Getting a Real Handle on Work/Life Balance (Finally)
By: Shaunta Grimes
Tags: Creativity, Life, Productivity, Work, Writing

I have this problem.

Because I work for myself and I work from home — I never feel like I’m not working. I’m not sure if it’s a work/life balance thing or just a result of not having much delineation between my work and life spaces, but the end result is that I feel like I’m working 18 hours a day.

Pretty much every waking moment.

If I’m not actually, physically working — I feel like I should be.

A couple of things have happened recently that have helped me to right that ship (hallelujah.)

Thing One: I Got a Set Schedule

The first part of June, I started teaching small-group workshops and classes. As a result, for the first time since I started Ninja Writers (and quit my day job), I have work hours.

My workshops and classes are all on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

I spend Monday and Friday doing other Ninja Writers stuff.

And suddenly, my week has structure that it’s never had before.

I’ve found that it’s much easier to shut my work-brain off on the weekend now. (Did I mention — hallelujah?)

How you can use this hack:

Is hack the right word? Probably not, but let’s go with it.

If you’re having a hard time turning off your work brain — give yourself a schedule, just like you’d have if you worked for someone else.

It certainly helped for me to have people counting on me to show up for my workshops and classes on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. But I could have done that for myself a long time ago.

Everyone talks about scheduling in time for your side-hustle, because it’s pretty common to just get too busy to do what needs to be done. I’m here to tell you that at some point, if that side-hustle is successful, you’ll go way too far the other direction and you’ll need your schedule to reign yourself in.

Thing Two: I Got an Office

Don’t worry. I’m not going to suggest you go out and rent one, too. (Although, if you can swing it — at least give it some thought.)

Last week I was offered some office space that’s 100 percent perfect for me. It’s on the top story of a 1920s downtown bank building with a killer river view and tons of sunshine. And it costs $235 a month, including utilities and cleaning.

I mean.

Here’s what’s awesome about having an office (beyond just having a place to work that’s away from the home circus): It physically separates life and work.

I’m sure I’ll still work from home sometimes. On my workshop and class days, I have a group that meets each day from 8 to 10 p.m. and I’m unlikely to go back to my office for that.

But getting up, getting dressed, packing a lunch, and heading downtown to work shifts my brain into work-zone. And packing it all back in and going home in the evening shifts it back into life-zone.

How you can use this hack:

If you have the means (and your gig is making enough money to support it), consider renting office space.

If you that won’t work, you could look into a cooperative workspace — where you pay a monthly fee to access a group office space.

Or set up at your favorite coffee shop or the library.

One thing that has made the last several months super hard is that I started working in my bedroom. So sometimes I was literally spending like 20 hours in the same room.

That wasn’t good for me.

So if you decide that working home is best for you right now — try to set up a work space, so that when you’re in it, you’re at work. And when you’re not, you’re not.