Tuesday, May 26, 2020
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
Balancing a Freelance with Main Employment
Side hustle is a term that’s used to describe a second job that provides another form of income in addition to your main employment. It can mean anything from being a freelance writer or designer to driving for Grab. Working full time is already exhausting as you are dedicating at least 8 - 9 hours on a daily basis. The hours spent on your job is higher when you have a side hustle, so you’d need to figure a way out to succeed in it without sacrificing your main employment. This is where I’ll try to list down a couple of handy trips that would help you to excel.
Keep your roles separate from each other
Image from Create & Cultivate.
No matter what you do, always take preventative steps to ensure that your full-time job and side hustle are not in direct competition with your full-time job. Try to ensure that your boss won’t find out about your second job to avoid giving them a reason to fire you and the risk of breaching the confidentiality of your job position. You should also do the same if it is in a different field to protect your own integrity. You wouldn’t want to be thinking about your side hustle at a time when you should be completing the prescribed tasks associated with your main employment.
Sacrificing your free time
Whether you like it or not, you need to sacrifice a large sum of your free time in dedication and passion for your side hustle. This would include weekends and possibly your social life. With that being said, if you’re careful with your time management, you could still balance your side hustle with your full-time job and social life. I know that it is doable from my personal experience. As my side hustle involves freelance writing, what I usually do is arrive at my workplace earlier than my colleagues and dedicate at least thirty minutes to it. Alternatively, I would keep an eye out for my bosses and colleagues while multitasking between writing and the prescribed tasks.
Prioritizing your health
Image from Entity Health.
You’d be tempted to have a later bedtime or worse, pull all-nighters to dedicate to your side hustle. I can tell you upfront that this is the wrong motto to believe in. It is not worth endangering your health when it is unlikely that you’d be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
As you already have your full-time job to worry about, you wouldn’t want to bite more than you can chew and run the risk of falling ill. It’s better for you to divide your tasks on a miniscule level rather than to lose your sleep and cram everything into one night. With this method, you’re able to feel well enough to focus on your side hustle as well as your full-time job.
Keeping a note of your goals
Image taken from MiGoals.
Before you start with your side hustle, know what you aspire to achieve out of it. It doesn’t matter whether you want the financial independence or a supplementary income. What matters the most is that you conduct your research and groundwork beforehand. This would assist you in avoiding the common pitfalls associated with the field that you intend to break into and focus on the positive side of things instead. Once you’ve done that, remember to write your goals in a diary as a continuous reminder to yourself not to give up. There will be moments in time when you’ll feel that you can’t cope while working a full-time job, but fret not. Don’t be pressured by time and other people’s success. Your sacrifices would eventually be paid off.
Financial investments
It is a common understanding that some side hustles would require you to invest a certain amount of money first. If you’re confident with your chosen field, then start with a reasonable amount that wouldn’t cause you to accrue a massive debt. This would prevent you from incurring large debts that you wouldn’t be able to immediately pay off with your disposable income. Don’t fall for the belief that you’ll receive more in profit if you make large investments as it doesn’t work this way all the time.
It is fully understandable if you are struggling to cope, but don’t worry. Your hard work will come to fruition and your goals will eventually be achieved. With the above tips, I hope that it would help you to succeed with your side hustle.
Keep your roles separate from each other
Image from Create & Cultivate.
No matter what you do, always take preventative steps to ensure that your full-time job and side hustle are not in direct competition with your full-time job. Try to ensure that your boss won’t find out about your second job to avoid giving them a reason to fire you and the risk of breaching the confidentiality of your job position. You should also do the same if it is in a different field to protect your own integrity. You wouldn’t want to be thinking about your side hustle at a time when you should be completing the prescribed tasks associated with your main employment.
Sacrificing your free time
Whether you like it or not, you need to sacrifice a large sum of your free time in dedication and passion for your side hustle. This would include weekends and possibly your social life. With that being said, if you’re careful with your time management, you could still balance your side hustle with your full-time job and social life. I know that it is doable from my personal experience. As my side hustle involves freelance writing, what I usually do is arrive at my workplace earlier than my colleagues and dedicate at least thirty minutes to it. Alternatively, I would keep an eye out for my bosses and colleagues while multitasking between writing and the prescribed tasks.
Prioritizing your health
Image from Entity Health.
