When I was young, I used to think that the concept of a good “work-life balance” was for old people. Only people with ordinary lives a nine-to-five job, a savings account, etc. could obsess over such ordinary things, right? As an aspiring writer, I imagined it would be impossible for me to ever work too hard or too much.
Since my day job wouldn’t be something I did, but instead, who I was as a person, I would never really feel on or off the clock. I’d make my own schedule, live by my own rules — my life would become my art.
It wasn’t until I began an entry-level position in media and threw 100 percent of my time doing just that, that I realized how critical work life balance was — so critical, in fact, that my body gave out after two months.
I looked forward to coming in everyday. But I was completely overwhelmed by the demands of my specific role.
To prove myself wrong, I worked overtime. I stayed in the office until 9 p.m., sometimes later, and upon returning home, would attend to my emails. I would wake up in the middle of the night and grab my phone in a panic. I tried my best to maintain my work-life balance.
I resolved that there was no use in attempting to do anything other than work; I’d just find myself on my laptop anyways. So, I gave up my routine. I am now riding on this constant wave of things will better the next day.
