Something that I have struggled with for many years is my home life/work balance. Since I started my professional career around 10 years back, I always worked myself until near exhaustion. This has certainly had its benefits. It has allowed me to work my way up the ladder at the company where I have been since I turned 19. It has also come with its drawbacks. Throw in a blog and writing freelance for various fashion companies. My mind is more or less completely engaged at every single hour. So, I thought that for this blog post I would sit down and speak to you guys about how I manage the split. And speak about the things that I do in order to get a good balance for me.
I guess that the main thing that I had to do when I realised that something had to change. One day I worked out what I needed to be doing and where my attention had to be. For me, my full-time work came first because it paid the mortgage. I need to keep striving in that department. Still I had to make time for my freelance writing because this is again something that contributes to my household income. I have clients on my books who rely on me. I also have my blog which I love to write on and upload. This is not an immediate priority. I then have to make time for my husband, manage my house, look after my dog, care for nan and make some time for myself.
For me with my OCD, structure and plans are key in order for me to function and achieve everything that I need to achieve. I decided that the best thing for me to do was to create a digital planner, with timestamps under the various days of the weeks and then I could go into that and assign tasks which I want to do and what I need to tick off my list. Normally, the same format flows week in and week out and this is what helps me to stick on a good path and keep my mental health in check. So, I thought that I would share with you guys my planner and let you know how I keep my work and personal life balance in check over an entire week.
5am – Get up and go to the gym.
6am – Walk the dog for 30 minutes and then get ready for work.
7am – Commute to work, normally takes me 7 minutes.
7:15am – Start work 2 hours before my start time. I get my unpaid overtime in early so I can leave on time.
9am to 4:30pm – These are my working hours and I will get stuck into my busy day at work.
4:45pm to 5:30pm – I will leave work and go to see my nan to check that she is ok and if there is anything she needs.
6pm – I get back home, get changed, do my skincare routine while my husband walks the dog.
6:20pm – I start cooking tea with my husband.
7pm – Work on my freelance writing for an hour and only one hour.
8pm – This is time with my husband for us to chat and watch TV.
9:30pm – This is when husband normally retires to bed midweek because he is an old guy and I will pull out my laptop and work on my blog for half an hour before heading up to bed.
I hope that you guys liked this blog post. Even though I know it will not apply to everybody because we all have our different situations. The thing to take away from this is that you need to balance your professional and personal life. In this day and age where everything is digital and at your fingertips. It can be very hard to switch off and move onto something different or just create some time for yourself. But, it is something that we all need to do from time to time. This just keeps me in check. Make sure to leave me a comment down below. Let me know how you do it and what you think you need to change!