I balance my life by turning off my laptop and putting the phone away by 8:30 PM. That really helps me get out of "work mode" and get ready for bed. So, until 10:00 PM, I spend time with my dog, drink tea, and read.
The big aha moment for me was realizing that work/life balance doesn't mean a 50/50 split. We go through different "seasons" in life and sometime our personal lives are more of the priority, sometimes work might be the bigger priority. For me, it's more about checking into see if I'm neglecting an area and, like you said, making sure I'm enjoying what I'm doing. This was a great video. It made me think about some of the areas I might be neglecting right now *cough* myself *cough*
"sometimes work is a priority" wow they have you trained good. in reality work should only be a priority within the 40h you are paid. outside of that shutdown work and live your life. personal life should always take priority.
This is a student perspective but a huge thing that helps me work hard and enjoy life at the same time is spend as much time outside as possible. How much time I spend in the sun has a huge effect on my mood. I’m a completely different person in spring and summer lol.
Amy, my problem is reducing "life" to make room for "work", ha ha, which is why I like watching your videos for motivation! I think the big life change I need to make is scheduling. I keep avoiding it because I have this mental block of not wanting to be like restricted. Of course then I just end up wasting tons of time. Thanks for the video!
Hi Frank. I bet you would feel a lot less restricted if you had some sort of schedule. It will make your free time truly free time - without worrying about the other things you should get done. Can't hurt to try it. Maybe you could set aside a month and see if your life has improved after that time. You can always go back to an unscheduled life if it doesn't work out for you. Good luck!
this is SO true. Sometimes i let a week go without a schedule, without writing things in my planner,a nd i feel so out of control, like i need to work work work all day! and i find its just because i havent written anything down to manage my time correctly. Its funny how actually have a schedule, which sounds like it should be restrictive, actually gives you more freedom.
latmcb I love what you've said about "free time not truly feeling like free time", I also have the problem of not having a strict schedule on my days off, but when I'm lounging around I get that constant feeling of, I should be doing something! So what you've said has made me realise I'm not actually enjoying my free time. I'm definitely going to apply Amy and your tips on scheduling . ☺️👍🏾
I have fallen in love with your videos. You have helped me completely revitalize my outlook on my future. Right now I’m a stay at home mom out of necessity. But watching your videos have helped me let go of my past aspirations that are just no longer possible and now I look forward to going back to college and earn a degree finally and start my career. Thank you so much. You have genuinely helped my life. You’re amazing!
Jayme Sloper I love your story! I want to be a mom and stay and home but still work on my business which is blending work and life haha ❤ the struggle is real!
its been 3years since i decided to put my career on hold. I searched for motivational videos and blogs that would help me prepare for a new job. Saw this vid and can still comprehend even while washing dishes. You are a great speaker.
I'd love to see a video based on your weekends! I know most people enjoy a lazy Saturday or Sunday, and I'd like to know what you get up to that is productive but not entirely work based. Your videos have been incredible in motivating me toward going after my best life!
For someone who’s grown up with ADHD, being productive is a struggle. Procrastination, time management, planning, follow ups and just making things happen always turned into anxiety and stress. I’ve been binge watching your videos and trying to implement some of your tips and tricks into my work and personal life. By taking it slow and adjusting to one thing at a time, I’m finding that your videos are helpful, just as much as they’re enjoyable to watch! Thank you so much for your continuous post, awesome ideas and amazing personality. You have a forever fan 😊
Surrounding yourself with a good team of people also helps with the balance. If you're constantly worried about something because an assistant isn't "up to par", then you'll never be able to have a balance. I love the first tip of finding your passion and enjoying the "job".
Balance sounds great, I would love to have that again. ... I have four kids so I can’t even remember having free time .. 🤣 I think stay home parenting is one of those things where the boundaries blur. Your work is your life. Your life is your work... which never ends. I mean your life ends, of course. Just not your workday.. 😉 xo
Man, I just started my RUclips channel, and it's already creating a chaotic work schedule/life balance. So glad I found you. It truly is perfect timing!
I'm so early and happy for this! As a student, I've been making major changes on my routine for my overall well being but I tend to struggle with the balance of work/rest or work/life... Thank you so much for being an inspiration to this one girl from Chile, who just wants to reach her goals after great failures in her life, I truly truly thank you from the bottom of my heart 💖
it really helps me to checkin with someone else (a boss, a friend, my sweetheart) about my schedule because I tend to overschedule and think "it's just fine." When I share my plan/schedule for the week it's a mix between accountability and reflection.
Finally making myself get out of bed at 5 am has totally changed the game for me! (Thanks for that video, btw) I love how productive my days are, and I have time for literally everything I’ve talked about wanting to do. I feel like my life is so much more balanced!
The thing that's helped me the most is to stop thinking in terms of balance and start thinking in terms of "meeting needs". I ask myself which needs are being met or neglected, which are most urgent or the highest on my priority list, and what ways I can meet those needs. This leads me to find a sense of HARMONY versus balance.
Find a real-life community. I love playing in music groups because I get to see a group of friends I really like each week, and play music we like together. It's truly an escape from the grind and it's all my own. I also attended yoga classes for this reason - everyone is struggling but it's a journey we all take together. Hobbies! :)
I too have a home office (I run my company from home) and I have set it up so that Thursdays are my "off work" day and I put all my "get together with others" on that day - I have breakfast with my dad, walk with my sister, coffee with a friend, meet for volunteering, etc. That's my work-free day. I just started this in January and I must say, I'm really loving it. I shut down my office (curtains, lights, computer) so I'm not tempted to go in there for "just a quick thing" cause we all know quick means 3 hours later...
