I currently work 50% with hopes of working 75% soon. When I worked 100% I had 0 energy after work; no energy for friends, hobbies and family (I have two small kids). Has anybody found work-life balance?
It’s pretty dang hard . Sometimes I get it and sometimes I don’t .
I try to make things a competition, I bet I can get all the trash out in 15 minutes. If your kids are young try to race them to do a task. I bet I can clean up faster than you. If it is fun and competitive, then I can find energy for it
I’m in a similar situation. Just trying to figure out how to increase my capacity and reduce stress.
I work full time and have a husband and 3 kids. We stay on the go with sports and activities! The work/life lines blur now that I work from home and don’t have the “decompress” drive home time. But I will say at least once a month I take a “mental health” sick day! Just to pick up at home a bit, lay around without anyone asking me a thousand questions, etc. It is SO worth it!
There’s no balance… I’m a single mom to a small human that also has adhd, and I work full time…. I just always continue 200% until I’m so extremely dysregulated that I can’t do anything else than crying, have a breakdown and then feel depressed for a day or two and then get back to 200% again…. Nothing I recommend and I’m quite sure it’s a perfect recipe for severe burnout 🔥 I would work 80% if I could afford it. That would give me a bit of space to breath and be more in balance. I wouldn’t want to work less though since working gives me a steady routine and keeps me away from paralysis mode in the sofa 😅
Sounds rough! Without my wife I don't know how I would cope with the kids.
i understand the struggle. when i worked full time, i found i’d spend more hours (even after work) completing tasks, never be pain free (i suffer with chronic pain too) and the job was crippling yet i still continued! i’d then feel depressed that i never had any time and energy for things. i now am contracted to 8 hours, but most weeks work 4/5 days however not having that full-time contract feels like there is less pressure and less to commit to. also having a good team who help me switch off and leave work when the day/shift is over. i still spend quite a few days off tired and energy-less currently, but weeks where i have worked less i find i have a little more energy for the social side of life and the hobbies. i also hope that one day ill have a much better work-life balance - but it’s difficult when most of life costs money that can only be achieved by working silly hours!! i hope once you work 75% of the time, you find it easier than when you worked 100%. it’s a struggle but you will get there :) you must listen to your body though.
Thank you! Yeah, I used to work nights and sometimes weekends to get my work stuff done (since I didn't "work as fast as I should" during the day - only according to myself). I don't do that anymore though; when I quit my workday is over, even though the transition from work to free time is hard for me. I also have a good and understanding team at work. I've already been burnt out 4 times, but now I know I have ADHD, and can adjust accordingly.
The balance is that I work so much I don’t need a life. 🫣
Haha, well, as long as you listen to your body (and mind) :)
