Work/Life Balance
I work 40+ hours a week, I’m taking 6 credits (one is a seminar, one is a studio) - I already get up at 5:30 in the morning, and I cut off all my hair so it takes less time to get ready. I leave the house at 7. That means I have 45 minutes to spend on work in the morning. I get home at 9 on M, T, W, and by that time, I’m too exhausted to sit down and read or write. I do work on my lunch hour, I read on the train…Thursday nights are for reading and writing, Friday is too, and Saturday and Sunday get the homework treatment as well….but I am finding that the homework is overwhelming - because I also have my own studio practice to manage (I’m an artist, I’m in two graduate programs: 1 for studio/fine art; one for critical theory). I’ve cut down on LJ time, I’ve stopped reading most of the blogs I like, and I barely hang out with my friends. I can’t find the guest bed, it’s somewhere under 2 weeks worth of laundry. I haven’t vacuumed in I don’t know how long, and I’ve given up hope of ever becoming organized. I can’t afford a housekeeper, and my husband does what he can (also works full time and has 9 credits of graduate engineering courses this term) - but we’re losing balance.
So, now that I’ve whined all over the place: how do you manage your work/school/life balance?
And how on earth can I read Adorno in a short enough time period to write a response paper and still get some sleep??
Edited: Quitting work or school is not an option, so any tips on how you cope/achieve balance would be *awesome*
Edited V2: As evidenced by this post, my biggest issue is procrastination/distraction. I am not going to be quitting school or reducing my hours any time soon. I've scheduled my graduate programs so that they work in tandem with each other, rather than pulling me in opposite directions. I'm looking for advice on 1. Decompressing after work/class to allow for proper relaxation 2. Tips and tricks for scheduling/time management 3. Shortcuts on reading, housekeeping, etc.
I really appreciate the answers that people have offered, but at the same time, I'm a little frustrated by the pessimism of saying "obviously, you can't do it all, so just quit something". That's not an option because I don't WANT it to be an option - I'm here because I have chosen this lifestyle, but rather than reinvent this hamster wheel on which I am running, I'm looking for tips from others on how *they* balance.
Thanks!!!