I tried stop "looking for it" or trying to put a label on balance, and I can now recognize that I cant be in 2 places at once. Scheduling has been key for me. But when I'm working, I'm working. And when I'm with my family, I'm all in. That way my time doing whatever is quality, vs trying to see if it looks balanced :) my priorities switch from day to day, month to month, etc. And accepting that has been huge too!
I like the point about working on weekends and I agree. Doing a couple of hours on a Saturday could mean you finish earlier one day in the week. Or doing a bit of work on a Sunday can make Monday a lot less scary and daunting!
I am a HUGE planner too!! I sit down on Sundays and plan my week and it makes all the difference! I don't know what people do that don't plan their weeks and their days ❤❤
You are my learning while I cook and clean - learning from you (noticed? lol). I'm also calendar blocking - wow! I love this google calendar thing! I have scheduled my college responsibilities (I'm at WTAMU), my work life, my workouts, responsibilities pertaining to my three kids and my home, and all other appointments that need attention. I feel more in control of my time and am getting more sleep. I was averaging about 6 hours a night, "no bueno." With that, I wanted to say THANKS lady! Keep on vloging, we're here to stay
The best thing I’ve found lately is improving my focus and getting more done during work hours so I can feel I’ve earnt my relaxation time in the evening. Newest hack for this? The method I cannot pronounce or spell which you told us about repeatedly-25 minutes hard work, 5 minutes break to clear my head and then get back into it! Thanks Amy! Do a video on concentration because I lack it! xx
Scheduling and setting goals has helped a ton for me! I love your hack ideas. Also, I've been listening to Crushing It on Audiobooks and I LOVE IT! I've had productive days every day since. Thank you so much, Amy!
Amy, I love your advice!! I especially identified with working on weekends, because I see a lot of self-employed people say to take weekends off but for me personally that just stresses me out and sometimes isn't possible because of deadlines and working with clients. I do try to make sure I do more relaxing on weekends than I do during the week though. Sometimes I even plug in meditative and relaxing videos while working because even when I need to be working I can still fit in some "zen" time! For me I've found that to be super important to prevent feeling strung out and wanting to cry, lol.
I loved this video. You crack me up "Do I look like someone who goes outside?" That's one of the things that I do (when the weather is nice, it's ND we are still in winter mode here), I take my work outside, for me it helps clear the cobwebs and I get a lot more done. Something else that is a must for me is taking a Sabbath. I understand not everyone is a believer and that is fine, but taking a day off, completely to recharge is key for my brain. Saturdays are my days off. I don't do much of anything other than go to church that night and maybe get coffee with friends. I do agree with the scheduling things out tho, I have slowly started to get in the habit of calendar blocking...thank you for that one...and I stick pretty close to it.
As a European, I love spending more time outside. Walking to work instead of driving, going to a park after work etc. I just feel like leaving the house is essential to feeling more present and connected to the real life. It could be helpful in terms of balancing out your day. Thanks for your video.
Love these hacks! Definitely in praise of your “Schedule date night” hack. It has been very instrumental in my marriage of 25+ years. Making it a priority says a lot about how you value each other. It might not happen every week (life happens!) but being intentional about it is very important. And my wife definitely agrees with the “no phones at dinner.” Great hacks and thank you!
I experimented with calendar blocking. Did one week of blocking and then didn't do it the next week to see the difference. I was amazed at how much work I was able to get done with blocking. It really helped keep me focused. Thanks so much for the tip! Love your videos!
I have a recurring entry at 4pm every day to plan for the next day. That is when I do my calendar blocking. My days can go crazy so I find it's best to do it one day at a time.
Have fun ,go out watch a movie or party with friends and family. Meditate , make a mark on calendar to take the day off.just do the little things that make you feel good .and follow your heart it knows all.
Great video Amy! Lately I've been doing yoga at home at 5:30PM when I finish work. I'll prep the veggies for dinner, and my husband will do the cooking while I do my yoga practice. It's been a great transition from work to home, especially because we live/work in a studio apartment and I need a block of something completely different to change the pace from work to relaxing for the evening.
Great advice Amy. I try to put most of these into practice. One tip I’ve learnt this week is rest before you get tired so that you can work more. Read it this week and so made a video around it for my Chanel. Love learning new tips. 👊
Amy, I’ve been married for 26 years this year and in my experience when my husband and I don’t have a “date night” or schedule in time just to spend together we start to snap at each other and want to spend less time together cos we are getting on each other’s nerves. This also applies to teenagers they act up you both don’t want to spend time together and things get worse. Best advice I can give anyone in a close relationship is schedule or make time to spend together doing anything you both like to do. When the kids were little and we didn’t have much spare money we would watch a dvd with together every Saturday evening for our “date night”. I would sit with my daughter after school and watch Gilmore girls while she decompressed from school stress and it gave us an opening to talk girl talk. It is so important!
