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Work Life Balance Wakeup Call

I tweeted this morning that I had one of the best sleeps I have ever had in ages...


Yes, I did the unthinkable (for workaholics). Hey, did we not read about 2 people who just recently...like, literally, fell dead because they were overworked? One was in Indonesia and the other was from China. I have been in the advertising industry before and yes, it works like that and it's really sad to see these news. Maybe for the really large firms...people just don't sleep.

And hey, guess what I called myself when I first started freelancing back in 2000....the freelancer that don't sleep. It was a tagline I was intensely proud of. People didn't have to know that a part of the reason I didn't sleep was because my kids were waking me up all the time. They were young then. 

I work at copywriting and you just can't rush copywriting. If the idea isn't there yet, it isn't there yet. If it isn't there, it's because you're trying too hard to force something through. Best thing to do is to chill, sit back, watch a short film, take a shower or read a magazine and something will come if the task is at the back of your mind. 

It would be something like this - you are watching a commercial for Oreos (which has nothing to do with your work) and suddenly, BAM, it hits you!

But anyway, I still have the habit of answering my emails and working past my limits. My office is the internet, what do you think? I can't take internet away, I thought. But wait. Can I?

So, I daringly went into uncharted territory...by unhooking the Wifi AND data plan on the phone. No more beeps (how can the sound of birds chirping be so annoying, right? That's the sound of my phone's notification) No more notifications. No more 'emergencies' and no more 'Skype' and 'Whatsapp'. I disappeared from the face of the Internet. 

This might be something everyone else do from time to time but it is something that I have NEVER done before ever since the dawn of the internet and smartphones and stuff.

But it's great that I am not the only one. If you work with Google search engine, this is a name you would want to remember (and hate, sometimes!) Matt Cutts. In his recent blog post, he mentioned the inability to switch work off as well. And he works for Google. LOL. Anyway, he is running in order to raise funds and awareness for cancer research and campaigns, head over and find out if you want to be a part of it. 

And yes, I am doing it again tonight until it becomes a habit.

Love,
Marsha Maung
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