It is so easy to get lost in the day-to-day work life especially if the work itself is demanding, tiring, and has immediate effects on your patients if you don’t do your job correctly. I learned the hard way that having something to look forward to other than working 5 days a week is so important. I didn’t for almost 9 months and man did I burnout. I can do a whole future post on burnout, the effects of it, how long it took me to recover, etc. but today I am going to share a glimpse of the small things I make time for in my life outside of work, so I don’t get back to that dark place again.
Making Workout a Priority
Working out four times a week is a non-negotiable for me- well unless I am on vacation, then everything goes out the window, JK, but not really. I have a membership at our Life time gym and like clockwork I go to the same workout classes Monday- Thursday. For me working out helps me mentally and physically. Especially on Mondays, when I have had a rough weekend at work, being able to do a HITT class first thing in the morning helps me set the tone for the week.
Making Time for Prayers
Pretty self-explanatory- I do my daily prayers every day. I am a firm believer that God is always conspiring on your behalf, no matter what the circumstances may be.
Making Time for Friends
As an adult, I have realized that making and maintaining friends is harddd. I try to reach out to or hang out with one friend a week. Even if that means hopping on FaceTime to catch up, it has helped me get out of my mind, reconnect, and talk to someone who knows me as the Gabby and not “the social worker” Gabby.
Making Time for Hobbies
In this past year, I have picked up two new hobbies-pickleball and practicing math on Duolingo. I love playing pickleball because it is something I get to do with my cousins weekly, it is an activity that is easy to learn and play. It is fun, but also in a lighthearted way to be competitive without it turning too intense.
I love the simplicity of Duolingo and its user-friendliness. It’s a “hobby” that I do that feels like a win every time. I usually do it so it gets me to focus on anything other than whatever is running 100 miles per hour in my head. I’ve always enjoyed math, and having the ability to switch from practicing Spanish to Math when I need to has been great. You can spend 30 minutes or 5 minutes, it’s up to you- which is why I think I have been able to stick to it every day because I get to choose how much time I want to spend on it.