Coffee with a Rebel Podcast 

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Show Notes 

In this episode, you'll learn:

• My thoughts on work-life balance 
• Setting boundaries 

Links 

therebelsden.com

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Full Episode Transcript

Let's talk about work, and life balance, which I think is AB absolute, utter like new. It doesn't exist. And as a Libra, who is always finding the balance and seeking the balance in some kind of a way I realize it just doesn't exist. It's more what I like to call harmony. It's like a dance, right? Sometimes work will lead and life will follow. Sometimes life will lead and work will follow. So it's really this back and forth. This dance that we do with all of these facets of our lives, you there are literally 24 hours in a day. If you want equal balance, that means you're working eight hours. You are doing life for eight hours and you're sleeping for eight hours, but that's not really true, for most of us now. Yes, I get about eight hours of sleep every night because that's the boundary that I do every day.

I go to bed by 10 and I'm up by six. That's cool. But I still have all of these hours left and I don't just work all day. I don't work for eight hours. I work for anywhere from two to four, maybe six hours. And then I make art and I don't necessarily feel like any of it is really work because I love what I do. I enjoy what I do. But if you're struggling with finding downtime for yourself, because you're working all the time, whether it is in a job or in your own business, then it's time to have some boundaries. Like, I think that's really, really important is to set those boundaries and be like, you know what? This is the time I'm going to bed, no matter what. And I have my phone set for do not disturb. And the only people that can get through that, I've programmed and those are emergency things, right?

Like somebody got erect, somebody's dying. That kind of a situation they call me and they can get through. So I'm not missing any of those crucial phone calls from my people. And other than that, my phone is I do not disturb between 10 o'clock at night, till six o'clock in the morning. And I go to bed like TV off, phone, down, I'm asleep. And then I get up in the morning. I do my writing journaling thing, drink my coffee and sort of get myself prep for the day, do a workout. If I do a first-thing workout. Sometimes I do them later in the day, but I have these boundaries where I'm like, this is the time I'm taking off. And also with my clients, I do a little bit of virtual system work and I need two days of the lead time for a task.

That's coming up. Like, they'll tell me, well, this, this is what I like to get done on a Tuesday. I'm not working on it until at least Thursday. Like I need that time because I may have other things going on. Sometimes if I don't, I may do it sooner. But usually, I give that two-day space because I do have other things going on. I have to prepare for events to some art and I just, you know, need to literally look into what they want me to do and see if I have the time and space to do it because I may have that client work going on. So finding that work-life balance is really coming down to setting boundaries. If you are in a job, you can tell your boss to not call you after work hours. I don't know why we think that we can't say no.

We have a life outside of work. And I've been there. I used to do that. I used to be called girl Friday and a previous job because I was always available. Always like always, and it will burn you out. So work off balance doesn't really exist, but I do believe in harmony. And it just, that harmony happens when you start setting boundaries, uh, when you're working and when you're not working and you have to stick by those. One of the things that I don't do is do business and messenger. Any of them, not on my pages and not on my personal, um, although there's an exception to where people are like, Hey, I want this piece of art that you just made. Is it available? They might comment. They usually comment on my page. And then I was fun because I don't have their email address.

I will respond that way in the rebel stand though. Any kind of communication that is happening is happening via email. And my clients get access to me either through the Voxer or the VO app. I don't do business when it comes to coaching and consulting in the messenger of any kind, except for Voxer in the Volley app. Everything else is being done by email. And that is a boundary that I have. And if that means I'm losing business, then so be it again. The only time I don't follow that rule is in my art business because people will comment on a picture that they see saying, I want this bookmark or then message me saying, Hey, is this available? And I will do business that way because I usually like I do Venmo, um, for those kinds of transactions. And it's just a little easier that way, but having boundaries and being very clear about them will help you create that harmony.

I stop working for clients by six o'clock every day I am done for the day. That is my time to chill out, maybe make art, usually crochet or something, and spend time with my family, that kind of it. Um, it's also really important that we take some time off, you know, like going on vacation or just unplugging from everything. Even if it's just for a day, I don't work the weekends. Well, let me take that back. I work the weekends when I have an event, um, where I'm selling Martin person that, but then I am also taking time off during the week because replacing those days, right? So it's a constant back and forth, always adjusting, but always making sure that you have downtime to rest and recharge. So you can continue to be inspired and do the work that you do and continue to be good at it. Let me know what you think about work-life balance.