Hey Amy! I loved your video talking about diary blocking! it has helped me in running this company and feel so much more productive, it's insane! This video though pointed out how i never block for time off! Thanks for the reminder! Keep the videos rolling! ;)
Hi Amy! Could you talk more about the roles you give to your assistant and how she manages your schedule without you being overbooked? This is a current struggle for me.
"No phones at the dinner table." 🙌 THANK YOU! Or during family time. It grinds my gears beyond belief! Hope you guy's have a WONDERFUL honeymoon! You could just say you were trying to build anticipation to enhance how awesome and special it will be... haha 😹👍
I definitely do not have this subject figured out lol! I tend to always lean more towards the ‘work’ balance. Although have been making an effort to take more time for myself lately. One of the things that I find really helpful is to realise that ultimate work/life balance will probably never be achieved. I think of it more as a give and take relationship - as you say - the ebbs and flows. Sometimes you’ll have to push hard with work and life will take a backseat and other times the opposite. I try and ride the waves as best I can in that moment/season. Anyway, love you videos and the community your building. I’ve been doing the sssveda challenge and have met so many great people through it. So... thank you 🙏
Totally get the working at weekends ... I am salaried so don't get paid for working "overtime" BUT if I have something I need to get done I will spend some of my weekend on it ... rather than worrying about it
Hi, Amy! I love scheduling and try to put a lot of effort into it. My problem is that I tend to set unrealistic short term goals for myself, which leaves me feeling unmotivated because I didn't get all the work done. Can you make a video about how to deal with this? Basically how to get better at planning realistically?
Great video! I have been recently working on doing better about having an end time for work. The schedule for time with my sweetheart has been a lifesaver. Friends had told us that we would kill the romance, but I think it saves us. Also for my work life balance, I have a running task list of little things that can be done while waiting in line or at the vet or just when I'm feeling unmotivated. Getting these little wins in can really help turn a day around, and it seems that for me feeling productive is essential for later being able to relax.
The things that helped me working on this work/life balance are : committing the the gym 4 times a week (I take only Friday off of gym). This is really one hour I take as a "me" time in my day and that allows me to activate my body (I work on a desk all day long), and stop thinking about work (let's admit it : we think about it constantly when we are our own boss). And I also go for a walk after my lunch like 20 minutes is enough, just to feel the fresh air and the sun. These two things have increased my productivity and motivation a lot !
These were such great tips! I'm really struggling to find a balance right now and trying to get into Google calendar too - would love to know more about your setup with that if you haven't done a video on it already!
Hi Amy - this is a really good video. I struggle with balance and am determined to get better. I have two questions for you. When I get home, the first thing I do is change my clothes. Do you have a different wardrobe for your "at work" hours versus "at home" hours and do you change your clothes at the end of the work day like so many of us do? Also, will you be doing another apartment tour? I loved seeing your space when it was empty and it would be great to see what you have done with it. Thanks.
Thanks Amy! I love your channel! As for work life balance, I agree it’s not a cookie cutter picture. Your pie will always be a bit saucier on some sides. If I make sure I wake up on time and do my TOP 5 most important things (lemon water is one of mine too) that make me feel like a super hero ready to conquer my checklist. I’m a SAHM of a toddler (whom I will homeschool) too and at this time I’m not able to farm any other responsibilities out so my work time needs to be very purposeful because it’s short lived each day. FYI I’m a certified health coach and essential oil educator. Oh healthy cooking is my hobby and creative space so feel free hit me up for tips. That kinda thing will def be on my channel once it’s off and running :)
I work with Small Business Owners. For most of my clients, work-life balance is hard. They have fewer resources to manage essential tasks and a finite amount of daily energy to manage them. To those who can onboard staff I teach process development and effective delegation. Overall though, your business simply cannot override your self-care. When your business is your output, knowing what is worth committing your energy to is essential!
Hey Amy. Thanks for more great content. My work life balance is 100% work or 100% life. I work in concert touring. And though there are a lot of positive aspects to my job balance is not one of them.
I always reckon my job, considering I work from home, is to have the dinner ready and be supportive if my wife works late. Something her job often requires.
I know it’s a pricey hobby but when I bought my Cricut machine a looked forward to sitting down for a couple hours on the weekend and creat things .. it also helped me make my own decorations for my kids birthday parties . Great useful hobby .. but pricey lol
Ewdy Cortez not super into that sort of stuff. I used to draw and paint but I sort of had my heart broken by art and haven't gone back. It will take time, but I'll figure something out. Lol
Desiree, I am so sorry to read you had sort of your heart broken by Art and that you struggle to find something to make you feel good now!.... 😔 I don’t know what happened with Art but maybe it could be time for you to move on and try again to sketch and paint ?! ☺️ Do you know the Urban Sketchers Community?! It may be a group of sketchers in your area and I don’t know what happened for you about « Art » but maybe working casually on a sketchbook just for the fun of recording something, if relaxing and exploring the world could help to get your passion back?! Of course I don’t write this comment to promote my channel and just hope it can help you in some ways Desiree, but if you want to check it, it’s about creativity, sketching and watercolor painting... ☺️ People say they find the videos inspiring and also fun 😁🤪 so just in case it can bring you a bit of inspiration and joy.... 😊 Take care!! 😘
Following the White Rabbit I appreciate you looking out for me. I am not sure what I'll do but I'll get there one day. Like Amy, it's hard to find the time to do anything. Loo
So if you wake up at 5am, what time do you go to bed? Just wondering cause I always feel sleepy when I wake up early......especially around afternoon, I start to doze off
*voice quivers* thanks, Amy! I guess I’m not talking about fun or balance or work enough yet... I still tried and showed up. It was hard. It was super imperfect. I refuse to accept that the fur babies are imperfect though. Stay tuned though!