You’d be tempted to have a later bedtime or worse, pull all-nighters to dedicate to your side hustle. I can tell you upfront that this is the wrong motto to believe in. It is not worth endangering your health when it is unlikely that you’d be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
As you already have your full-time job to worry about, you wouldn’t want to bite more than you can chew and run the risk of falling ill. It’s better for you to divide your tasks on a miniscule level rather than to lose your sleep and cram everything into one night. With this method, you’re able to feel well enough to focus on your side hustle as well as your full-time job.
Keeping a note of your goals
Image taken from MiGoals.
Before you start with your side hustle, know what you aspire to achieve out of it. It doesn’t matter whether you want the financial independence or a supplementary income. What matters the most is that you conduct your research and groundwork beforehand. This would assist you in avoiding the common pitfalls associated with the field that you intend to break into and focus on the positive side of things instead. Once you’ve done that, remember to write your goals in a diary as a continuous reminder to yourself not to give up. There will be moments in time when you’ll feel that you can’t cope while working a full-time job, but fret not. Don’t be pressured by time and other people’s success. Your sacrifices would eventually be paid off.
Financial investments
It is a common understanding that some side hustles would require you to invest a certain amount of money first. If you’re confident with your chosen field, then start with a reasonable amount that wouldn’t cause you to accrue a massive debt. This would prevent you from incurring large debts that you wouldn’t be able to immediately pay off with your disposable income. Don’t fall for the belief that you’ll receive more in profit if you make large investments as it doesn’t work this way all the time.
It is fully understandable if you are struggling to cope, but don’t worry. Your hard work will come to fruition and your goals will eventually be achieved. With the above tips, I hope that it would help you to succeed with your side hustle.
Saturday, May 16, 2020
Dim Lights
I dreamt that I was forbidden from leaving a residence that was shared with two housemates. Somehow, every time I attempted to escape, a specific person would show up and guard the main door. This meant that I didn't have any freedom of movement whatsoever. I couldn't even have privacy as there were hidden cameras situated in certain areas of the living space. Judging from the layout of the house, it must have been a condo unit with the space stretched out from the living room to the kitchen. The main entrance faced the dining area. With the curtains shut in dim lighting, the darkness was enough to give me goosebumps.
As we sat at the side table, a part of me caught sight of a hidden camera under the decorative piece of cloth that was arranged in such a way to catch the sight and speech of those who sat there. If we wanted to secretly communicate with each other, we had to coordinate our eye and hand signals. Whenever that said specific person came, I was forced to keep him company where the housemates prepared a quick snack and drink for him while his bodyguards stood next to him, ensuring that none of us misbehaved.
This is actually not the full dream as I barely slept last night. If you ask me, I felt a negative aura to it. It was almost to the point where I don’t feel like I have any freedom in reality.
As we sat at the side table, a part of me caught sight of a hidden camera under the decorative piece of cloth that was arranged in such a way to catch the sight and speech of those who sat there. If we wanted to secretly communicate with each other, we had to coordinate our eye and hand signals. Whenever that said specific person came, I was forced to keep him company where the housemates prepared a quick snack and drink for him while his bodyguards stood next to him, ensuring that none of us misbehaved.
This is actually not the full dream as I barely slept last night. If you ask me, I felt a negative aura to it. It was almost to the point where I don’t feel like I have any freedom in reality.
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
Monday, May 11, 2020
Thursday, May 7, 2020
The Slow Return
Lo and behold, I was called into work after the authorities’s sudden green light over the weekend for most sectors to resume operations and stimulate the economic growth. Returning to the routine that we maintained beforehand would be arduous, if not close to impossible. I mean, take a look around at your environment. Some shops still have their doors shut. Some are open but subjected to a stringent standard of practice. Diners are only permitted to order a takeout through the delivery apps like Grab and FoodPanda or through self-collection.
My heart weighed a ton when we all entered the office for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. Close to 6 weeks, I think. Everything was still in its place except that it carried a musty smell from the lack of fresh circulation. Even under the dim lights, I could see the height of my files on the table, which made me sigh in my heart. It drove home the fact that we were backdated in terms of paperwork. As if that wasn’t saddening enough, we didn’t have complete access to our files and could barely work remotely. Half of us even worked in total darkness, which would’ve strained our eyesight, due to the limited electricity. I’m not sure what disconnected the electricity supply, but the recent thunderstorms might have played a part in burning the wires. Who knows for sure, right? I’m only keeping my fingers crossed that it’d be resolved soonest possible so that we can return to a small sense of familiarity amidst the new normal.
And my documents are actually pending the continual ability to work remotely. Once that’s done, I can slide into the habit I had.
