Hello, my darling, and welcome back to another episode of me trying to live my best life. The title of this blog asks, “oh, you wanna know where we at?” Darling,” WE OUTSIDEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” After clocking out, of course. 

Listen, balancing life and work is challenging. Most of us, including myself, work from home, and even then, it’s hard. To God’s strongest warriors that go into work every day. May you have more jewels on your crown when you reach heaven because how do you even do that? 

By the time I log off work, all I want to go is watch my stories (T.V. shows) while scrolling on TikTok and galavanting between Twitter/Instagram with my drink of choice and my phone on “do not disturb.” But is that living life!?!? No, it’s not! Yeah, bills are a thing I have to worry about, and there is a cost. But, honestly, I don’t want to pay for it. MY TWENTIES!?!? GOD FORBID. Like Jordan Peele’s new movie, ”NOPE!” I refuse.  

Anyone saying to themselves, “SOMS, that’s what the weekend is for!” I say again, “GOD FORBID.” Listen, I very much work in sales in white corporate America. It is exhausting. The list goes on:

• Calling out to customers.
• Trying to meet impossible quotas.
• Dealing with rude/mean co-workers.
• Fake laughing at “jokes.”
• Using my Code-Switch voice.

So yeah, after 40 hours of that, I need a break.

Let’s enter SOMS’s weekend, shall we? 

Fridays are so decompressing. I am watching Love Island; I have ordered Doordash, then I am out like a light. I wake up to a beautiful but hot Saturday. It’s time to run the errands I saved for the weekend. Side note: If you think errands aren’t tiring. You aren’t doing them correctly…moving on! Finally, it’s Sunday. The Lord’s day. I usually go to church and then to the Farmer’s Market. The rest of the day, I plan out my week or procrastinate. So much for the weekend, am I right? 

Just like that, it’s Monday again. 

There are two solutions to this problem. One, my CEO needs to approve the four-day work week immediately. With no takesy backsies either!! The second solution is not saving living my life for the weekend, which is the more realistic solution. I simply can’t wait for the weekend to do what I want. That’s just mad disrespect to the time I am not promised.

Okay, that’s great, SOMS! I love this journey for you, but how will you do this? 

Darling, that’s a great question. I created an exercise that will push me to live my life throughout the week instead of saving the fun stuff for the weekends. So read it aloud with me, darling; WE ARE OUTSIDE AFTER WORK. Like the great SZA said, “half of us chasin’ fountains of youth, and it’s in the present now.”

For the days with an icon, that will be that day’s activity. The activities are as followed:

• August 5th-Get drinks with your friends at a rooftop bar.
• August 7th-Buy yourself some flowers.
• On August 9th-Go on a hike.
• August 18th-Spend time in or on the water.
• August 20th-Host a “Painting with a twist”at home.
• August 23rd-Go to the movies.
• August 25th-Go to an art museum.
• August 28th-Go on a picnic.
• August 31st-Go on an ice-cream date.

I hope you can join me outside in August. These activities are spread out during the work week and weekends. I will be documenting how my days go on Instagram. If you would like to see that, my handle is @somsblog. Duh, I would love to see all of you, so use the hashtag #outsidewithsoms and tag me!

To my remote working darling:

You need separation between your work day and your regular day. Sometimes just logging off and heading to the couch isn’t enough. Remind yourself of the outside world by going on a walk, doing something from your weekend bucket list, sitting on the balcony, etc. Babes, it could be walking to the mailbox—just something. 

To my working in the office darling:

Truly you are among God’s strongest warriors, so why not treat yourself after work? Get together after work with your friends, decompress alone, avoid traffic and take a long way home! 

You shouldn’t just say to yourself, ” Wow, work was crazy, and tomorrow will be the same. Well, goodnight, world. I hope to see you tomorrow!” There should be something in there about connecting with your loved ones that day, yourself, and those who are about it, God. Life isn’t just working and then death. Oh my goodness, that is just so dull and gross. We are outside, darling, creating a balanced life between work, rest, and play.  

Personally, I think that I have cracked one of the mysteries of adulthood. Honestly, this can apply to littles and teens too. But on a super serious note, I will now accept my Nobel Peace Prize.

Until the next time,

SOMS. 

P.S. Delete that Teams App from your phone. Immediately. I also found an issue with the first solution I mentioned. With a four-day work week, I would still be saving my living my life for the weekend. So balancing work, play and rest is the only solution. Darling, where is my Nobel Peace Prize?