Since moving to London last year, I’ve often felt like I’m firefighting when it comes to balancing my time between work, life, blogging, friends, family, and everything else that I get up to. It’s nice to feel so wanted, but sometimes I’ve found this pressure becomes a real mental obstacle, keeping me up into the night writing emails, or causing me to hurriedly rush around at the end of a work day. You’ve probably experienced it too, tapping your foot hurriedly while on the tube despite knowing you’re not going to get to your stop any faster…
As part of their #PerfectBalance series, Yushoi, the baked, better for you snack brand, asked me to explore how I find balance alongside eating well (and snacking on their Smoky Salt & Pepper pea snacks…) Here are the ways I organise my time, and find ways to balance all the important people in my life too.
1. Call on a calendar
I’ll be honest, I have a multi-layered schedule. My first and holy grail is my phone calendar – it collates everything I’m doing at work, all my blog activity, and social events too. Everything is colour coded, and it’s the first thing I consult when I wake up in the morning!
2. Keep a diary
Alongside my digital calendar is my paper-based writing diary. I structure my writing diary with deadlines and any other precious information, and I then scribble all over it notes. It helps me to remember amazing moments gone by, and keep up to date with events happening around London and online.
3. Precious addresses
My third and final layer to my schedule is my social calendar. Not only do I try to meet up with friends two or three times a week, I also like scrolling through my address book and picking out contacts to talk to during the week too. I have a lot of hardworking friends to keep up with, and I’ve learnt over time that it’s important to keep these relationships blooming despite other commitments trying to get in the way.
4. Breakfast alone
Every day I enjoy me-time first thing in the morning. It’s probably for the best – I’m a groggy mess when I first get up – but I’ve started to really cherish the time alone to prepare myself, my clothes, my makeup, and either listen to a new favourite album or a podcast or two. I find my evenings get filled to easily, so it’s good to know I will always have these 45 minutes every morning to be alone.
5. Wellness breaks
The final element in my calendar is my wellness time. I really like pencilling in time to look after myself, whether it’s a Sunday morning reading, or a Saturday afternoon spa trip. Finding time to wind down, listen to my body, and connect with my mind rather than a screen is so important to me. I don’t think I’d be sane without it!
This post is sponsored by Yushoi.