I stop working at least an hour before I go to bed. I don't turn on my cellphone for the first hour after I get up and I don't do any business stuff from sundown on Friday night to sundown on Saturday night. That last one is was inspired by my religion. I'm Jewish and the time from sundown Friday night to sundown Saturday night is our Sabbath or "Day of Rest". I don't follow it as strictly as you're apparently supposed to, but I decided I can at least take that time off from things that obviously are work.
It's hard when you're self employed... My husband and I book regular long w-end trips within Europe to be in a new environment and clear the head from anything work related. I find travel recharges my batteries the best
Amy Landino I take time for me once a week. It's things like take myself to lunch or get a pedicure. Cause there are so many people that need me all the time, I need time for me.
I loved this video and all of your hacks! I would love to know how far in advance you start scheduling things in your calendar. I am finding that I need to schedule meetings further and further in advance and perhaps an assistant to do some of that block scheduling for me would be a fantastic way to put a degree of separation between me immediately saying yes to someone and finding the next available space in my calendar...? Thoughts?
I tell my clients when I am free to them - my business is open on the weekends, so it's important to give boundaries. I.e. I tell them I don't reply after 7pm on business days to texts, phone calls and emails, and I don't reply on my days off.
Even if you leave your work physically, how do you mentally disconnect from it and focus on task at hand/be in the moment? I find that a lot of my evening time is taken up by thinking about work, the things I need to do at work and how to do them.
Im a beginning preschool teacher But am i dont feel i have an end work time everrr But im thinking maybe because i am still trying to find my pace and at the same time i actually feel my life is my work HAHA still figuring out.. trying to come up with the system while on the go Its like going through the mess and straighting things up while you can
I really struggle with this because I am a shift worker, so building routines is almost impossible. I have no clear weekends, some days I need to be at work at 6am and other days I work till 8pm. Unlike Amy, I have LOTS of hobbies (need to pair those down) and am currently renovating my home myself with my partner. Any tips for us shift workers? PS - I love my job.
The only way to balance work life is to make specific personal items priority over business items. Date night is the prime example. If it does not have priority over all else, then it will more likely than not be preempted by whatever else. If a work event must be scheduled on date night, then date night must be scheduled prior to the work night. This is especially necessary if you want to maintain a weekly date night otherwise, a three day business trip will move your date night to the following week and you will have a week in which you had no date night.
When I want to make time for "life" or personal/family time, I just remember that I don't want to be remembered for what I did professionally or career-wise once I am gone. I want people and those close to me to remember "me"...me spending time with them and how I made them feel while spending time with them. I can't appreciate that precious time spent with family and friends if I am worried about being away from "work" or if I am not actually away from work and spending that time with my face buried in my phone or laptop. So, excuse me while I go watch a movie with my fiance. ;) P.S. Also...take care of yourself while you're out there hustling. If you don't, you could end up like me. I didn't take care of myself and ended up triggering an autoimmune disease (Lupus) that had been lying dormant. If you don't slow down, your body will eventually force you to.
I balance my life by turning off my laptop and putting the phone away by 8:30 PM. That really helps me get out of "work mode" and get ready for bed. So, until 10:00 PM, I spend time with my dog, drink tea, and read.
The big aha moment for me was realizing that work/life balance doesn't mean a 50/50 split. We go through different "seasons" in life and sometime our personal lives are more of the priority, sometimes work might be the bigger priority. For me, it's more about checking into see if I'm neglecting an area and, like you said, making sure I'm enjoying what I'm doing. This was a great video. It made me think about some of the areas I might be neglecting right now *cough* myself *cough*
"sometimes work is a priority" wow they have you trained good. in reality work should only be a priority within the 40h you are paid. outside of that shutdown work and live your life. personal life should always take priority.
This is a student perspective but a huge thing that helps me work hard and enjoy life at the same time is spend as much time outside as possible. How much time I spend in the sun has a huge effect on my mood. I’m a completely different person in spring and summer lol.
Amy, my problem is reducing "life" to make room for "work", ha ha, which is why I like watching your videos for motivation! I think the big life change I need to make is scheduling. I keep avoiding it because I have this mental block of not wanting to be like restricted. Of course then I just end up wasting tons of time. Thanks for the video!
Hi Frank. I bet you would feel a lot less restricted if you had some sort of schedule. It will make your free time truly free time - without worrying about the other things you should get done. Can't hurt to try it. Maybe you could set aside a month and see if your life has improved after that time. You can always go back to an unscheduled life if it doesn't work out for you. Good luck!
