7th December 2022
Image from Unsplash by Johnson Wang
I'm a person who likes being productive and multitasking. My body has probably become used to working, as even holidays are spent online grinding. Slacking is not really my forte. As much as possible, I would find things to keep me busy, may it be online or offline as I feel like I am wasting time if not doing anything at all.
Yet, oftentimes, it's overwhelming having a lot on my plate making me so busy bee. As a person who doesn't like having pending tasks in my job, I tend to push myself to the limit just to accomplish everything at hand so I could have some time grinding online. Busy bee at work during the day, and would do online grinding at night. And most of the time, I'm handling both at the same time so I could accomplish more things.
It probably is a positive characteristic to be so productive and full of enthusiasm. However, there are times that I would just stare blankly at the horizon or stay in the corner, feeling so exhausted and losing the desire to carry on my things. I just want to rest longer but it seems so tough to grant my body's wish, especially when thinking about my responsibilities as a breadwinner in our family.
The downside of this though is when my body is totally burnt out, it triggers my anxiety and depression. So it isn't just simple stress to cope with, but also dealing with anxiety. And when things are out of control, depression will be triggered too, compromising my health too.
Oftentimes, I would feel like the world is so unfair. Whoever works hard is those that feel more pain and unfavorable circumstances. Meanwhile, others who kept receiving just feel so easy and comfortable in life. I wish to do the same sometimes. I just want to do nothing at all and just simply rest.
Image from Unsplash by Elisa Ventur
Now that the holiday season is here, I'll be swamped with a lot of work again, juggling one thing and another, and doing things that are out of my line. At this point, I get less time online, and it stresses me out not interacting much with people across the platforms I am handling. I get less time to write articles which I don't like as it has become part of my daily life already. Because honestly, I enjoy working online more than doing my job. I ventured into vlogging recently and when putting them all on one plate, that's too much stress to deal with. Nights become longer, and rest becomes shorter.
At the end of the day, it is only me who is suffering much, especially my health and well-being. But since both offline and online hustling is important to me, I'm finding ways to deal with them without compromising my health.
Putting priorities on top is the main way. I kept reminding myself that my work in the real world is much more important than my online side hustles. From the word itself, they are just part of my side hustles that should be placed after my main duties.
Another thing is not to put everything on one plate to avoid too much exhaustion that could trigger anxiety and depression. To be able to handle my online side hustles during my free time in the real world, I'm doing one step at a time, handling one platform before the other, and allocating a certain time for each platform. Not managing all at the same time.
Work and earning opportunities online are undeniably helpful to make ends meet. However, everything becomes pointless when health is compromised. This isn't just a reminder to myself, but to everyone. Money matters to survive in this world. But, it is worth noting that health is wealth.
However, stress and depression are truly inevitable. And even how much we manage things effectively, we would get exhausted at times because we are just human. That is when I give myself more time to unwind and take a break from online side hustles. I would wander around the city, connect with nature, or fancy treat myself at any expense. Just like others, I deserve self-indulgence too.
It is tough sometimes to handle both work and life. But with proper time management and self-discipline, we can effectively avoid getting too much stress and developing depression. Again, work matters, but health and well-being matter more. We can do things without compromising our health. Maybe we can simply focus on achieving a happy life rather than achieving our desires. Less pressure, less stress, but a happier life.
This is in response to Ladies of Hive current contest initiated by 
What is your formula for managing stress and becoming overwhelmed, if you've experienced it, during the holiday season?
To all ladies out there, stay happy and healthy. Prioritize your happiness more than anything else.
I am inviting other ladies 
Thanks for reading.
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