Truth be told, it’s easy to have the sensation of being caved in whenever I’m surrounded by files. Think of this way: I’m living and breathing work - at all times. Files have piled up in my little cubicle, warranting a move to a larger space but I haven’t found the appropriate time to transfer everything to the new place. It also doesn’t help that I have this desire to hide under the table and break down, but I made a pact with myself to maintain my composure and to leave any crying until I’m in the privacy of my four walls.
I’ve trouble returning to my normal sleeping schedule due to the forced leave since the MCO in mid-March and have spent nights staring at the ceiling, hoping for sleep to wash me over. It worked in the opposite direction: I have been blessed with eyebags that make me resemble more like a panda than a human. As a result, my subconscious is all over the place that I dreamt that I attended an open-air celebration in an abandoned building. It was held in a crowded hallway between two blocks of residences. Situated outside was a stationary green antique car that resembled the vehicle that Mr. Bean drove. A gun-crazy brandishing his weapon barged in from nowhere and shot at all angles, sending everyone in a hurried state of panic. I’ve searched for the online interpretations of each scene and chose not to pen more about it in public due to its sensitive nature. Combined with the recent dream that I had about fleeing humans, it’s closely linked to my truest emotions.
Maybe that’s the life of a working member of society. Late nights and early mornings are nothing new.
My heart weighed a ton when we all entered the office for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. Close to 6 weeks, I think. Everything was still in its place except that it carried a musty smell from the lack of fresh circulation. Even under the dim lights, I could see the height of my files on the table, which made me sigh in my heart. It drove home the fact that we were backdated in terms of paperwork. As if that wasn’t saddening enough, we didn’t have complete access to our files and could barely work remotely. Half of us even worked in total darkness, which would’ve strained our eyesight, due to the limited electricity. I’m not sure what disconnected the electricity supply, but the recent thunderstorms might have played a part in burning the wires. Who knows for sure, right? I’m only keeping my fingers crossed that it’d be resolved soonest possible so that we can return to a small sense of familiarity amidst the new normal.
And my documents are actually pending the continual ability to work remotely. Once that’s done, I can slide into the habit I had.
Truth be told, it’s easy to have the sensation of being caved in whenever I’m surrounded by files. Think of this way: I’m living and breathing work - at all times. Files have piled up in my little cubicle, warranting a move to a larger space but I haven’t found the appropriate time to transfer everything to the new place. It also doesn’t help that I have this desire to hide under the table and break down, but I made a pact with myself to maintain my composure and to leave any crying until I’m in the privacy of my four walls.
I’ve trouble returning to my normal sleeping schedule due to the forced leave since the MCO in mid-March and have spent nights staring at the ceiling, hoping for sleep to wash me over. It worked in the opposite direction: I have been blessed with eyebags that make me resemble more like a panda than a human. As a result, my subconscious is all over the place that I dreamt that I attended an open-air celebration in an abandoned building. It was held in a crowded hallway between two blocks of residences. Situated outside was a stationary green antique car that resembled the vehicle that Mr. Bean drove. A gun-crazy brandishing his weapon barged in from nowhere and shot at all angles, sending everyone in a hurried state of panic. I’ve searched for the online interpretations of each scene and chose not to pen more about it in public due to its sensitive nature. Combined with the recent dream that I had about fleeing humans, it’s closely linked to my truest emotions.
Maybe that’s the life of a working member of society. Late nights and early mornings are nothing new.
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
Three Simple Ways to Maintain One's Health
Author’s Note: This is a filler post as I'm somewhere, trying to bite the tree bark in persistence.
Making sure that we don’t fall sick too often is rather difficult, especially if we spend most of our time indoors working or avoiding the heat. It also doesn’t help that we have had to endure the haze and monsoon season alternatively for the last few months. I’ll try my best to recommend a handful of ways to take care of your health and be at your best without taking too much time off work or school.
I can’t stress this enough, but adequate rest is required to allow your body’s immune system to be at its best. Proper rest is only guaranteed through a good sleep schedule that allows you to obtain at least 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep daily. From my own personal experience at work and in school, if you continuously have late nights as a result of overworking, assignments and exam revisions coupled with early mornings, it would make you more susceptible to fever, colds, and possibly aggravate your allergy attacks (especially if you’re a perfectionist who cares more about completing your workload than your health).