Frank James same
this is SO true. Sometimes i let a week go without a schedule, without writing things in my planner,a nd i feel so out of control, like i need to work work work all day! and i find its just because i havent written anything down to manage my time correctly. Its funny how actually have a schedule, which sounds like it should be restrictive, actually gives you more freedom.
latmcb I love what you've said about "free time not truly feeling like free time", I also have the problem of not having a strict schedule on my days off, but when I'm lounging around I get that constant feeling of, I should be doing something! So what you've said has made me realise I'm not actually enjoying my free time. I'm definitely going to apply Amy and your tips on scheduling . ☺️👍🏾
V. Frank J ames
I have fallen in love with your videos. You have helped me completely revitalize my outlook on my future. Right now I’m a stay at home mom out of necessity. But watching your videos have helped me let go of my past aspirations that are just no longer possible and now I look forward to going back to college and earn a degree finally and start my career. Thank you so much. You have genuinely helped my life. You’re amazing!
Jayme Sloper I love your story! I want to be a mom and stay and home but still work on my business which is blending work and life haha ❤ the struggle is real!
Jayme that's amazing!!! Thank you for sharing this with me. I'm so motivated by YOU!
its been 3years since i decided to put my career on hold. I searched for motivational videos and blogs that would help me prepare for a new job. Saw this vid and can still comprehend even while washing dishes. You are a great speaker.
You are the best. You are so motivating without making me feel bad about myself. Old.. new… all of your videos are amazing. Thank you for being you!
I'd love to see a video based on your weekends! I know most people enjoy a lazy Saturday or Sunday, and I'd like to know what you get up to that is productive but not entirely work based. Your videos have been incredible in motivating me toward going after my best life!
Melissa Kay oh I agree! Weekends are either a huge hit or miss for me 😔
Oh that's an interesting idea! I like it!
For someone who’s grown up with ADHD, being productive is a struggle. Procrastination, time management, planning, follow ups and just making things happen always turned into anxiety and stress. I’ve been binge watching your videos and trying to implement some of your tips and tricks into my work and personal life. By taking it slow and adjusting to one thing at a time, I’m finding that your videos are helpful, just as much as they’re enjoyable to watch! Thank you so much for your continuous post, awesome ideas and amazing personality. You have a forever fan 😊
Surrounding yourself with a good team of people also helps with the balance. If you're constantly worried about something because an assistant isn't "up to par", then you'll never be able to have a balance. I love the first tip of finding your passion and enjoying the "job".
Balance sounds great, I would love to have that again. ... I have four kids so I can’t even remember having free time .. 🤣
I think stay home parenting is one of those things where the boundaries blur. Your work is your life. Your life is your work... which never ends. I mean your life ends, of course. Just not your workday.. 😉
xo
Man, I just started my RUclips channel, and it's already creating a chaotic work schedule/life balance. So glad I found you. It truly is perfect timing!
I'm so early and happy for this! As a student, I've been making major changes on my routine for my overall well being but I tend to struggle with the balance of work/rest or work/life...
Thank you so much for being an inspiration to this one girl from Chile, who just wants to reach her goals after great failures in her life, I truly truly thank you from the bottom of my heart 💖
it really helps me to checkin with someone else (a boss, a friend, my sweetheart) about my schedule because I tend to overschedule and think "it's just fine." When I share my plan/schedule for the week it's a mix between accountability and reflection.
Finally making myself get out of bed at 5 am has totally changed the game for me! (Thanks for that video, btw) I love how productive my days are, and I have time for literally everything I’ve talked about wanting to do. I feel like my life is so much more balanced!
The thing that's helped me the most is to stop thinking in terms of balance and start thinking in terms of "meeting needs". I ask myself which needs are being met or neglected, which are most urgent or the highest on my priority list, and what ways I can meet those needs. This leads me to find a sense of HARMONY versus balance.
Find a real-life community. I love playing in music groups because I get to see a group of friends I really like each week, and play music we like together. It's truly an escape from the grind and it's all my own. I also attended yoga classes for this reason - everyone is struggling but it's a journey we all take together.
Hobbies! :)
I too have a home office (I run my company from home) and I have set it up so that Thursdays are my "off work" day and I put all my "get together with others" on that day - I have breakfast with my dad, walk with my sister, coffee with a friend, meet for volunteering, etc. That's my work-free day. I just started this in January and I must say, I'm really loving it. I shut down my office (curtains, lights, computer) so I'm not tempted to go in there for "just a quick thing" cause we all know quick means 3 hours later...
I tried stop "looking for it" or trying to put a label on balance, and I can now recognize that I cant be in 2 places at once. Scheduling has been key for me. But when I'm working, I'm working. And when I'm with my family, I'm all in. That way my time doing whatever is quality, vs trying to see if it looks balanced :) my priorities switch from day to day, month to month, etc. And accepting that has been huge too!
I like the point about working on weekends and I agree. Doing a couple of hours on a Saturday could mean you finish earlier one day in the week. Or doing a bit of work on a Sunday can make Monday a lot less scary and daunting!
I am a HUGE planner too!! I sit down on Sundays and plan my week and it makes all the difference! I don't know what people do that don't plan their weeks and their days ❤❤
You are my learning while I cook and clean - learning from you (noticed? lol). I'm also calendar blocking - wow! I love this google calendar thing! I have scheduled my college responsibilities (I'm at WTAMU), my work life, my workouts, responsibilities pertaining to my three kids and my home, and all other appointments that need attention. I feel more in control of my time and am getting more sleep. I was averaging about 6 hours a night, "no bueno." With that, I wanted to say THANKS lady! Keep on vloging, we're here to stay
The best thing I’ve found lately is improving my focus and getting more done during work hours so I can feel I’ve earnt my relaxation time in the evening. Newest hack for this? The method I cannot pronounce or spell which you told us about repeatedly-25 minutes hard work, 5 minutes break to clear my head and then get back into it! Thanks Amy! Do a video on concentration because I lack it! xx
Scheduling and setting goals has helped a ton for me! I love your hack ideas. Also, I've been listening to Crushing It on Audiobooks and I LOVE IT! I've had productive days every day since. Thank you so much, Amy!
