Thursday night is boys’ night in our household. This means that my darling spouse heads out, guitar in hand, for band practice and beers with the guys. Boys’ night has been an ongoing thing for most of the time that we’ve lived in our current house, except for a long stretch when hubs broke his leg. I’ve always loved boys’ night because it means my house is empty, except for the dogs. And that means QUIET and UNINTERRUPTED WRITING TIME.
Bonus.
But I have to make a confession. Ever since boys’ night started back up, something happens to me. Within fifteen minutes of hubby walking out the door…I am ready to fall asleep. There’s usually no falling into a groove and production of mass words. In fact, usually it’s a struggle to manage my minimum on those nights.
I have come to a not so shocking realization: I am a workaholic.
SOMEBODY STOP THE PRESSES! I KNOW YOU ARE ALL BEYOND SURPRISED BY THIS NEWS!
Hubby made the observation recently that all I do is work. I’m either at the office working the evil day job. At home working evil day job two (teaching online). Cooking (which is fun, but still work because of my food blogging or making his special gluten free bread). Or writing (also fun, but still work). Or working out (healthy but still WORK).
Um…yeah.
Workaholic.
When Susan recently finished Heroes Til Curfew, she took like 2 weeks off and played video games. My brain started twitching at even THINKING about two weeks off and not WORKING on something. I think I have a sickness. I don’t know how to stop until my body physically won’t GO anymore, which usually results in…not good things happening. Like total mental meltdown.
Where was I? Oh, right. Boys’ night.
So, I am considering doing something really radical on boys’ nights in the future.
Not working. Reading something when NOT on an exercise bike. Watching chick movies or that pile up of shows hubs doesn’t care for like The Nine Lives of Chloe King or Vampire Diaries. Giving my brain one of those things called a break. Relaxing. I think I might have to look that up in a dictionary. Cause I’m really bad at it.
9 thoughts on “Confessions of a Workaholic”
Kait, correct me if I’m wrong, but you’re Southern, right? I was brought up that relaxing was the next thing to, oh, wearing too much makeup to church or a midriff top to the store. Idle hands, my aunt always intoned, as she taught me how to knit at age six and tat at age seven. Multitask, don’t relax!
I hear you. I’d suggest you start a workaholics anonymous for all of us, except that would be work, wouldn’t it?
Reading something when not riding an exercise bike? There is such a thing? I’ll have to remember that.
I definitely think you need to relax. You work your butt off and not getting enough “me time” can is detrimental to your writing.
Well I don’t know. I’m the same as you Kait – I bring knitting on long car rides and family visits. I write story snippets if a meeting at work drags on too long. I clear emails and blog posts at lunch so I can have more writing time at home… But the knitting and the writing and the blogging are fun, too! So I’m not sure they count as work 100%.
Plus I sleep in/read in on Saturday mornings. It’s better if I take my hours off when DH is around rather than not, because then he can *see* that I’m not always working 🙂
Kait, I think taking that time off is an excellent idea. I know working is what you know best, but there will also be a burn out if you’re not careful. Your mind and body has to have some down time. Do it! And feel good about it, not guilty!
Did you look up relaxing yet? Did you notice my picture next to the definition? That’s right, I’m an expert at this.
The relaxing I find that works best is the kind that feels like wasting time. Like your brain is going, “I shouldn’t be doing this, I have THINGS to do!” But you are getting things done. Your brain is taking a break.
I suggest a lap full of pooches, TV and a cool beverage.
If this wasn’t so true, I’d laugh…heck, I might laugh anyway 😉
Enjoy your “me time” Kait!
LOL! You could turn the title of this post into a television series (and I bet the ratings would be incredible).
Gotta have recharge time. For writers, that IS working, just doing so in a relaxed manner with nothing in mind except enjoying life 🙂
And naturally my brain immediately goes to a weekly web series of short stories….more work… I need an intervention.
You must be burned out! That or you have some health problems (so I’m assuming the first one). Not working is interesting. It’s relaxing and refreshing. By the time you had that rest, you’ll WANT to work again so go ahead and take that break.