Work-life balance might seem like a over-used buzzed term anymore, but it is a very important concept that some people struggle with more than others.
It's me.
Hi.
I'm the problem it's me.
Most of the time we have convinced ourselves we MUST work ourselves to death when no one really even asked us to. We often assume that expectations are one way, and a lot of the time it turns out that is not the case. I am speaking from experience and today I am here to shed some sage advice. So, I decided to do this blog as 1 part video and 1 part bullets about the stuff I talked about in the video. Sound good? Great!
Video time->
Stuff I mentioned in the video:
- Google Calendar - I highly recommend setting your working hours. Take it one step further with something like Clockwise for setting your meeting hours to maximize your productivity balance at work. I use the FREE version of Clockwise, in case you are wondering.
- Happy Planner - This is my paper planner. Yes, I have and use my iPad Pro but I guess being a whateverinneal has me at an age living in limbo where writing vs typing my notes burns them into my brain better. It also helps me organize the chaos that erupts throughout the day. Plus, I enjoy stickers and putting them into my planner helps me want to use it. You don't need to use the one I use though! There are a lot of great planner options out there even free ones you can download and use online. Or, just a note pad!
- Working out - I started doing Pilates at a place called Club Pilates. I used to really enjoy working out at home as I don't love the gym atmosphere and I would take video classes to help guide me but I found ALWAYS being here and being my own cheerleader doesn't work as well as it used to. What I like is there is never more than 12 people in a class and that is all that is going on inside. So you don't feel like you are in a fishbowl. ALSO - I want my body to age well and I read a lot about pilates being good for that. Also, good for people who sit a lot for work. I have seen incredible rebounds in my posture, flexibility, and stability and highly recommend checking it out.
- Beat Saber - I like to call this my "smoke break" as a former restaurant worker. Which if you have ever worked in any kind of service industry job you know this was like the only way to get a break sometimes, and if you didn't smoke (or had quit smoking) might have picked up the habit just so you could. (Please, don't do that!) Point is, it's 5-10 min of movement that will get your blood pumping which is good for you. Plus it is fun. Fun is good.
- Side Bar: Standing desks are also great way to break up a sedentary work environment. I got one last year and it is awesome. You don't have to stand all day, but being able to switch to standing is good for lots of reasons.
Stitch your tips on maintaining work-life balance with us on TikTok: @offdutyninjas!
Kira is the Founder of OffDutyNinja and a doer of many things. That's a nice short bio, right?