International Women's Day 2022 - Kelly Somers - Work-life balance
If there is one thing I am awful at it’s work-life balance, but I think that’s the same for many freelancers, particularly when a lot of your job is working and talking about sport for living. I often find myself watching football when I’m not at work too- it’s also my hobby- so since working in it, I’ve had to force myself to find new ways of unwinding that aren’t even football.
At first, this felt very unnatural as, if you know who I support, you’ll also know that half the time I leave games more stressed and needing to then find another way to unwind from that, so I find it doesn’t always serve it’s purpose!
The first covid lockdown taught me a lot - as it did with many people – about finding new ways to escape and enjoy myself. Running for me is my number one escapism but unfortunately last summer I suffered a serious back injury meaning I’ve been forced to try other things to get that high that I really believe only exercise can give you. I’ve been converted (yes I’m a lockdown cliché) to pilates and now attend reformer pilates a couple of times a week. It’s an hour during which I can’t check my phone and just focus on trying (and failing) to build my core. It’s a real escape for me and I feel so much better when I’ve done it, no matter how tired I may be from the working week. I’m also hoping eventually it’ll make me strong enough to get back pounding the streets – and then I’ll have two ways to escape!
I also find spending time with friends and family is important – seeing my 10 year old godson is probably one of the main things I’d say is good for the soul – being in his world for a few hours reminds me of what’s really important. The common theme in all of these things is just putting my phone or laptop down. Doing something that doesn’t end up in front of my emails or social media, or thinking about work.
Putting yourself first is sometimes hard, especially when you work for yourself but I now make time for myself. I try to have a whole day off at least every other week (which probably still isn’t enough). That means I can’t do a work meeting that day, even for ten minutes, and a free day in my diary is something that genuinely helps me feel calmer about the rest of my week, which can be very busy with a lot of travel. I’m a better person, and broadcaster I think, once I’ve done that.
I’ve even somehow managed to squeeze five days off at the end of the month to go on holiday, which at first made me feel uneasy, especially as it has meant saying no to some work I really wanted to do. However, as Jo reminded me, that time is as important, if not more than the time spent at work. My top tip is probably also to get a Jo/Clo that can remind you of that too!
Contact Kelly’s agent: info@ttmanagement.co.uk