#MondayMusings : Creating Balance
If I had to make a list of all the things that I wanted to do and tried doing them all I don’t think there would be enough time. All of us seem to have a to-do list that can never be ticked off because there is only so little that we can do in the time that we have. But does that mean we can’t do the things that we want to do because we already have a lot of things that we are supposed to do?
The past month has been a really hectic one for me. I call it hectic because most of my waking hours were spent in the office working. I barely slept and often I skipped dinner – partly because all I wanted to do was to sleep as soon as I got back and partly because by the time I came back from work there used to be no food left in my PG and most eateries would be closed. My health which wasn’t that great at the beginning of the month deteriorated further. All I wanted to do was to run away from all of it. I wanted an escape.
When I told this to a few friends, one of them told me something similar to a quote that is often repeated.
“If you are doing something that you love, you won’t mind working on it for long hours. Do what you love, and you’ll never work another day in your life.”
But one question that often keeps popping in my head is this – isn’t too much of a single thing bad? I think it is. Wouldn’t it cause a burnout? I like what I do for a living and I do not hate what I do. I’ve had my own struggles in reaching where I am today and I am proud of it. Nothing in life comes easy. I know all of that. Yet, something didn’t seem right. What I was missing was the balance.
I am a person who has varied interests. I read, write, sing, play sports and I also play the keyboard. Normally, my routine involves spending enough time on at least one of these after work. But there was no time for any of this in the past one month. I tried to squeeze in some time to read during the weekends. I barely wrote. I didn’t play at all. I never went for my morning walks. After a long day, I usually enjoyed talking to my loved ones about my day. But when the days at work became so long, there was no time to even do that.
I had nothing to look forward to. I had no time to do the things that I loved and enjoyed doing. That was where it all went wrong. Work became a burden, a kind of punishment. It became something that I wanted to escape. The more I thought of all of this, the more it got me worried. I was weighed down by all of this. There was no balance.
It took me a trip home and some “me” time to think through things. I realized that balance cannot be restored in a day or two. Most of the time we are trying to find a balance, but we forget that sometimes we have to create balance. Maybe learning to say “No” is a skill that I should get better at. Maybe I should learn to prioritize better. Or maybe, I should learn to be kinder to myself.
How do you create a balance in your life?
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Linking this to Monday Musings at Everyday Gyaan.
Hi, Reema hope your health is better now and work is more optimized.It’s a challenge indeed.But I make very difficult choices and I never compromise on health.Do take care.
I took a few days off from work and I am taking some rest. Thank you 🙂
I too like to do a variety of things. However, doing one thing for a long time makes it boring and soon it would turn into a chore to finish. So I mix and match. That’s why sometimes I write a lot, then I switch to reading, soon it would be something else like painting or learning a skill, which often gives the impression that I’m not focusing but the truth is I enjoy this variety and it saves me from burnout phase. Mixing and balancing different activities will help you enjoy the task at hand. I’m so sorry to hear that you had no time left for yourself other than work. I hope this month would prove to be a much balanced one. Take care, Reema. No matter what you should eat and take care of yourself.
I agree with you! It is so bad to have a burnout! Thank you so much for your concern 🙂
Loved your post Reema. Balance is what we all strive for. Most of us appreciate change even if we love doing something. For instance I love writing but if I only wrote I’d probably go crazy. I need that break so i can come back refreshed. Of course there will be periods of time when we’re completely immersed in something but those can only be short periods.
I was so sorry to hear about the no food situation at your PG. I remember you mentioning it once earlier too in one of your posts. I hate the thought of you going to bed on an empty stomach after a long day at work. Isn’t it possible to keep something in your room – a snack maybe. Even biscuits or bread would be better than nothing. Do take care of yourself – that’s THE most important things.
I try to keep some fruits just in case I would need something to eat. But since there is no fridge there are times when I forget to replenish the stock because of lack of time.
Thank you so much for your concern 🙂
You’re right, Reema. Only when we do things which we love doing, do we love our work also. I play with my furball, read a book, listen to music or play the new Harry Potter game on my mobile when I need a quick ‘me-time’. Helps! 🙂
That sounds fun! I should check out the new Harry Potter game!
Thanks for dropping by 🙂
Loved your post Reema…thanku for sharing ..
Most of us appreciate change even if we love doing something and the thing which we strive for is balance
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If you are doing something that you love, you won’t mind working on it for long hours. Do what you love, and you’ll never work another day in your life – Just Loved this one
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creating a balance in your life
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