You may have seen people documenting and romanticising their midweek excursions and rituals on social media lately.<\/p>\n
There are also spoof versions showing people declaring they’re ‘not just living for the weekend’ before quickly jumping into bed or curling up on the couch.<\/p>\n
Emma Dickeson has recently documented a trip to the ballet and a solo swim as part of a ‘not just living for the weekend’ series on TikTok.<\/p>\n
These “school-night adventures” are about devoting time and attention to the things that energise you, she says.<\/p>\n
But is there any harm in saving all the good stuff for the weekend?<\/p>\n
The potential benefits of a mid-week adventure<\/p>\n
Emma lives in Naarm\/Melbourne and works as a content creator for a food manufacturer. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The 26-year-old says little adventures after her workdays increase her self-confidence, help her understand herself better and offer up inspiration.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Emma Dickeson says going for a swim in the ocean, a walk or a hike gives her energy. (Supplied: Emma Dickeson)<\/p>\n
“It’s reminded me that you don’t need a perfect time or a big experience to enjoy life. Instead, joy can be found in the simple everyday moments.”<\/p>\n
Work-life balance is “something we all grapple with at different points in our lives”, says clinical psychologist Jaqueline Baulch.<\/p>\n
Dr Baulch says work-life balance is an issue for most of the clients she sees in some way, from burnout to wanting to spend time more intentionally.<\/p>\n
She says incorporating activities or “little pockets of self-care” into your week can help prevent burnout.<\/p>\n
“I think sometimes we can feel pretty tied down by our jobs and possibly even like we don’t have independence while we’re working.”<\/p>\n
But Dr Baulch says there are ways to “bookend” the beginning and the end of the day “or even our lunch breaks” to “take back some of that autonomy”.<\/p>\n
Sahra O\u2019Doherty, president of the Australian Association of Psychologists, says trying new things and shaking up our routine can be really helpful.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“If our habit is to come home, face plant on the couch and then doom scroll for hours and then go to bed and rinse [and] repeat the next day \u2026 [it] makes it harder to break that habit later on when it becomes more ingrained.”<\/p>\n
However, she adds it depends on whether the activity is “healthy and helpful”.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stacey Parker, an associate professor and organisational psychologist at the University of Queensland, agrees that there\u2019s benefits to regularly spending time on hobbies, creative pursuits or physical activities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dr Parker says research shows<\/a> these kinds of activities can help people recover from work stress.<\/p>\n This is because these “daily practices” can have a positive impact on sleep, health, energy and your general sense of wellbeing, she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n It can also have a “small positive effect” on work performance, she adds.<\/p>\n Stacey Parker says a physical activity or something creative can help you “detach from the demands of work”. (Supplied: Stacey Parker)<\/p>\n Why an evening doom-scroll may not be the best choice<\/p>\n Dr Parker says relaxing passively \u2014 doing things like scrolling on your phone or watching back-to-back episodes of something on a streaming service \u2014 is “not necessarily bad for your recovery [from work] in the evenings, but are not good either”.<\/p>\n But she says activities that are challenging and require you to master something else after work are “particularly good”.<\/p>\n “They really help you sort of disconnect and detach from the demands of work.”<\/p>\n Ms O\u2019Doherty also says that time spent bed-rotting and doomscrolling can come at the expense of other things that help us look after ourselves.\u00a0<\/p>\n Finding your ‘personal’ work-life balance<\/p>\n Dr Baulch says when someone’s work-life balance isn’t quite right they’re “more likely to burn out and have mental health issues”.<\/p>\n However, she says finding that balance isn’t always easy and depends on the person.<\/p>\n It’s often a “real juggling act” and “not one of those set and forget things”, she adds.<\/p>\n While some people argue work-life balance isn’t possible, Dr Baulch says “there are ways to operate within a window of tolerance that feels better for you”.<\/p>\n Jacqueline Baulch says sometimes, it’s the “smaller, simpler things that make the biggest difference”. (Supplied: Jacqueline Baulch)<\/p>\n For some people it might be easier to compartmentalise their week into weekdays and weekends, she says.<\/p>\n “Everyone’s different and for some people that might be a good way to take care of themselves.”<\/p>\n Dr Bauch also says that squeezing something social, active or creative in after work might create extra pressure for some.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n