The Juggling Act: An EA’s Guide to Sanity
It’s been said many times but is no less true: Executive Assistants are the silent force behind many of the world’s most effective leaders. The nature of our work demands agility, discretion, and an uncanny ability to anticipate needs before they arise. What’s often overlooked is the emotional and mental toll this role can take, especially when boundaries are blurred and communication falters. If you are a conscientious EA whose joy it is to see a job well done but worry you may suffer in the long run, this is the read for you.
In this blog, I’ll share practical tips, drawn from my own experience across the corporate, healthcare, educational, creative, non-profit and hospitality sectors, to help you build a healthier work-life balance and grow meaningfully in your EA career. The aim is to share with you what has worked for me, in my professional life as an EA to multiple executives and in my personal life as a sourdough and crochet fanatic, wife and mother to two young children. Do take from it what you feel will work for you.
Build Strong, Candid Communication with Your Executive
Your relationship with your executive is your most critical working partnership. In roles where I’ve supported CEOs, founders, and other C-suite professionals, the quality of our communication directly influenced not only my effectiveness and job satisfaction but my executive’s.
- Be proactive: Don’t wait for instructions. Use weekly check-ins to offer insights, flag deadlines, or share summaries of cross-departmental activities to build a cadence of regular communication.
- Get to know them: Know their priorities, energy patterns, and preferences and ensure you build their day / week accordingly. Learn their preferred nudging method early on; it will save you quite a bit of time!
- Push back constructively: Your job isn’t to say yes to everything, it’s to manage your executive’s time wisely. If you feel unsure saying “no”, make that a “not now”. They’ll thank you for your honesty in the long run.
Set and Respect Your Boundaries
It’s easy to fall into a rhythm where you’re ‘always on’, especially when you manage both professional and personal matters whilst working remotely or hybrid. I’ve supported execs with everything from company mergers and acquisitions, personal tax obligations to household matters and last-minute travel, but setting clear limits has helped me thrive instead of burnout in fast-paced situations.
- Model good behaviour by respecting your own time. Others will follow your lead. If something comes in after-hours but can wait until tomorrow morning, let it.
- If you feel a late email / text requires a response at that moment, use this opportunity to build trust and demonstrate reliance, whilst at the same time making it clear it is an exception to the rule.
Master Time Management: Block, Focus, Repeat
Being busy isn’t the same as being productive. One of the greatest skills I’ve honed is how to protect time and focus on deep work, for both me and my executive to get through quite intimidating to do lists in short order.
Here are some things that have helped us:
- Calendar Blocking: Allocate time for admin, project work, emails, and rest. Don’t let the urgent always override the important.
- Deep Work Windows: Designate 1-2 hours a day where you eliminate distractions. Turn off Slack/Teams, close email, and focus on a project that would otherwise take double the time if multi-tasking.
- Use labels or folders to Task Triage: Not everything is urgent. One of my execs has introduced me to the Eisenhower method – thank them later!
Create Rituals that Anchor You
One of my secrets to work-life balance isn’t time, it’s intentionality. Over the years, I’ve developed small habits that help me switch off, stay grounded, and set up each day with clarity rather than stress and anxiety.
Here are a few of my favourite rituals:
- End-of-day list: Write down tomorrow’s to-dos in order of priority before logging off. It clears your mind, allows you to unwind and primes you for a focused start.
- Shut the laptop and close the notebook: Create a physical gesture that signals “work is done”.
- Check-in with yourself: Reflect on your week. Jot down at the back of your notebook what worked, what didn’t, what needs adjusting and your wins for that week. This is an absolute game changer and handy for end of year reviews.
- Build transitions: A short dog walk, 10 minutes of movement, or even 5 minutes of silence between work and home life (especially if you are about to clock in for the second shift of the day with mini terrors) can help reset your nervous system.
Being a great Executive Assistant isn’t just about managing others; it’s also about managing yourself. If you communicate openly, set healthy boundaries, manage your time with intention, and protect your peace through daily rituals, you’ll not only survive the role, but you’ll also thrive in it.
And remember balance isn’t a destination. It’s a daily journey.
