Blog Talk: Work Life Balance
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January 20, 2020
Achieving a balanced life is not easy, especially when you’re self-employed or have more than one job. But work life balance is one of the most important topics today. In addition the grueling work conditions and demanding corporate culture of many companies in this country, one of the biggest contributing factors to the incredibly unbalanced lives most of us lead is social media. Whether you work in digital media or not, spending time on social media is taking away from the time you could be spending actually living your life.
It’s so ironic, we spend so much time working, earning that next paycheck – for what? So we can spend our free time scrolling through other people’s highlight reels comparing ourselves to them? So we can take photos to show everyone how happy we are – even though the photos are completely staged? Since this is a Blog Talk post, and I am a full-time blogger, I’m going to focus on my own perspective, but I think my points can apply to any industry. Whether you’re a doctor saving lives every day or sharing your top #nsale picks, forgetting about yourself and what’s best for you is never ok.
In 2015 I shifted my focus. Instead of living to work, I started working to live. And you know what? The quality of my work improved. I started doing the things I always dreamed of–like traveling–and my life was transformed. As a result, my content changed for the better. I was able to be more genuine in sharing my true passions. You know that quote “A weekend well spent brings a week of content”? I always read that as content – like blog content. And it’s true. Taking that time to recharge, connect with people, and unplug only brings positive changes.
We need to get away from the mentality where we prioritize emails and Instagram posts over friends, family, and our own mental health. We can blame the Instagram algorithm all we want, and they do deserve some of the blame, but now that I don’t get likes no matter what I do, it’s actually been easier to step away and not give a shit. Don’t get me wrong, I still work hard on my blog, on web design, and for my consulting clients. But never again will I let work come before my happiness. No matter what.
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How do you achieve work life balance?
Photo by Ryan Carpenter.
July 17, 2019 @ 8:26 pm
I totally believe in the importance of this. I created “Balancing Pieces” to share how I balance my life. I quickly learned when I began working for myself that I needed to balance out all the things.
July 18, 2019 @ 8:08 am
Yes!! I love it! It’s so very important for our quality of life!
July 18, 2019 @ 8:13 am
Uh yes girl! Great blog talk! I’ve been stepping back from Instagram a bit too and it’s been amazing for my headspace. But it’s not just Instagram. Once I feel too consumed with something I need to take a mini break and remember what’s important- my family and other interests in my life!
July 18, 2019 @ 2:45 pm
Yes!! Absolutely. I’m so glad you agree and are taking the steps you need to take in order to find the balance!
July 18, 2019 @ 9:34 am
I think our culture suggests that we should work harder, because working more is “better.” But it’s really the opposite!
July 18, 2019 @ 2:44 pm
Spot on!! That’s exactly what it is. Ironically enough, many other countries throughout the world feel the opposite and their people are so much happier. Speaks volumes to me!
July 18, 2019 @ 10:00 am
Great topic! Work life balance was a HUGE factor in my decision not to go to graduate school. Being able to forget about work on the weekends and while I am on a 2 week long trip is non-negotiable. If I were to advance in my career, there is no doubt I would CONSTANTLY have to worry about work and I am not about that life.
July 18, 2019 @ 2:43 pm
Agreed! I can understand that completely!
July 18, 2019 @ 10:54 am
This was actually super helpful for me to read today. I needed the reminder that I shouldn’t just live to work (which is how I tend to view things) but rather, work to live – and live to the fullest, at that! Thank you for sharing this!
July 18, 2019 @ 2:43 pm
You’re so welcome, girl! I’m glad it spoke to you today 🙂 We all need the reminder sometimes!
July 18, 2019 @ 11:09 am
Yes yes yes and yes. Family first for me always ❤️
July 18, 2019 @ 2:42 pm
Absolutely! So important!
July 18, 2019 @ 3:46 pm
I totally hear you! Working to live is wonderful. It changes the entire focus and allows room for real life to blossom! 🙂 Happy for you!
July 23, 2019 @ 1:05 pm
Absolutely!! That’s the perfect way to put it 🙂
July 19, 2019 @ 5:57 pm
I live in Washington, DC where people are almost proud to have no work-life balance – everyone is a workaholic and it’s accepted as the norm. It’s hard to get out of that mentality sometimes but it really is important to have that balance! you made some great points in this post!
July 23, 2019 @ 1:04 pm
Ugh, I can only imagine how crazy the workaholic mentality is there!! It’s sooo important to find the balance.
July 22, 2019 @ 2:59 pm
For real love this post. I have really started to care less about IG and work on my blog content when I can which is what I originally loved and writing why i started to blog in the first place….not for instagram likes. Instagram didnt come into the picture till years later and was supposed to be just a side thing …..it quickly because the main thing and Im glad to be stepping back a bit from that because it took the joy away from creating content. IG made it such a stressful thing
July 23, 2019 @ 1:02 pm
I agree 1000%!!! I want to love what I do, not constantly feel belittled by a social media platform. It definitely takes a mindset shift, but once that happens you feel soooo much more free!
July 24, 2019 @ 8:30 am
Thank you so much for sharing about this topic. Work life balance is so hard for everyone but even more challenging for bloggers.
July 24, 2019 @ 11:40 am
Yes, absolutely! Our work is literally going on 24/7 so that makes it much harder to step away and find some balance. We really have to make a conscious effort!
July 24, 2019 @ 9:52 am
What a great post,as it explains how to balance work load and live life beautifully. Without paying attention how we live, we work as a machine.
July 24, 2019 @ 11:39 am
You are so right about that! The time passes by sooo quickly, and if we don’t start to live with more intention it will truly slip away from us!