Work Life Balance For Writers

“Work Life Balance”, we all hear this phrase, probably on the daily.

We hear about how unbalanced we are and how this will impact our health and so on. We hear it, but let’s be honest, how much of that actually gets in? Not much I am sure.

So what are some of the things we can expect if we don’t do a better job of the “balancing act”? Well, here are a couple.

1. Sleep disturbances: sleeping can be tricky for some of us, but for writers and creatives alike, it’s extra hard. We have a difficult time “turning off” the brain. Women more so than men.

THE FIX:

Turn off that damn computer at a reasonable time. Aim to wrap up your writing no later than 6. Tough, yes I know, but necessary. If you turn that part of your brain off at a more reasonable time, you will give yourself time to unwind and this will directly impact your quality of sleep.

2. Weight gain: to be blunt, we sit on our asses…A LOT. This gets to be a problem when you are still putting in the same calories you did before you took to writing all the time. It’s no secret that food is 80% of the equation when it comes to weight gain or loss for that matter. If you are sitting for 8 plus hours a day, you will notice the extra weight.

THE FIX:

Get your ass moving around! Simple right? HA…if it were, we would all be heathy and vibrant and let’s be honest, we aren’t . Get up from your desk at least every 30-45 minutes. Knock out 100 jumping jacks or 30 push ups…point is, get the blood moving. Here at The Content Company, we like the rebounder. You know, the mini trampoline. 10 minutes on one of those is amazing and it’s pretty darn fun.

3. Burnout: Most writers are freelance writers, which means they are also entrepreneurs too. This is where the balancing act really comes into play. As entrepreneurs, we don’t have an off button the same way someone who has a job might. I am working on our business sometimes at 5:30 am and still going strong at 12:30 am. Ken and I have a family and we can’t expect our little ones to accommodate our crazy passion day after day. So not only will we burn out at that pace, so will our family, yours will too!

THE FIX:

TURN OFF THE COMMUNICATION! Yes, I am yelling (at myself as much as anyone else doing this). It’s important to remember that yes, clients are important and that, yes, they do pay the bills and all of that, but you are no good to anyone, even clients, if you can’t keep your shit together right? Right. So turn it off. Nothing is that critical that you can’t take a break to chill and if it is, it’s time to evaluate some priorities. The stuff will be there in the morning. Do your best, the rest tends to follow.

Until next time

Cara