Welcome to Part Three of our Guide to Managing Time (managing a 60-hour workweek) mini-series! Please read our previous sections:

Part One – Creating a consistent schedule.

Part Two – Working with others.

Part Three – Tools to help.

Building in time for a social life

You’re working crazy hours. By the time you get home at the end of the day, all you really want to do is curl up on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and a really bad chick flick and just kick back and enjoy some alone time (no? Is that just me? ;)).

Taking that kind of approach to life is fine if it’s once in a while. But if your idea of unwinding is watching TV and sitting on the couch by yourself every single day, that’s not very healthy. There are a number of reasons for why it isn’t healthy, too: TV is bad for the brain and the eyes, sitting on the couch day after day isn’t going to contribute to your energy levels and not having a social life isn’t good for your mood and stress levels.

But how can you possibly have a social life when you’re working dozens upon dozens of hours each week? It’s funny to me how, these days, the mother dear will call me up and inform me that she’s coming over and we’re going out for a drink/seeing a play/taking time off work, because I’m “working too hard.” What’s so funny about it is that the sistertraveller and I had been saying the same thing to her during the first few years when she started up her own business and didn’t have much time to see her friends or simply relax. I guess it’s easier to recognize when people need to relax when you’re on the outside.

At any rate, I’m doing my best to ensure that I still have a life outside of my work.

Here are the things that I do to maintain a healthy social life:

– Lunch dates and coffee breaks. As I’ve mentioned before, I generally slump in the early afternoon and can’t get much done. That’s why lunch dates work so well for me. I wouldn’t be getting any quality work done anyways, so it’s a great time to take a break from work and visit with friends. For those days when you’re trying to watch what you eat or don’t want to spend a lot of money, it’s still nice to get out of the office or the house to go to a cafe for a cup of tea and a good natter with a close friend.

– Enjoy summer events in your city. I live in the heart of downtown Winnipeg, which means that I’m about 30 seconds away from all of the major summer festivals in the city. It’s fantastic. I can hear some of the music playing from Old Market Square through my window, and if I need a break in the afternoon I can walk over to a venue to see a Fringe play or just sit on the grass and enjoy the free outdoor stage performers. Sometimes the “social” aspect of a social life just means being with people in general. Going to those things by yourself or with others both have their benefits; the point is, you’re out with a bunch of other people around and not cooped up at home or in an office.

– Allow yourself one day off each week. Okay, so I’m really really bad at this one. The boyfriend and I usually take Saturdays off together, which is such a nice treat. Sometimes we’ll each do our own thing for a couple hours during the day, but in general we like to take most of the day off and spend it going for walks, making dinner, going out for breakfast, wandering around used bookstores… spending one day a week like this is good for quieting the mind so that you can get back to work the day after.

– Plan an evening out at least once a week. If you live alone, like I do, you should probably plan at least two nights out each week. Otherwise you’re by yourself a lot. When the boyfriend is around, it isn’t such a big deal if we stay in during the evenings, but he’s been away doing field work for 17 days so it’s been incredibly quiet around my place. I’ve spent several evenings out lately, seeing bands play or watching Fringe shows. They don’t have to be late nights at all, either. You can go out for a couple hours and be home before 9 p.m. if you like. The point is that you get out in the evening and take a break from working so that you can go to sleep feeling more relaxed.

– Work with a friend. Westwood and I have gotten together several times to have a “work session.” We’ll both have our computers there and we’ll hang out while we write or work on other tasks. Even though we’re both working, we’ll stop to chat when we need a break, and it’s just nice to have someone else there for company.

As with any tasks you have to do during the day, decide to yourself ahead of time how long you’ll spend with your friends and how much you need to accomplish before going out. You can compensate for any time off by waking up a little bit earlier, factoring in your social time when you would have had a break anyways or doing your work with your friend. Just remember that having a social life is just as important as getting your work done when it comes to your health!

How do you factor your social life into a busy schedule? What tricks do you use to ensure that you don’t become a hermit? How do you like to wind down at the end of the day? Share in the comments section below!