How to work, study and play sports

Keys to balancing sports, work and study

Balancing work and sport, or work and study, isn't always easy. It largely depends on how demanding each task is, and without doubt on the facilities offered by your company or place of study for balancing your working life with your personal life. Here are some keys to being able to spend part of your time in each and still survive:

 Schedule and objectives

If you want to stay in shape without cutting into your work time, it's important to set a schedule and objectives. They have to be flexible so they don't interfere with your work.

 Replace your old daily habits

Get the most out of your commute. Replace your old daily habits with healthier ones. Get up early and walk to work, go by bike, or skip the lift.

 Choose a proper degree

If you play sport professionally, choose your degree course wisely. Some are too demanding and won't allow you to do other activities. Remember that you're not only busy during class, more often than not you have to do homework that will take up more of your time.

 Try online universities

If you're a professional sportsperson and you want to get a degree, try online universities. Organising your time will be easier and you'll be able to travel and study from anywhere in the world.

 Know the work-life balance policies

If you're looking for a job, make sure you read the company's work-life balance policies closely. Does your employer offer flexible clock-in/clock-out times or are hours strict?

 Routine, the best ally

Routine is your best ally when you work, study, or play sports at set times if there is no flexibility with clocking in or out. Organise your time, plan your week's work, and stick to it unless something really urgent comes up.

Sports and work 

Christopher Cotter is 29 and he is a martial arts enthusiast. He balances sports and work perfectly. His co-workers are often surprised that he can work, study, and do martial arts training at the same time, but for him not doing so is unthinkable: martial arts are an integral part of his working life. It gives him a new perspective when he takes on challenges and has to overcome obstacles.

Driven by his love of the sport, he travelled to Germany to visit an expert friend and it was then that he acquired a second passion: now as well as martial arts he also loves travelling abroad and getting to know new places.

Christopher then started to look for new experiences that would fit in with his growth prospects. At Avangrid he was given the chance to continue studying and obtain diplomas in cybersecurity, but the doors to international travel were also opened to him. Just what he was looking for. Thanks to the facilities for internal mobility promoted by the group, he left his job at Avangrid, where he had been since 2012, and started a new stage in his career in Madrid, as International Security Coordinator.

At first it wasn't easy because he didn't speak Spanish, but with the help of his colleagues Christopher has come to feel quite at home.

Personal and professional development

Like Christopher Cotter, many other group employees have been able to take advantage of our commitment to quality employment [PDF] External link, opens in new window., professional development, training, and equal opportunities.

Among many other values, we place special emphasis on occupational health and safety. We encourage health and well-being inside and outside work, we take care of each other and we work as a team, and we always assess and control risks before acting. We share the martial arts philosophy that Christopher so likes: we push for personal growth, and we aim to internalise values within a culture that supports and promotes a team spirit among our employees.