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These things are almost exactly what I’ve been implementing since my burnout (which wasn’t even really due to workload). It has taken some time to accept and fully believe in it, but I now know that doing deep work for 1 hour and then taking a 30 minuten walk is more effective than keeping busy for 90 minutes without breaks.

I’ve been playing with the idea of freelancing as well, but for now I’ll just keep strict boundaries around my 9-5 so that I can enjoy the financial security and spent much of my free time working on creative projects I love.

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Thank you for sharing this. I work in an office part time, so I find what you are saying very relatable. Although, the boundaries part is often challenging when dealing with people who have (too)high expectations. My kids are now getting older & there seems to be so much conversation about me taking on more days or going for a promotion but I just dont have the desire for it. For me I really like the fixed salary, benefits & flexi time but I also really love my days off to pursue passion projects & be at home.

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The way I see it, use your 9-5 to create a life that you want. Become so good they can’t ignore you and cultivate a deep intentional life. Cal Newport has a great episode on this Deep Questions Podcast on YouTube, really changed how I do my life planning. He breaks it down really well and it helps you build a 5 year plan that you can refine every year focusing on health, career and serving your community.

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Thank you so much for this. Even though I work as a teacher and so can’t implement a lot of these things (oh to work from home!), you have given me lots of food for thought. There is still scope for adjusting mindset and expectations and your point about urgency rings particularly true when dealing with teenagers all day long.

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I've been thinking about this a lot with my job and it's so helpful to see this advice all laid out like this. Thank you for sharing!

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