Amy, I love your advice!! I especially identified with working on weekends, because I see a lot of self-employed people say to take weekends off but for me personally that just stresses me out and sometimes isn't possible because of deadlines and working with clients. I do try to make sure I do more relaxing on weekends than I do during the week though. Sometimes I even plug in meditative and relaxing videos while working because even when I need to be working I can still fit in some "zen" time! For me I've found that to be super important to prevent feeling strung out and wanting to cry, lol.
I loved this video. You crack me up "Do I look like someone who goes outside?" That's one of the things that I do (when the weather is nice, it's ND we are still in winter mode here), I take my work outside, for me it helps clear the cobwebs and I get a lot more done. Something else that is a must for me is taking a Sabbath. I understand not everyone is a believer and that is fine, but taking a day off, completely to recharge is key for my brain. Saturdays are my days off. I don't do much of anything other than go to church that night and maybe get coffee with friends. I do agree with the scheduling things out tho, I have slowly started to get in the habit of calendar blocking...thank you for that one...and I stick pretty close to it.
As a European, I love spending more time outside. Walking to work instead of driving, going to a park after work etc. I just feel like leaving the house is essential to feeling more present and connected to the real life. It could be helpful in terms of balancing out your day. Thanks for your video.
Loved the video. Having a workable work-life balance that you can stick to is important.
Love these hacks! Definitely in praise of your “Schedule date night” hack. It has been very instrumental in my marriage of 25+ years. Making it a priority says a lot about how you value each other. It might not happen every week (life happens!) but being intentional about it is very important. And my wife definitely agrees with the “no phones at dinner.” Great hacks and thank you!
I experimented with calendar blocking. Did one week of blocking and then didn't do it the next week to see the difference. I was amazed at how much work I was able to get done with blocking. It really helped keep me focused. Thanks so much for the tip! Love your videos!
Calendar blocking has really helped me as well! Do you set a time to sit down and focus on your calendar blocking?
I have a recurring entry at 4pm every day to plan for the next day. That is when I do my calendar blocking. My days can go crazy so I find it's best to do it one day at a time.
Have fun ,go out watch a movie or party with friends and family. Meditate , make a mark on calendar to take the day off.just do the little things that make you feel good .and follow your heart it knows all.
Great video Amy! Lately I've been doing yoga at home at 5:30PM when I finish work. I'll prep the veggies for dinner, and my husband will do the cooking while I do my yoga practice. It's been a great transition from work to home, especially because we live/work in a studio apartment and I need a block of something completely different to change the pace from work to relaxing for the evening.
Great advice Amy. I try to put most of these into practice. One tip I’ve learnt this week is rest before you get tired so that you can work more. Read it this week and so made a video around it for my Chanel. Love learning new tips. 👊
Amy, I’ve been married for 26 years this year and in my experience when my husband and I don’t have a “date night” or schedule in time just to spend together we start to snap at each other and want to spend less time together cos we are getting on each other’s nerves. This also applies to teenagers they act up you both don’t want to spend time together and things get worse. Best advice I can give anyone in a close relationship is schedule or make time to spend together doing anything you both like to do. When the kids were little and we didn’t have much spare money we would watch a dvd with together every Saturday evening for our “date night”. I would sit with my daughter after school and watch Gilmore girls while she decompressed from school stress and it gave us an opening to talk girl talk. It is so important!
Why are the books on the flipped around and how do you find a book like that? Love your videos. The curiosity was killing me.
Hey Amy! I loved your video talking about diary blocking! it has helped me in running this company and feel so much more productive, it's insane! This video though pointed out how i never block for time off! Thanks for the reminder! Keep the videos rolling! ;)
Hi Amy! Could you talk more about the roles you give to your assistant and how she manages your schedule without you being overbooked? This is a current struggle for me.
This could not come at a better time.. Thank you. Some really good tips..
I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who thinks this consistent balance is not possible! Still, I try and get as close as I can! :)
I'm still going to continue to work on gaining time in life... in general. Thanks Amy!
"No phones at the dinner table." 🙌 THANK YOU! Or during family time. It grinds my gears beyond belief!
Hope you guy's have a WONDERFUL honeymoon! You could just say you were trying to build anticipation to enhance how awesome and special it will be... haha 😹👍
Yaaasssss
I definitely do not have this subject figured out lol! I tend to always lean more towards the ‘work’ balance. Although have been making an effort to take more time for myself lately.
One of the things that I find really helpful is to realise that ultimate work/life balance will probably never be achieved. I think of it more as a give and take relationship - as you say - the ebbs and flows.
Sometimes you’ll have to push hard with work and life will take a backseat and other times the opposite. I try and ride the waves as best I can in that moment/season.
Anyway, love you videos and the community your building. I’ve been doing the sssveda challenge and have met so many great people through it. So... thank you 🙏
I love you so much! All the positive vibes
Thank you Amy. Is there such a thing? there are things we are willing to do and let go. Then we can replace them with other things.
