Private PAs, here’s how you can maintain your wellbeing at work

As a private PA, you’re likely to have a demanding schedule as you’re tasked with making a very busy individual’s personal life run as smoothly as possible.

Many PAs can find that they overlook their own wellbeing as they dedicate the very best of themselves to their principal, yet regularly working long days and unsociable hours can begin to take their toll.

It is essential that you take steps to balance your private PA role with your private life so that you maintain your own health and, in turn, dedicate the very best of yourself to your career!

Here are some useful steps you can take:

Learn to say no

Being a personal assistant usually means you have a broad remit and the boundaries of your role are ill-defined, which can occasionally lead to you taking on an unreasonable volume of work.

Try to work with your principal to clearly define your responsibilities so that you are able to say no to tasks that are beyond your remit or are just too much for you to take on alone.

As a compromise, you could discuss whether it is possible to extend a deadline and/or negotiate getting help for a particular project so that you don’t come across as unwilling.

Address the negatives

If there are elements of your day that are particularly stressful, set about addressing them as soon as possible so they don’t taint your perception of your entire job.

See if you can work with your employer to develop new processes that ease the more difficult parts of your job or suggest going on a training course to strengthen your skills in a particular area.

Whatever you do, the sooner you address these points of concern, the quicker you’ll find yourself more confident in your ability to perform your role, which will make you generally happier at work.

Make time for your health

Working a busy schedule and supporting someone else’s lifestyle shouldn’t mean that you forget about your own health.

Maintaining your diet and fitting in regular exercise around your job is essential as it will help you to feel energised, boost your productivity and in the long run make you more resilient.

And remember, rest is essential to get the job done properly, as are regular short breaks during the day.

Don’t forget about your interests

Working in a demanding role can mean that your own interests or hobbies fall to the wayside.

Yet it is very likely that these hobbies have contributed to your character and helped to secure you the role in the first place, because being a private PA is highly dependent upon personality fit.

Failing to indulge in your passions can take a negative toll on your professional motivation and could lead to resentment, so it is essential that you make some time between rest and work to concentrate on the things that matter to you.

Tiger Private is a leading private PA recruitment agency in London. If you’re looking for your next opportunity within a private household or family office, you can register or search for jobs here.

Author Laura Glendenning Tiger Recruitment Team