A Quest For Balance

Diary, 

The past couple of months have been a little tougher than usual. Something a lot of people talk about is balancing things especially since humans are naturally multifaceted.

To paint a picture, balancing life and work in a sane environment is a bit of a task but doing it in Lagos, Nigeria and the year of our Lord, 2024 is nothing short of a herculean task.

I currently have a very demanding job that went from demanding to crucially demanding in July 2023. Unfortunately, many aspects of my life have had to suffer due to me not having time to hold my head above water long enough to catch my breath before I'm thrown back into work.

Anyway, after a really scary health-related incident this year, I decided to make certain drastic changes and I hold myself accountable to a healthier outlook on life.

Firstly, I had to learn the importance of setting boundaries to disallow one part of my life from overwhelming the others. While I must dedicate myself to my career and growth as a young professional, I have had to understand how real burnout can be. So, yeah, boundaries.

Also, I've learned variations of how to say "No". I am quick to say no if anything that can be moved around threatens to overwhelm an already hectic schedule for me. It goes on the list of things to do at a later time.

Additionally, I communicate when my cup gets close to being full. Regardless of what aspect of my life it might be, I have realized expressing that I am currently unable to take on more will not end the world. If it will be the end of the world, then...

Unfortunately, self-care took a back seat in the past but not anymore. I will take a mental health day as often as I can without it necessarily affecting my work. I also prioritize reading a book, studying, having a pamper day, spending time with friends, and doing things that put me in a better head space over hyper-focusing on work when I should be taking a break.

Through these changes, I've noticed I'm not 100% there yet but I'm way closer than I was in the past. I know it won't always be this straightforward and I'm granting myself grace if I falter.