For the past few days, I’ve been trying to put my focus on school. My classes started, and I really haven’t grasped them completely. Usually, for the first few weeks, I always feel a bit overwhelmed, just until I gain an understanding of what is expected out of me in each class. Yesterday, I cracked down a little and started reading the first chapter of my abnormal psychology book. It was hard, I’m not going to lie. I just couldn’t concentrate, and it took me a while to read just ten pages (which is only half of the chapter). My mind is elsewhere, and I admit, school hasn’t been my main focus, though I want it to be.
After some thinking, I decided to ask my boss if I could go down to 4-day weeks from September 17th to the last Friday in October. (Luckily, my boss is awesome, and he approved it.) I think having Fridays off to completely devote to school will really help me to bring my focus back to where it needs to be.
I know that losing eight hours a week will decrease my paycheck each week, but I’m willing to do it. I just really need to do this to achieve the “work less, live more” goal I have set for my life.
What do you do when life gets a bit overwhelming?
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Good for you for asking for Friday’s off!
Having a full day to devote to school will be *such* a lifesaver for you Megan, when I was doing grad school + working last year it made such a difference to me. It means you still get some weekend time with your husband!
When life gets overwhelming I try to cut out the stressful things I can, and reinvest in the things that de-stress me
Congrats on getting Fridays off. Sometimes, we have to do what is best for ourselves.
At first, I eat when life gets too hard to handle. Then I make to-do lists. LOL
I’m so glad you’re doing what’s best for you and your future career!
YAY! So glad you got approved for Friday’s off. That will make the work-life balance so much better!!!
Kudos to you for recognizing what you need & asking for it – & getting it!
Tomorrow is my last day of my job before I’m unemployed after quitting my job… which I hated with every fiber of my being. I’m terrified of what comes next, but I know it was the right choice.
I drink. And then I procrastinate by going shopping. And then I realize that I’ll be f’d if I don’t start working. And then somehow, it just happens.
It’s just the beginning of the school year. No worries. You’ll be fine. Everyone starts off the same.
I am so glad you got Fridays off–I’m sure the break will do you a world of difference!
IMHO we all work too much. I believe each of us have an ideal mix of work and liesure time and that the forty-hour, five-day workweek is not it. Too much work! And it is tough to really enjoy your weekend when there is so much catching up to do, errands to run, etc. And then comes Sunday and the dread of Monday hanging over the day like the threat of rain.
After achieving financial independence, I walked away from a six-figure income. For a year or so, my other projects kept me fully occupied but as I whittled down my to-do list and had time to reflect, I discovered there were aspects of the work I left that I missed; mostly the interactions with co-workers and the feeling of good work done well as a member of a team.
So, I went back to work but not the grind of full-time employment. I have a part-time job doing work I enjoy and I know I can walk away whenever I feel like it since money is no object.
I am also a writer and publisher. I write about personal financial management and once taught the subject at the college level. I have come to the conclusion that, for most people, a three-day workweek and a four-day weekend is the right work/life mix. But most of us will continue in the rat race simply because we do not realize that the four-day weekend is a viable alternative that will not cost you as much as you think, if anything at all! Good luck.