The Coronavirus has given many us an opportunity to pause and think about life, our purpose, and even the right work life balance. What’s your perspective and has it changed over time?

Desiree Wilson | Licensed Esthetician

I just want to say work/life balance is so important and if you don’t have it you can lose your mind really quick and I’m speaking from experience!So what I’ve learned to do is absolutely nothing.I get a few days off per week and I dedicate that day to doing absolutely nothing if I can or at least as little as possible and that has helped me so much.A day to just sit,think,burn candles,pay online bills,and rest.But overall I try to stick to a routine of going to work and at the end of the day still finding a project to do a home or something self care related and that has been what I’ve stuck to.Work/life balance is not always busy but mine has definitely improved over time. Read more>>

Jessica Molina | Lettering Artist & Illustrator

The most important thing I’ve been doing recently to grow a sustainable business is maintaining good self-care habits—this plays directly into having a work/life balance that works for me. I’ve never been the kind of person who wants to work 24/7. While I do enjoy what I do for a living, in the past I have found that it’s easy for me to get burnt out and overwhelmed when I don’t take time for myself. A few years ago, I established good daily habits to keep from overworking myself. I have chosen 3 self-care activities that I do every day: a morning and night skin care routine, a meditation session (via the Headspace or Insight Timer apps), and 5 minutes of stretching before bed. They’re simple and don’t take a lot of time, but I commit myself to making time for them like I would any appointment. I hope these activities can help keep me grounded while I work to make my side business my full-time job. Read more>>

Sarah Leiby | Painter, Designer, & Tattoo Artist

Finding the ideal work life balance has been a lifetime goal… and what feels like a lifetime struggle. For several years, I found myself stuck in the mentality that if I just worked and worked and worked, one day all the work would pay off and I would finally be able to enjoy my time and do what I wanted to do. I was working service industry jobs that brought me no actual joy, aside from being able to trade my time for money. Probably the easiest and most thoughtless way to actually make money. As the cost of my life began to go up every year, I started having to work more… and more.. and more. Until it felt like I was forced to spend the majority of my time at work in order to even put food on the table, much less invest in myself and my true passions. I see this exact same pattern in so many of my friends and family, It is the hidden trap of the corporate American Dream. I stayed stuck in it for years, but some stay stuck for their entire lifetimes. Read more>>

Rachelle Cooper | Residential Investor & Realtor Extraordinaire

Contrary to popular belief, I don’t really believe work life balance truly exists and is something that. we should. all be focused on achieving. It’s an amazing ideal, but unrealistic to maintain in the same moment. Instead, I live in a constant state of imbalance that swings on a pendulum. Some times I’m buried in my professional responsibilities working early mornings and late nights on end – whatever it takes to make my clients’ dreams and my goals come to fruition, while other times I’m all enveloped in domestic responsibilities or elbow deep in science experiments and slime with my boys only answering emails and texts as needed. When guilt starts to creep in that I haven’t cooked dinner for my family in a while or driven the kids to or from school in a while, I remember that it’s not always like this. Likewise, when I start to feel. bad about maybe not being as proactive in my. business as I should be, I remember that soon enough, I will be in go mode at work and won’t be able to soak up as much family time. Read more>>

Ceara Williams-Rowe | Interior Designer & Texas Realtor

Work life balance isn’t easy for me especially as a full time business owner of two businesses, a mom, and a wife. For me I look at balance as something that isn’t easy but something that is necessary in order to live a fulfilled life. Pouring too much into one thing isn’t healthy, so balance is very important. My life has changed tremendously over the years. As business grows things get busier and keeping up with balance gets harder, however I continue to remember the importance of balancing family & business, and things seem to always work out. Read more>>

Rodrick Rules | Hip Hop Curator, Critic, Content Creator

The way I look at it theses days, work is life. It has to be that way for me to remain productive towards reaching my ultimate goals. Since the last time we talked my endeavors have grown into projects that keep me busier than ever. More calls, more emails, more inquiries, and more content needed. This isn’t as difficult as it seems because I love what I do and feel that my works will be recognized far after my lifetime. Immortality is my ultimate goal! I want the name Rodrick Rules to talked about and admired far beyond my time on the planet. Extraordinary results cause for extraordinary efforts, so that what I apply everyday. However, I do intend to hire more staff in the near future because in reality balance is needed. I guess the best way that I handle it is to separate myself from reality and place myself in my dream world. Not to return until I can bring my dreams to reality with me…If that makes sense. Read more>>

Lauren Kravitz | Dance Artist & Facilitator

Work/life balance has always been a tough one for me! I’ve been a work-oriented person my whole life and have never done well with too much free time. I think there’s something about being a freelance artist that makes work/life balance especially difficult. You’re always looking for the next gig, and that hustle can be ungrounding. Finding small ways to stay present throughout my day to day–like doing yoga, writing, or just sitting with my eyes closed and breathing for 30 sec–has helped relieve some stress that kind of uncertainty invites. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we were all collectively forced to confront work/life balance in a new way. I learned to give myself clear boundaries between work and life and created a space in my home dedicated to work, so I could physically step away when needed. Balance is something that I learned in my body at a young age. Balance is not stillness. When we stand on one leg our bodies are constantly making tiny adjustments and shifts to keep us upright. Read more>>

Jasmin (MIN) Ramlal | Singer/Songwriter

The work I’ve chosen aligns with my interests, so its easy to blur the line between what I consider free time and business. It’s time for a break when I notice myself getting more irritable or emotional as I’m doing the thing I love. At that point it’s best to take a step back and watch a show or pet the dog for a bit and see how I feel afterwards. I think it’s so important to allow yourself to enjoy your work but not overwhelm yourself. Read more>>