Hey there! A few of you over on Twitter asked for some ideas on how to maintain a healthy work/life balance for video editors. We talked about this in Episode 5 but this is such an important topic I want to touch on it again in written form. Below are a couple of ideas that have worked well for me over the years.
1. Designate times when there is absolutely no work.
You cannot do any work, talk about work and you cannot even think about work. No work whatsoever! I completely understand if you can’t do this for hours each night. For me I do this during dinner most nights. I don’t talk about my work or think about it. I’m 100% focused on our meal and listening to my wife talk about her work and day.
2. Tell your spouse why you have to work late.
For me, recording Command+Edit takes up two hours on a weeknight each week. That weeknight I could have spent with my wife and dog doing whatever. But I have to sacrifice that time for the podcast. My wife didn’t necessarily understand what I was doing at first with it and I didn’t explain myself. It caused friction whenever I had to record. After sitting down and explaining why I’m doing the podcast and what I’m hoping to get out of it she understood. Now each week when it’s time to record she’s completely cool and takes Peyton and goes upstairs so I can record in relative quiet.
3. You remember why you are working late
I often forget why I’m working late. Why am I up at all hours hustling on this project? I have to remind myself when I’m working at 8:00PM on this project because of X. X is something like “I’m passionate about this video I’m working on because this topic...” or “I want to travel to Asia and need the funds from this freelance gig.” Stuff like that.
Another reason I find myself working late is because I want to secure time with my family and financial capital in order to do that. However sometimes I’m trying to secure time with my family by sacrificing time with them. When this happens and I don’t have to be working I stop so I can spend time with them.
4. Include your family in your project
Get their opinions on things. Show them your videos and have them share their thoughts. Not only does getting an outsider’s opinion on things help but they feel like they have a stake in you succeeding and are more likely to be cool with you working late into the night.
How’s your work/life balance?
Maintaining a healthy work/life balance is absurdly difficult. For me I designate a time when I cannot talk or think about work. I keep my family informed about why I’m working late. I continually remind myself why I’m working so hard. And lastly I include my family when I can in the project.
How’s your work/life balance? Do you do something different?
One last thing! If you know an editor who could benefit from this post could you send it over to him or her?
Let me your comments below!
– Josh