When you’re working a full time job 40+ hours a week, it’s easy to get in the habit of going to work, going home, and resting. I mentioned in a previous article that as a small business owner, I’ve been getting in the habit of doing as much work as I can whenever possible. When I have free time either before or after teaching all the classes, I’ll usually fill it with getting other things done like paperwork, emails, editing documents, etc. These things don’t necessarily have to be done right away, so I could just save it for the next day or delegate it to one of the helpers that comes in to work the desk. But if I see something in front of me, I have a tendency to just want to get it done quickly and by myself. This has not been great for my mental health; I’ve started to neglect the hobbies and activities that I love doing in addition to karate. Playing and writing music, practicing stunts, attending other martial arts classes, hanging out with my friends, and going to the gym have all taken a backseat in my day to day life.
It’s important to recognize when you’re overworking yourself, and when you need a break. In our society, we glamorize the grind and working as hard as possible, but this is unhealthy if there’s no balance in your life. I recognized that I needed a change; I’d overwork myself and then all I’d want to do when I got home was sleep. My body became used to that so I’d be sleeping almost too much and still feel tired in the morning because I was sad, felt lazy and unaccomplished in my personal goals. Your body gets used to your routine, so mine started craving more sleep and rest when I didn’t actually need it. What I ended up doing was creating a weekly breakdown and planning out my free time so that I can still get what I need done at work, but also make time for myself and what I want to do. I also created weekly job lists for my desk employees so I could better distribute out the work that needs to get done daily. I needed a change; I’d overwork myself and then all I’d want to do when I got home was sleep. My body became used to that so I’d be sleeping almost too much and still feel tired in the morning because I was sad, felt lazy and unaccomplished in my personal goals. Your body gets used to your routine, so it started craving more sleep and rest when I didn’t actually need it.
For me, this has made me feel way less burnt out and I can go to sleep at night knowing I had a successful day working, and also personally. Don’t neglect yourself and your needs, even your wants. Variety is the spice of life, it’s good to have different hobbies and interests to keep your life well-rounded. Making time for these favored activities might seem like you could be doing something more “productive”, but it’s best for your mind and body to take a break and have some fun.