Diet
Credits to heartfoundation.org for the image
It can also be suggested that the reason why you fall sick often is from your diet. I understand if you prefer to eat fried foods due to its convenience, but it doesn’t provide your body with the required nutrients that vegetables and fruits have. Whereas if you have a healthy diet that consists of five servings of vegetables and fruits, it may help to boost your immune system without spending an extra load of cash on supplements or medical bills. Medical professionals are adamant of eating more vegetables and reducing the consumption of fast foods due to its health benefits. Healthline.com recommends the introduction of more green, leafy vegetables like spinach and kale in your diet due to its rich content in vitamins. On top of that, you should also consider drinking more green tea due to its potential benefits that will keep you energized and healthy, as well as simultaneously protecting your immune system. Honey could be an alternative or a complimentary option due to its well known antibacterial properties. Some examples of how to incorporate honey into your diet may include consuming it with a glass of warm water or replacing jam or sugar with honey.
Stress Levels
Credits to thelocal.se for the image
Another way to ensure that you don’t fall sick too often is to reduce your level of stress, be it at work, studies or your personal life. It is a common yet understated fact that stress is a silent killer due to its invisible effects on your health. MedicalNewsToday.com elaborates that ‘over time, persistent stress can contribute to the development of several chronic health conditions. These conditions range from heart disease to depression.’ What this means is that too much of the stress hormone called cortisol would have much more of a greater impact on your health than you think. Once this happens, your immune system may also be weakened and lead to more occurrences of falling ill.
Exercise
Credits to breakingmuscle.com for the image
Even if you maintain a healthy lifestyle, it wouldn’t mean much unless exercise is involved. Medlineplus.gov explains that this is because fresh air is introduced into your lungs, flushing out the bacteria from your body. In order to remain at your prime and maintain your immune system, the minimum recommendation is to exercise at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes. Although exercise complements your diet and helps to lower your susceptibility to fevers and colds, it is best not to over-exercise due to its adverse effects and harm on your body. Such adverse effects may expose you to a higher risk of falling ill instead. It may also lead to hormonal imbalances, especially that of cortisol, a stress hormone, as your body is continuously in the fight or flight mode. Telegraph.co.uk further adds that your immune system would be under constant stress with no chance for it to recover and recuperate. Active.com writes that ‘laboratory research shows that athletes exercising at a high intensity for 90 minutes or more experience a steep drop in immune function that can last up to 24 hours. The drop in immune function appears to be caused by the elevation of stress hormones released during and following heavy exertion.’ What this means is the pertinence of achieving a balance between not enough and too much exercise. If you are someone who is already exercising to relieve stress, do not increase your intensity just because of its benefits. If you are someone who doesn’t exercise regularly, gradually reducing the intensity to a level allows you to break into a sweat while still feeling comfortable.
I hope that you would be able to easily incorporate the above three tips into your daily life while maintaining an active schedule at work or in school. Once you don’t frequently fall ill, you’ll find yourself more productive and able to socialize with friends and colleagues even more.
Making sure that we don’t fall sick too often is rather difficult, especially if we spend most of our time indoors working or avoiding the heat. It also doesn’t help that we have had to endure the haze and monsoon season alternatively for the last few months. I’ll try my best to recommend a handful of ways to take care of your health and be at your best without taking too much time off work or school.
I can’t stress this enough, but adequate rest is required to allow your body’s immune system to be at its best. Proper rest is only guaranteed through a good sleep schedule that allows you to obtain at least 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep daily. From my own personal experience at work and in school, if you continuously have late nights as a result of overworking, assignments and exam revisions coupled with early mornings, it would make you more susceptible to fever, colds, and possibly aggravate your allergy attacks (especially if you’re a perfectionist who cares more about completing your workload than your health).
Diet
Credits to heartfoundation.org for the image
It can also be suggested that the reason why you fall sick often is from your diet. I understand if you prefer to eat fried foods due to its convenience, but it doesn’t provide your body with the required nutrients that vegetables and fruits have. Whereas if you have a healthy diet that consists of five servings of vegetables and fruits, it may help to boost your immune system without spending an extra load of cash on supplements or medical bills. Medical professionals are adamant of eating more vegetables and reducing the consumption of fast foods due to its health benefits. Healthline.com recommends the introduction of more green, leafy vegetables like spinach and kale in your diet due to its rich content in vitamins. On top of that, you should also consider drinking more green tea due to its potential benefits that will keep you energized and healthy, as well as simultaneously protecting your immune system. Honey could be an alternative or a complimentary option due to its well known antibacterial properties. Some examples of how to incorporate honey into your diet may include consuming it with a glass of warm water or replacing jam or sugar with honey.
