What People Should Know About How I Work

Busy is a sickness and I don't want it in my life. When life seems full, however; we're left with no option than to say we are busy for lack of a better term. Really, as much as I want to say I am not busy, I am, and there's no way I can sugarcoat it. 

Being busy for all the good reasons should not be condemned. It is true that you find time for people, activities and things that matter to you, but when priorities step in the way; one has to schedule, plan and organize according to her priorities for the time being; not for the lot of things she holds dear to her heart. This is not only difficult for the busy person, but for the relationships and plans that have to wait for her to make time for them, too. This is the reason I am writing this blog post. True, I can't possibly make anyone feel better with my 'busy excuses', but explaining how I work may shed some light on the mystery of why Relaxed Wahmmy is so busy.

Let's talk about what a typical workday is like for me!

I jump out of bed at 7:00 AM to see how many comments await my response on the Facebook pages I manage. I choose to work in Philippine time, despite working for companies based in Canada, to keep a normal schedule, which means I sometimes wake up to tens of comments on each page daily (I have an awesome partner who does work on one of these Facebook pages at night, which amazingly lightens up workload). I don't respond to comments right away. I typically spend 30 minutes on Facebook just to see what everyone else in my life is up to. It is also my time to get lost in thoughts while Bunch and Isha are still in bed having sweet dreams. 

At 7:30 AM, Bunch wakes up and we'll talk a little about what we'll have for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is very rare that you will see food in the kitchen because stores are everywhere near our apartment. There are 2 convenience stores, a talipapa and plenty of carinderias near us (Not to mention we are only a few minutes away from SM Marilao). So, yeah; I try to plan out our weekly meals, but we don't usually stick to the menu. We buy whatever we fancy, whatever our cash allows us to buy and/or whatever is convenient for us to buy at the moment.

It is Bunch's responsibility to go to the supermarket (if I will cook) and buy our breakfast. By the time he is back; Isha will be awake doing whatever caught her attention the moment she opens her eyes. Now, let me tell you that these two are both accustomed to how I work already. They know not to bother me so much when I'm deep in my thoughts (especially when I am writing) or when I'm completing a Pomodoro. In fact, Isha knows she has to wash her hands and brush her teeth as soon as she wakes up. I remind her when she forgets, which is rare. I cook breakfast (if it needs to be cooked), prepare it and eat with them after. 

We finish breakfast by 8:30 AM. We spend an hour chatting while doing household chores. When we're all in good mood; you'll see us cleaning like crazy. When we're not; spot cleaning happens. Since Isha can't help around the house yet; we allow her to play with her friends outside at this time. I give her bath shortly after playtime and take my own after. 

Real work action starts at 10:00 AM. I have an hour or two to respond to Facebook comments. I usually finish 2 hours worth of work during the 'first half' of the day before it is time to prepare and eat lunch. I work on my tasks most of the afternoon and spend some time on my own 'business' (marketing, branding). We have dinner at 6:00 PM or 7:00 PM, then I work on other tasks (content curation, writing, image editing and updating Facebook with fresh posts). My target time to end my workday is at 9:00 PM, but it is oddly when my brain is most active I get a lot of job done. When this happens, I usually stay up until 3:00 AM doing things I love to do. I put off tasks I love working on until end of workday because they can keep me awake no matter how late. Definitely worthy of work OT!

I do daily Devotional Study before I go to bed. It surprisingly replenishes lost strength and gives me a good night sleep.

There you have it: Relaxed Wahmmy's workday! Contrary to what others think; I don't have time in my hands. Yes, my work hours are flexible, but being a WAHM and freelancer; I wear many hats and do many things. A 5-8 hour workday extends up to 12 hours! I try to work smart and not so hard to stay calm and relaxed. I'm slowly learning how to do it, and it's a fun and painful process like exercise!

Now, let's talk about how I use Facebook!

Evident in my workday is my constant presence on Facebook! Please know that when I am online; I am not online (I don't like turning chat off because Pomodoro lets me have short breaks and I take a peek of my own Facebook profile whenever I get a chance, even chat a little when I do!)! When I'm signed in to Facebook; I am usually at work doing things on my page or on my client's Facebook pages. When I am online to use Facebook leisurely; I like posts and comment on them. Feel free to chat me up when I do this. Know that in my heart, I terribly miss catching up with you! 

Finally, you're probably wondering if I have RD...

I most certainly do! RD usually falls on a Monday. I have RH (Rest Hours! Haha!), too! It is from Thursday night to Friday morning.

I love watching movies on my RD. I cook and spend quality time with Bunch and Isha. I try to get lengthy and refreshing sleep on my RD and RH.

One of my goals this year is to spend time with Nanay and Lyka even if we already live in different apartments. I also intend to meet with friends on my RD. We'll get to that... We'll get to that... Life threw a couple of challenges in the past few months, I have to fully recover from them first (prioritize!) before I will be free to spend time and resources on coffee and night outs with girlfriends. 

They say we can't have more hours so we have got to make time for what truly matters. In my case, I value work now more than ever. It is not the most important thing in the world, but it keeps my ball of life rolling. It sets things to motion. I am now more driven to reach for the stars than I was before. I thank my experiences for my new found motivation and strength.

So, if you are a relationship or a part of a plan that I may have neglected in the process of making a living and dreaming; I am sorry. I didn't mean to do it. I'll take the next opportunity to spend time with you. While waiting for this opportunity; will you be so kind to give this appeal a thought? Yes, I may be busy, but I love you. Hope this piece helps you better understand how I work. Just don't give up on me. Someday, somehow I will find the perfect balance between work and life. I'm working on it daily. It is on schedule!