All Work, No Play..

It can be quite difficult throughout the week, with busy schedules, fast approaching deadlines and the very mundane daily chores, to make time for the things that feed our soul and give us purpose. This is not to say that our careers do not provide us with a sense of purpose, however, while work provides a means to an end, hobbies and our preferred pastimes keep us inspired and reaching for more in life. 

Even with this understanding, I find myself, quite often, placing more emphasis on my work life and either half-heartedly applying myself to the things I enjoy, or abandoning them altogether. Now, I do try to not be so hard on myself when I cannot manage to make or find time to engage in writing, reading, or any of my other hobbies and pastimes. However, I cannot help but feel a slight tinge of disappointment when I come home too exhausted to bury myself in something I genuinely enjoy doing. Although it may sound dramatic, there is always a brief moment of mourning as I slowly process the toll that my demanding work commitments have taken on my ability to focus elsewhere for the remainder of the day. 

It is important to make time for yourself each day and each week, and while this is sound advice, something can be said of how this is “easier said than done”. When we spend roughly 80% of our week grinding away at work, it becomes more difficult to remove ourselves and focus elsewhere as the checklists and deadlines remain embedded in the back of our minds, silent but always present. 

So, how do I find time to do the things I love; more specifically, write? Once upon a time I would have shared that I schedule writing time into my calendar each day, and hold myself accountable with an expected word count goal. This quickly became overwhelming and stressful, the enjoyment of sitting down to a blank page and letting my mind wander to different worlds turned into another chore with expectations and timetables. I found myself remaining in a working state of mind, in which the subject and location may have changed, however, the need to accomplish and complete tasks in a very systematic way kept me from settling into a less chaotic, more tranquil frame of thought. 

These days, I have opted for a much more forgiving approach and made simple routine changes to help stifle the constant flow of work related worries within my head, in turn opening myself to the endless possibilities available in the remaining hours of each day. Upon returning home, I immediately change into a comfortable outfit and take 30-40 minutes to walk around the neighborhood, using this time to acknowledge the events of the day and clear them from my mind. This transitional period acts as a buffer between my work life and my home life, and when I arrive back at my front door, I am ready to enjoy the rest of my day however I deem fit. This might not always lead to sitting down with a pen in hand, but I allow myself the option and try not to dwell further than that. 

Something that I have particularly taken pleasure in, in the most recent weeks, is waking early each day before the sunrise, while the house is still quiet and everyone is fast asleep. The early hours of the morning are peaceful and I have delighted in using that time to slowly sip on a hot cup of tea and see where my mind takes me when faced with an empty page. I dedicate roughly an hour of time, sometimes more, and sometimes less, depending on how I feel creatively, to write. This time is uninterrupted and untainted by daily needs and work commitments; a rarity in a world that refuses to pause, however briefly, and enjoy a solitude moment. 

Until the day that I can comfortably withdraw from my career and focus on writing in a more intentional and exclusive manner, I must continue to find opportunities to express myself creatively, without over-exertion or overwhelming. We cannot all be fortunate enough to turn our hobbies and pastimes into a career and, if I am being honest, I would much rather write for myself and allow anything further to occur naturally.  

Hanna B.