Stress Levels
Credits to thelocal.se for the image
Another way to ensure that you don’t fall sick too often is to reduce your level of stress, be it at work, studies or your personal life. It is a common yet understated fact that stress is a silent killer due to its invisible effects on your health. MedicalNewsToday.com elaborates that ‘over time, persistent stress can contribute to the development of several chronic health conditions. These conditions range from heart disease to depression.’ What this means is that too much of the stress hormone called cortisol would have much more of a greater impact on your health than you think. Once this happens, your immune system may also be weakened and lead to more occurrences of falling ill.
Exercise
Credits to breakingmuscle.com for the image
Even if you maintain a healthy lifestyle, it wouldn’t mean much unless exercise is involved. Medlineplus.gov explains that this is because fresh air is introduced into your lungs, flushing out the bacteria from your body. In order to remain at your prime and maintain your immune system, the minimum recommendation is to exercise at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes. Although exercise complements your diet and helps to lower your susceptibility to fevers and colds, it is best not to over-exercise due to its adverse effects and harm on your body. Such adverse effects may expose you to a higher risk of falling ill instead. It may also lead to hormonal imbalances, especially that of cortisol, a stress hormone, as your body is continuously in the fight or flight mode. Telegraph.co.uk further adds that your immune system would be under constant stress with no chance for it to recover and recuperate. Active.com writes that ‘laboratory research shows that athletes exercising at a high intensity for 90 minutes or more experience a steep drop in immune function that can last up to 24 hours. The drop in immune function appears to be caused by the elevation of stress hormones released during and following heavy exertion.’ What this means is the pertinence of achieving a balance between not enough and too much exercise. If you are someone who is already exercising to relieve stress, do not increase your intensity just because of its benefits. If you are someone who doesn’t exercise regularly, gradually reducing the intensity to a level allows you to break into a sweat while still feeling comfortable.
I hope that you would be able to easily incorporate the above three tips into your daily life while maintaining an active schedule at work or in school. Once you don’t frequently fall ill, you’ll find yourself more productive and able to socialize with friends and colleagues even more.
Saturday, May 2, 2020
Just a quick update
Not being able to work in the office has its advantages and disadvantages, depending on how you want to view it from. If you’re blessed with the opportunity to work from home, you don’t necessarily need to start work in your usual attire - although I’ve heard that it maintains a sense of routine if you do so. Heck, you won’t even be interrupted by ringing phones. Once you leave your mobile phone on vibration mode or switched off, you can easily focus on the work that lies before you. As for the disadvantages, if your position requires you to have continuous access to hard copies of files, then you’re in for a hard time. Or if you’re liaising with more than one party too.
My sleeping schedule is officially screwed now that the MCO has been extended for the fourth time. Call me weird, but I’m starting to miss the routine of waking up at x hour to arrive at work by y minutes (even though I don’t appreciate the crankiness when my alarm yells for my attention). I’ve also lost track of the days - even with the assistance of the digital and wall calendars, which means that being forced indoors is working its magic. I can only hope that we can obtain a certain percentage of normalcy soonest possible as we all have pending bills to pay without further dipping into our already-low savings.
The queue at the grocery store is growing by the day as well, forcing customers to wait longer for their turn to enter and complete their shopping list. Social distancing is still being practiced on top of the shortened business hours but more so as a result of sectors being granted the permission to resume operations. On top of this, there’s no guarantee that the shopper would be able to purchase everything written on the list. Either the items are unavailable due to the tightened conditions at its place of export or out of stock pending the goods on arrival.
My sleeping schedule is officially screwed now that the MCO has been extended for the fourth time. Call me weird, but I’m starting to miss the routine of waking up at x hour to arrive at work by y minutes (even though I don’t appreciate the crankiness when my alarm yells for my attention). I’ve also lost track of the days - even with the assistance of the digital and wall calendars, which means that being forced indoors is working its magic. I can only hope that we can obtain a certain percentage of normalcy soonest possible as we all have pending bills to pay without further dipping into our already-low savings.
The queue at the grocery store is growing by the day as well, forcing customers to wait longer for their turn to enter and complete their shopping list. Social distancing is still being practiced on top of the shortened business hours but more so as a result of sectors being granted the permission to resume operations. On top of this, there’s no guarantee that the shopper would be able to purchase everything written on the list. Either the items are unavailable due to the tightened conditions at its place of export or out of stock pending the goods on arrival.
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