Finding Balance

I meant what I said in the last line of my previous post: I really can't wait for time off. Work has been INSANE for the past month and it is only now starting to ease up. As my friend Dori notes, I'm putting in private sector hours in a public sector job. And most evenings I'm working in the dark (they turn the lights out at 7:00 on my floor at College Park and I have often been there late working by the light of my monitor until 8:00 or 9:00pm). What up?

So now I am "taking back the night" and reclaiming some of those lost hours. The first step is seeing more movies! Last night's was the first in 6 weeks - highly irregular for Haikugirl's natural moviegoing habits.

In early December I took a course on Work-Life Management led by Dr. David Posen, author of The Little Book of Stress Relief. The course was amazing and couldn't have come at a better time for me. I am working at bringing more balance to my life at work and at home. One strategy is to just deal with the next 15 minutes (instead of getting overwhelmed by everything we have to do). Another is to do something for yourself every day. I made a commitment to blog, play piano, or walk at lunch at least 30 minutes each day to shift the focus away from work.

Wishing you and yours balance at the holiday season. May you have as relaxing a Christmas as we hope to have, filled with family, food, song and DVDs.

Christmastime is here
May peace and love fill your home
Enjoy your time off