Friday, November 14, 2014

The problem with work-life balance is it first assumes a life.

The nice thing about working in a technical industry job is although I work long hours during the week, I'm not expected to bring my work home.

OK, this isn't entirely true. I'm still expected to check email and respond in case shit goes down, but for the most part my coworkers leave me alone on my days off. Being single and living alone means my weekends are pretty low-key. I drink coffee, do laundry, listen to music and make plans with friends. I recently got a television. It's nice, I guess.

Maybe it's a lingering side-effect of the constant struggle that is academia, but whenever I take advantage of some down-time for myself, there's always a nagging guilt I could be doing something more productive with my time. I could be reading research papers or catching up on sci/tech headlines or writing, but instead I shop for area rugs on West Elm, play Plants vs. Zombies for two hours and then meet friends for drinks.

Is that ok? Is it a life? Or worse, am I not ambitious enough in my spare time?

In this way, I totally do NOT relate to this Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal comic. Nope. Not at all.


I lied. I do. I totally do.