Eight years ago, I worked a ocular merchandising job alongside a 6-2 schedule. I additionally lived in Vancouver, among the most costly cities in North America. With mostly liberated afternoons and a affection of writing, I started looking into freelancing to boost my income.
It was fair a fun flank hustle at first. The gigs weren't too time-consuming, and I took a small interrupt following moving to the UK for affection in 2019. But following getting settled and finding a new full-time merchandising job, I decided to provision it another go. The epidemic gave me a lot of period to activity on new projects and build my portfolio, as I was furloughed from my full-time job during the thick of lockdown between 2020 and 2021.
Then restrictions started to lift, but my workload kept growing. I went rear to my full-time job, which had a additional accepted 8-5 schedule. By then, I had regular freelance clients, so I'd use evenings and weekends to activity on projects until operating six or seven days a week became normal for me. I eventually switched to a part-time function in 2022 to provision myself additional period for freelancing, but the lengthy workweek stuck.
An global move made operating seven days a necessity, not an option
My hubby and I decided to move rear to Canada in 2023, which is whenever the force for me to activity additional became real. We chose an immigration path that meant my hubby wouldn't be capable to activity for at smallest a twelvemonth during his visa was being processed, so I was the sole provider.
I quickly established another part-time job following moving so we could keep a certain flat of earnings without dipping into our savings. By then, 7-day workweeks were norm for me. I'd activity three or four days at my part-time job, and expend the remainder of the week freelancing.
Our scheme helped us remain on top of our finances, but I was starting to awareness depleted. A big logic we moved rear to Canada was to expend additional period in nature and bask a slower gait of life. We chose to move to the smaller city of Victoria fairly than my hometown of Vancouver, anywhere we have uncomplicated admission to beaches, parks, and hiking trails. So whenever my hubby eventually got his visa in 2024 and secured a full-time function following a six-month-long job hunt, I learned to provision myself approval to dilatory down.
I dropped my hours at my part-time job, so I was lone operating there two days a week, and stopped saying yes to additional shifts if asked. I started getting pickier concerning the freelance clients I worked alongside and politely declined projects that didn't awareness right. I started taking complete days off regularly following years of operating nearly all day, apart from the odd holiday or day trip.
Now, concerning a twelvemonth and a fractional since my hubby went rear to work, my representative workweek is lighter than it has been in years. I obtain at smallest one complete depart all week, and my activity days are shorter, so I can bask dilatory mornings and completely unwind in the evenings.
I've started to activity less, but I motionless awareness blameworthy concerning it sometimes
I cognize this change is improved for my mental and bodily health, but it doesn't continually arrive alongside complete relief. Old habits die hard, as they say. Sometimes I motionless awareness akin I have to be operating more, equal although we now have a household income that comfortably covers all our essential expenses affirmative a few small additional luxuries.
I'm continually reminding myself that it's OK and equal fine to dilatory down, and it's OK that my hubby is picking up the financial slack correct now. Roles change inside a alliance as existence changes. We were in a period anywhere I had to put in the work, and now we're in a period anywhere I can unwind a bit more.
As much as I have a certain awareness of pride whenever it comes to activity and financial contribution, I'm additionally part of a squad that offers mutual support. I'm learning that it doesn't necessarily have to be tied to income. My hubby plant in a demanding company administration role, and I desire to assistance him unwind and obtain a burden off whenever he's at home. Sometimes that entails operating less.
I don't cognize how lengthy I'll have the privilege of specified a relaxed activity schedule, as the disbursal of living keeps rising, and I desire to continue construction my freelance penning business. But I do desire to keep on prioritizing my health and wellbeing, which method taking work-life balance seriously. Whatever happens in the future, I anticipation my 7-day workweeks are a item of the past.
