Managing Work-Life Balance as an Executive Assistant

As an Executive Assistant (EA) in today’s workplace, you likely own a long list of responsibilities and wear multiple hats—which, at times, can feel like you’re doing ten jobs at once. This is great when it comes to learning new skills and keeping things interesting, but it can make it hard to maintain a healthy work-life balance. 

No matter how exceptional you are at your job or how much you love what you do, everyone needs proper rest, personal time, and the ability to switch off. After all, rest helps us show up as our best selves for work. Burnout is on the rise, with more than half of US workers experiencing it in 2024. And it’s no surprise that it’s a common topic among Administrative Professionals due to the high demands of your job, and of the executives you support. 

Here’s what you can do to create a healthy work-life balance as an EA. 

Know How to Prioritize 

Knowing how to prioritize different tasks can be tricky when everything feels urgent. Categorizing your task list can be a useful way to visualize what needs doing immediately, and what can wait. 

A great method to use is referred to as the Eisenhower Matrix, which divides tasks into four categories:

• Important and urgent: Tasks to tackle immediately.
• Important but not urgent: Schedule time for these high-impact tasks.
• Urgent but not important: Delegate or reschedule if possible.
• Neither urgent nor important: Consider eliminating these tasks.

By doing this, you ensure you’re working strategically rather than reactively, making time for projects that are crucial to success.

Don’t forget to communicate your prioritized tasks and workload with others, especially your Executive(s), so that you manage expectations across different areas of the business. Don’t over-promise for the sake of it—set realistic deadlines and communicate clearly why one task takes priority over another. 

When in doubt, ask your Executive(s) for guidance on what should take priority and try best to align top prioritized responsibilities with business initiatives.

Focusing on what’s most urgent allows you to plan your tasks for the week versus trying to get everything done at once. This will help in planning your days and ensuring you do not overwork yourself.

Use Automation and Technology to Lighten Your Workload

In today’s world of AI and automation, there are some truly cutting-edge tools at your disposal to help you become more efficient in your role and free up your time. Don’t be afraid to ask for and try new technologies designed to make your life easier and your to-do list shorter. Here are some examples of helpful tools:

• TROOP: lets you compare meeting destinations, manage attendee travel logistics, and estimate overall costs for in-person meetings in just minutes. This enables you to make important decisions quickly and confidently versus spending hours on research and manual work. 
• Trello: helps you keep projects on track and organized by identifying potential blockers early, and keeps you moving towards your goals.
• ChatGPT: ChatGPT can draft meeting agendas, reply to emails, and so much more, in seconds, letting you focus your time on things that require a human touch. Check out these ChatGPT prompts for meeting planning.
• Otter.ai: handles real-time transcription of meeting minutes, which would otherwise take hours to transcribe, enabling you to be present in the discussion.  

By using technologies and automation to handle these more manual or granular tasks, you’ll free up your time allowing for breaks during your day and signing off at appropriate hours. All of this is key for achieving a sustainable work-life balance.

Don’t Be Afraid to Delegate and Set Boundaries

As an EA, having a ‘can-do’ attitude and helping others is part of what makes you invaluable, but this doesn’t mean you should do everything that falls on your plate, or accept every request for help. Delegating tasks and setting boundaries shouldn’t be intimidating—it’s essential. 

If a task doesn’t directly contribute to your executive’s goals or your organization's objectives, ask if it can be assigned to another team member, deprioritized, or handled through automation.

If you foster an environment of open, purposeful delegation, where the appropriate person is selected for the right task, delegation will become second nature. In return, offer support to others whenever, if ever, there is a time when you are more flexible. Doing so creates a supportive environment in the workplace.

Similarly, set communication boundaries with your boss or team where you can. Notifications from emails, messaging apps, calendars, and other platforms, especially when after work hours can disrupt your personal time and wellbeing. If possible, set realistic hours of when you can be reached, and then turn off notifications outside of those hours. 

Streamline Your Time Management

Time management is one of the things EAs struggle with most, but thankfully, there are many tried and tested methods to help save you time. For example:

• Use the Pomodoro Technique, a time management method that involves focused working in 25-minute bursts with 5-minute breaks in between. After four Pomodoro sessions, take a longer 15-30 minute break to recharge. 
• Set ‘deep work’ slots in your calendar when you don’t want to be disturbed or distracted. Turn off all notifications during these times.
• Work out your most productive times, and structure your to-do list around them. More focused in the morning? Then get the most challenging tasks out of the way then, and use afternoons for more relaxed work, like catching up on emails, or general administrative tasks.   

Being more strategic with your time will help balance your workload with personal responsibilities and breaks, contributing to a better work-life balance.

Find Your EA Community

They say a problem shared is a problem halved, and this is true for issues of work-life balance. No one understands your struggles as an EA better than other EAs or Admin Professionals. Joining communities, forums, and in-person meet ups is a great way to better understand how other EAs are managing their work-life balance, and learn from their successes. 

We’ve found many insightful and supportive Executive Assistant and Admin Professionals communities including The Leader Assistant, EA How To, and ASAP. These kinds of groups have a wealth of knowledge about the best tools, tips, and skills to boost your efficiency. And offers a group to commiserate with at times too!

Practice Open, Transparent Communication

Poor work-life balance often spirals in silence. EAs often wait too long to raise the issue that they are overwhelmed or overworked, resulting in burn out, or feeling there are no options left but to quit. Being honest and communicative about your task load at all times and the challenges you're facing will help you get the support resources you need. 

To do this effectively, make sure you’re having regular check-ins with your Executive(s), your peers, and your superiors to manage expectations, communicate your workload, and - when necessary - flag when you’re reaching capacity. 

In Summary

While there will inevitably be busier times than others, you shouldn’t have to live constantly on the edge of exhaustion. Remember that a healthy work-life balance isn’t a luxury, but a right. 

If you want to maintain a better work-life balance as an Executive Assistant by becoming more efficient with in-person meeting planning, sign up for a demo of TROOP. Our platform was created for busy EAs like yourself.