5 Ways to Enrich Your Life While Working 9 to 5

Three focuses of my blog are Career Discussions, Health/Wellness and Professional Development/Skills. Many people stagnate once setting into a 9 to 5 career/job while others continue to grow and thrive. There are ways to continue thriving both personally and professionally while working your 9 to 5. The following guest post is entitled, 5 Ways to Enrich Your Life While Working 9 to 5.

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Time is a precious resource not everyone has. This becomes especially relevant when you reach your adulthood. The typical set-up for most working adults is a 9-5 job. Some work for as long as 10 hours, or work during nighttime. You might be cursed with daily 3-hour commutes. Much of your adulthood will be spent on earning a living and a lot of times you won’t have a weekend well spent aside from lounging around.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t live your life to the fullest while working hard. There are many ways you can enrich your life and get the most out of every situation-if you make time for them. Here are some ways you can step out of your 9-5 box and enrich the moments in your life:

Learn New Skills

The advent of new technologies like the Internet and smartphones paved the way for easier access to things you might not know yet. More often than not, if you don’t know something, you Google it. You can go to online schools and open universities to learn something new. Better yet, you can even learn new skills from YouTube, like learning how to cook or fix the sink.

Also, if you can manage your time, you can try to go to take vocational courses from accredited institutions or continue your education and take a graduate degree. All these can add something new or further hone your skillset, which can help you in the long run.

Declutter Your Life

Take a page from Marie Kondo’s minimalistic way of living and declutter your life. Fill your life with things that spark you joy; get rid of things that don’t make you happy or you have no use of anymore. You can donate old clothes, recycle your stack of papers, or even cut contact with someone toxic from your life. When it comes to work, categorize and sort everything. Make everything in your life valuable and it’ll help you in the long run.

Practice Mindfulness

Become more self-aware. Mindfulness brings you to the forefront of your very situation instead of being stuck in the past. You can do this kind of meditation whenever you’re feeling pressured with your work, or with making a very important decision. You can do things with a clear mind. It lets you become objective; you attune to what’s happening right now, regulating your emotions.

Apart from being a good stress reliever, you gain control that otherwise would’ve been lost when you panic or freeze.

Don’t Forget to Relax

When you have no plans for the weekend, sometimes you might be thinking to yourself: “How do I make the most of my weekend?” Well, there’s more to life than doing a Netflix binge, so do whatever relaxes you. If it’s reading by a warm fireplace, then do that. If you’re more of an extrovert, try doing volunteer work. Be creative, express yourself.

Take Control of Your Narrative

“Live your life so it’s a story to tell,” says one lifehack. Sometimes, there are things that hold you back from achieving great heights. Although, other times, it’s you who’s holding you back. You need to gain the courage and confidence to step up and take a leap of faith. You know yourself well; you know well what you can do.

You don’t have to leave your 9 to 5 to do anything rewarding for your life. Go in headfirst with no regrets. If you stumble along the way or get to the finish line in the end, it’ll be a rewarding, learning experience for you.

Author: anwaryusef

Anwar Y. Dunbar is a Regulatory Scientist. Being a naturally curious person, he is also a student of all things. He earned his Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Michigan and his Bachelor’s Degree in General Biology from Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU). Prior to starting the Big Words Blog Site, Anwar published and contributed to numerous research articles in competitive scientific journals reporting on his research from graduate school and postdoctoral years. After falling in love with writing, he contributed to the now defunct Examiner.com, and the Edvocate where he regularly wrote about: Education-related stories/topics, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Financial Literacy; as well as conducted interviews with notable individuals such as actor and author Hill Harper. Having many influences, one of his most notable heroes is author, intellectual and speaker, Malcolm Gladwell, author of books including Outliers and David and Goliath. Anwar has his hands in many, many activities. In addition to writing, Anwar actively mentors youth, works to spread awareness of STEM careers, serves on the Board of Directors of the Friends of the David M. Brown Arlington Planetarium, serves as Treasurer for the JCSU Washington, DC Alumni Chapter, and is active in the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace Ministry at the Alfred Street Baptist Church. He also tutors in the subjects of biology, chemistry and physics. Along with his multi-talented older brother Amahl Dunbar (designer of the Big Words logos, inventor and a plethora of other things), Anwar is a “Fanboy” and really enjoys Science-Fiction and Superhero movies including but not restricted to Captain America Civil War, Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Prometheus. He is a proud native of Buffalo, NY.

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