Hello everyone, how are you doing today? The week is now in full swing and the month is slowly running to an end. It is kind of funny how the month seems to just breeze by, while each day will seem impossibly long. But then, some days are like that.
Today I will be talking about something that I face on a daily basis, and how I manage it so that it does not disturb my productivity. And that is my work and personal life balance.
As I have probably said before, aside from being a blogger I am also a professional writer. I ghostwrite and Copywrite for clients, and I am also a Book Project Consultant. All these are remote jobs that I do at home, and because of that, I spend most of my days indoors.
And that is where most of the challenges come up.
Usually, for those that go out to work each day, it is easy to leave everything related to work behind and go home. But when you work at home, it becomes quite difficult to differentiate work time from family time.
I am always sitting on a chair, hunched over my PC and typing away. And I can spend hours in that position until I have done what I set my mind to do.
As you can guess, this began to affect me. I began to feel aches in my back due to the way I was seating, I was also not getting enough exercise seeing as my daily routine was from my desk to my bed back to my desk. Unless when I wanted to have my meal I went to the kitchen.
That routine was not in my favor at all. And as if to make matters worse, my family was complaining that I was spending all hours of the day behind doors. Not spending time with them or going out to get some sun. I was just focused on making that money and everything else seemed inconsequential to me.
But eventually, I had to slow down when my back pain became too much. For about a day I could not seat down properly and that was when I knew that something was wrong with the daily routine I had chosen and I had to change it or things would get worse if care was not taken.
I took drugs that eased the pain and when I was okay, I decided to create a schedule. A timetable of sorts that planned out my day. Before I used to take my day anyway it came, I was always winging it without any plan and that was the reason for my predicament. That was not going to happen again. This time around I was going to know everything that was going to happen a day before.
On my schedule, there was not just work. I also included other chores I had to do in the house, there was time for me to relax or go for stroll so that I could stretch my legs. It took me well about an hour to get this timetable in order. And when I had done that, I pasted it on my wall directly over my desk so that I could see it every time I looked up from my PC. If I was getting carried away with work, it would get me right back on track.
And I began to follow this new routine religiously. I ensured that I only worked when it was time to work, then I changed activities and did some house chores. This helped my brain to relax from all the stress I had been putting it through, the change of activity also allowed my body to stretch a little. Then once in a while, I would go out. Sometimes I would run errands, using it as an excuse to receive fresh air even if it was for a few seconds.
I have been using this method for about six months now, and so far it has been working for me. Although I have revamped my timetable to include workouts so that I will stay fit. Thanks to this routine, I now have more time to spend with my family and on myself. I am no longer cooped up in my room and hunched over my desk for all the hours of the day. And yet, I achieve more now than back then when I used to work, work, work.
And the beautiful thing is that I am now able to leave the work for only when I am working, and focus on other things that also matter. Because while money is important, I also need to be healthy to enjoy it.
So friends, this is my journey about how I was able to bring balance to my work and personal life. What do you think about it? Do let me know in the comment section. I would love to hear your take.
Thank you for reading, till we meet in the next post.