My favorite part of this whole video, "Do I look like I go outside? Let's get real." I lol-ed a REAL lol. Same, girl!
Totally get the working at weekends ... I am salaried so don't get paid for working "overtime" BUT if I have something I need to get done I will spend some of my weekend on it ... rather than worrying about it
Hi, Amy! I love scheduling and try to put a lot of effort into it. My problem is that I tend to set unrealistic short term goals for myself, which leaves me feeling unmotivated because I didn't get all the work done. Can you make a video about how to deal with this? Basically how to get better at planning realistically?
I am so excited about checking out the "5 second rule" Thank you Amy!
Great video! I have been recently working on doing better about having an end time for work. The schedule for time with my sweetheart has been a lifesaver. Friends had told us that we would kill the romance, but I think it saves us.
Also for my work life balance, I have a running task list of little things that can be done while waiting in line or at the vet or just when I'm feeling unmotivated. Getting these little wins in can really help turn a day around, and it seems that for me feeling productive is essential for later being able to relax.
Love these tips especially doing things around the house part!
Ha! "I actually prefer to stay indoors." 😂😂😂 Same, girl. Same.
Let's be real.... 😂
The things that helped me working on this work/life balance are : committing the the gym 4 times a week (I take only Friday off of gym). This is really one hour I take as a "me" time in my day and that allows me to activate my body (I work on a desk all day long), and stop thinking about work (let's admit it : we think about it constantly when we are our own boss). And I also go for a walk after my lunch like 20 minutes is enough, just to feel the fresh air and the sun. These two things have increased my productivity and motivation a lot !
Could you do a video on podcasts you listen to?? Pleeeease :) xx
Good idea!!!
Would you be willing to show us your actual weekly schedule? How you plan your business tasks/appts, personal tasks/appts etc.
That's a good idea! I think I'll do that for a weekly planning video.
Yes, please do Amy.
Oh my goodness girl.. every time I watch you; you make me laugh! I love your character.
A sole business owner all of these tips are great. The struggle is REAL over here!
Thanks, Amy. This makes me feel better
I love you!! Someone else who like to be indoors!! Yes!!
I absolutely love your personality and videos. That comment about going to the park to read and finding a hobby killed me.
These were such great tips! I'm really struggling to find a balance right now and trying to get into Google calendar too - would love to know more about your setup with that if you haven't done a video on it already!
Hi Amy - this is a really good video. I struggle with balance and am determined to get better. I have two questions for you. When I get home, the first thing I do is change my clothes. Do you have a different wardrobe for your "at work" hours versus "at home" hours and do you change your clothes at the end of the work day like so many of us do? Also, will you be doing another apartment tour? I loved seeing your space when it was empty and it would be great to see what you have done with it. Thanks.
Thanks Amy! I love your channel! As for work life balance, I agree it’s not a cookie cutter picture. Your pie will always be a bit saucier on some sides. If I make sure I wake up on time and do my TOP 5 most important things (lemon water is one of mine too) that make me feel like a super hero ready to conquer my checklist. I’m a SAHM of a toddler (whom I will homeschool) too and at this time I’m not able to farm any other responsibilities out so my work time needs to be very purposeful because it’s short lived each day. FYI I’m a certified health coach and essential oil educator. Oh healthy cooking is my hobby and creative space so feel free hit me up for tips. That kinda thing will def be on my channel once it’s off and running :)
I work with Small Business Owners. For most of my clients, work-life balance is hard. They have fewer resources to manage essential tasks and a finite amount of daily energy to manage them. To those who can onboard staff I teach process development and effective delegation. Overall though, your business simply cannot override your self-care. When your business is your output, knowing what is worth committing your energy to is essential!
It’s such a good stuff! I’ve fallen in love with your videos ♥️♥️♥️
Hey Amy. Thanks for more great content. My work life balance is 100% work or 100% life. I work in concert touring. And though there are a lot of positive aspects to my job balance is not one of them.
Im only at the intro im like FINALLY SOMEBODY IS SAYING THE TRUTH
I always reckon my job, considering I work from home, is to have the dinner ready and be supportive if my wife works late. Something her job often requires.
I am one of those people that go to the park and read lol. (In the summer) it’s just so relaxing!
I desperately need a hobby. I've been looking for literally years and work & mom life always gets in the way.
I know it’s a pricey hobby but when I bought my Cricut machine a looked forward to sitting down for a couple hours on the weekend and creat things .. it also helped me make my own decorations for my kids birthday parties . Great useful hobby .. but pricey lol
Ewdy Cortez not super into that sort of stuff. I used to draw and paint but I sort of had my heart broken by art and haven't gone back. It will take time, but I'll figure something out. Lol
Desiree, I am so sorry to read you had sort of your heart broken by Art and that you struggle to find something to make you feel good now!.... 😔 I don’t know what happened with Art but maybe it could be time for you to move on and try again to sketch and paint ?! ☺️ Do you know the Urban Sketchers Community?! It may be a group of sketchers in your area and I don’t know what happened for you about « Art » but maybe working casually on a sketchbook just for the fun of recording something, if relaxing and exploring the world could help to get your passion back?!
