balance when you’re single and looking for love - and lots more besides (including some deeply existential questions about the meaning of life). Below are links to some of the 'A Fine Balance' podcast episodes and blog posts referenced, and other singletons and under-30s that have previously shared their work-life balance stories. Finding Balance on Her Own Terms: “Single by Choice; Childfree by Choice”. Laurie’s Story – On Doing ‘What Suits You’: https://a-fine-balance.com/2022/03/13/a-fine-balance-the-podcast-episode-6-out-now/ On burnout and finding balance in the early stages of working life - Tahmid’s Story: https://a-fine-balance.com/2021/09/29/a-fine-balance-the-podcast-episode-3-out-now/