Finding time in a working culture
Well for previous readers and my friends that read this blog (probably the only ones who do) they know that I have not written in a few months. Why you might ask? Because I have been so busy. Being a university student can become a lot at times and I usually find myself studying for hours on end instead of taking a break and reading or even doing some yoga or walking around. I imagine holding a job is a lot of the same thing, too much work not enough time to just disconnect. Living on campus means I’m in school 24/7 and it has started to get to me. I decided that at least everyday I NEED to take a break read, write on this blog, exercise and just make sure I both continue my studies but also have a healthy work/life balance. That’s why this post is a few tips to help you take some time to take a break and read a book.
take a small break
While this might seem really obvious and kind of stupid to say, taking a break in between whatever it is you do (studying, working, writing etc.) is not only good for you but good for your brain. Taking five minutes here and there to disconnect and walkaround, grab a coffee or read a few pages can make all the difference in the long run.
Avoid the void of social media
It’s easy to just pick up the phone and scroll whenever you have a break, before you go to sleep and when you wake up. Using a phone right when you wake up sets you up for being tired all day and using it before bed does not give you a restful sleep. There are plenty of articles that back this up as well (I can’t name any but search it if you don’t believe). Simply starting your day by reading a few pages from the book that’s been collecting dust on your bedside table or doing some stretches can make your day a whole lot better and set you up to be a lot more productive. Doing this before bed can make your sleep a lot more restful and then make the following day even better. I am guilty of picking up my phone and scrolling the abyss as well but making a conscious effort to put that aside and opting for a book or some sort of movement instead can help you out so much in the long run and give you back so much valuable time spent. I usually opt for reading cause I need to find content to yap about in this blog but anything that is not a screen is perfect.
set aside set time
Much like taking a break, setting aside time to do something for an hour or two per day is a great way to genuinely make time. If you genuinely cannot carve out time then the five minute breaks work just as well but instead of putting in a bunch of overtime or deciding to study for five or more hours straight cut it down to an hour less and use the remaining time to do what you love. In the long run it will help you be a more productive person as well as avoid burnout and enjoy your life a whole lot more.
Additional notes:
Things that help me to push through this working culture is to a) journal daily and b) romanticize life and find joy in little things. I thing maybe a lot of what I said may come across as dumb or cliche and at first I though it was too but doing something as simple as journaling about your day or working outside instead of being inside all day makes life a lot more enjoyable and also makes you a bit more productive and in turn can lead to more time for yourself. I found I am just genuinely a lot happier of a person when I do these things and as a bonus I get more time to do the things I love since I don’t feel the need to procrastinate.
So there it is, my life, some thoughts and hopefully a part of it you can implement if you haven’t all ready. I’ll be trying to write everyday so come back for book recs and reviews, maybe some fashion things which I am going to try incorporating into this blog and just to see what’s up. For now happy reading.