Of course I don’t write this comment to promote my channel and just hope it can help you in some ways Desiree, but if you want to check it, it’s about creativity, sketching and watercolor painting... ☺️ People say they find the videos inspiring and also fun 😁🤪 so just in case it can bring you a bit of inspiration and joy.... 😊 Take care!! 😘
Following the White Rabbit I appreciate you looking out for me. I am not sure what I'll do but I'll get there one day. Like Amy, it's hard to find the time to do anything. Loo
Planning is great :)
you are literally the best and most amazing person
Agreed! :)
Your notification is my favorite. :)
You're my favorite!
YES! I get so excited! Then I hit like before you even start talking.
So if you wake up at 5am, what time do you go to bed? Just wondering cause I always feel sleepy when I wake up early......especially around afternoon, I start to doze off
Thank youuu for this video
This was my suggestion in instagram ❤❤❤
Keep shining 👑✨
*voice quivers* thanks, Amy! I guess I’m not talking about fun or balance or work enough yet...
I still tried and showed up. It was hard. It was super imperfect. I refuse to accept that the fur babies are imperfect though. Stay tuned though!
Do you have a video where you talk about what your schedule looks like? (Mostly, I'm wondering if you wake up at 5AM what time do you go to bed?)
What are you doing to balance your life?! I gotta know. Share below! 💫
Amy Landino I use trello all the time
I stop working at least an hour before I go to bed. I don't turn on my cellphone for the first hour after I get up and I don't do any business stuff from sundown on Friday night to sundown on Saturday night. That last one is was inspired by my religion. I'm Jewish and the time from sundown Friday night to sundown Saturday night is our Sabbath or "Day of Rest". I don't follow it as strictly as you're apparently supposed to, but I decided I can at least take that time off from things that obviously are work.
It's hard when you're self employed... My husband and I book regular long w-end trips within Europe to be in a new environment and clear the head from anything work related. I find travel recharges my batteries the best
I also use Trello to get things done and organize all my thoughts!
Amy Landino I take time for me once a week. It's things like take myself to lunch or get a pedicure. Cause there are so many people that need me all the time, I need time for me.
I loved this video and all of your hacks! I would love to know how far in advance you start scheduling things in your calendar. I am finding that I need to schedule meetings further and further in advance and perhaps an assistant to do some of that block scheduling for me would be a fantastic way to put a degree of separation between me immediately saying yes to someone and finding the next available space in my calendar...? Thoughts?
Our real honeymoon happened 3 years after marriage. We did a little weekend then but so excited how far we have come.
Always love your VDO. Love to see more VDO on your personal living.
I tell my clients when I am free to them - my business is open on the weekends, so it's important to give boundaries. I.e. I tell them I don't reply after 7pm on business days to texts, phone calls and emails, and I don't reply on my days off.
You make me laugh, where you say like I’m actually going to go to a park to read...😂. Seriously you say things I’m thinking
I also feel like if i work A LITTLE lol over the weekend, my week is more balanced
Even if you leave your work physically, how do you mentally disconnect from it and focus on task at hand/be in the moment? I find that a lot of my evening time is taken up by thinking about work, the things I need to do at work and how to do them.
Im a beginning preschool teacher
But am i dont feel i have an end work time everrr
But im thinking maybe because i am still trying to find my pace and at the same time i actually feel my life is my work HAHA still figuring out.. trying to come up with the system while on the go
Its like going through the mess and straighting things up while you can
digging the text animations...what program are you using?
I always joke to people that start telling me 'aren't you going to have some vacation?' Mmm but I live on vacations, I mean I love what I do
This is a great video to get my week together
i like the no phone at the dinner table.
Yay - enjoy London!! (Wave from UK) xxx
Great video!! Thanks for sharing!
I really struggle with this because I am a shift worker, so building routines is almost impossible. I have no clear weekends, some days I need to be at work at 6am and other days I work till 8pm. Unlike Amy, I have LOTS of hobbies (need to pair those down) and am currently renovating my home myself with my partner. Any tips for us shift workers? PS - I love my job.
The only way to balance work life is to make specific personal items priority over business items. Date night is the prime example. If it does not have priority over all else, then it will more likely than not be preempted by whatever else.
If a work event must be scheduled on date night, then date night must be scheduled prior to the work night. This is especially necessary if you want to maintain a weekly date night otherwise, a three day business trip will move your date night to the following week and you will have a week in which you had no date night.
I really want this chair!
Make a vedio about how to develop a new habit into your life and how to track your habits
When I want to make time for "life" or personal/family time, I just remember that I don't want to be remembered for what I did professionally or career-wise once I am gone. I want people and those close to me to remember "me"...me spending time with them and how I made them feel while spending time with them. I can't appreciate that precious time spent with family and friends if I am worried about being away from "work" or if I am not actually away from work and spending that time with my face buried in my phone or laptop.
So, excuse me while I go watch a movie with my fiance. ;)
P.S. Also...take care of yourself while you're out there hustling. If you don't, you could end up like me. I didn't take care of myself and ended up triggering an autoimmune disease (Lupus) that had been lying dormant. If you don't slow down, your body will eventually force you to.
Could you share your planner for a week?
Serious question: when do you find the time to do your nails?
So I work grave yard shift. Does that mean I should stay up and work on my side projects or should I crash out in asap? Thx in advance Amy
I study retailmanagement but want nothing more than to be a full time songwriter/ youtuber
awwee im happy i discovered you through roberto blake